Tilottama municipality in Rupandehi district has been first to be declared a plastic bag-free and full sanitation zone, it has been claimed.

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ghanashyam Bhusal made the announcement amid a programme here today. On the occasion, he urged the campaigners to continue with the drive while calling for the federal, state and local levels to prioritise sanitation. "Saving earth means save humans. There is a need to save all living and non-living things on earth," he said.

As part of the campaign that started eight months ago in coordination with SEEM Nepal, a non-governmental organisation working in the environment field, a programme ‘my pocket, my first dustbin’ has been launched at schools and villages, and there is a ban on consuming tobacco-products in public places. Throwing garbage in public places or roads is punishable, said deputy mayor of the municipality, Jageshwori Chaudhary.

With the effective enforcement of the campaign, roads and public places are tidied up. The campaign aims to reduce impact of polyphone bags and its products on human health, town’s beauty, agricultural produce and environment, said the municipality spokesperson Surendra Shree. Of the total 753 local levels, Tilottama is first to be declared a polythene bag-free zone, said SEEM Nepal’s president Nipesh Dhakal, adding that under this campaign, polythene bags and its products were collected from around 126 square feet areas and disposed.