Plastic water bottles are non-biodegradable in nature and this is one of the major reasons that contribute to the problem of plastic pollution in our country. 

And, while all the states in our country are doing their bit to tackle the issue, Sikkim has yet again shown how a small state can take big steps for real development.

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In a bid to combat plastic pollution, Lachen, a town in Sikkim has introduced bamboo water bottles for tourists as a replacement for plastic water bottles. 

With this, Lachen becomes the first town in our country to completely get rid of packaged drinking water bottles.  

Tourists traveling to Lachen are being requested to leave their water bottles behind or to transfer water from their plastic bottle into a reusable water bottle made of bamboo that are available at local shops. 

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The eco-friendly bottles have been ordered from Assam through Sikkim Rajya Sabha MP Hishet Lachungpa. As of now, 1,000 bottles have been ordered. This year, the bottles will also be launched during the Lachen Losar festival. 

Lachen’s snow-capped hills, auqmarine lakes and red pandas attract nearly one lakh tourists every year but, the plastic bottles left behind by tourists became a major concern for the locals, which is why, this initiative was introduced. 

Yes, this initiative was entirely community driven. Around 2,500 inhabitants joined forces to lend support for this campaign. 

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Many people may not known this but, in 1998, Sikkim became the first state in India to introduce restrictive measures against plastic use. In 2016, Sikkim imposed complete ban on packaged drinking water. 

Just like you and I, even Twitter is impressed with the eco-friendly initiative that Lachen has introduced: 

After successfully eliminating packaged drinking water bottles, Sikkim plans on targeting wafer and biscuit packets next.