The Lower Subansiri district administration in Arunachal Pradesh has finished distributing 10,000 complimentary cotton bags as part of its “Plastic Free Ziro” program, which is a significant step towards establishing Ziro a plastic-free zone.
During an event on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Oli Perme gave the Hapoli and Old Ziro market welfare committees the last shipment of bags.
By involving local self-help groups (SHGs) in the creation of cloth bags, the effort, which was started under former DC Vivek H P in partnership with Power Grid under CSR sponsorship, seeks to eradicate single-use plastic from the area.
SHGs, onboarded through ArSRLM, have been stitching bags with Apatani tribal motifs and awareness messages like “Clean and Green Ziro” and “Plastic Free Ziro” at a dedicated production operation established in a repurposed government school hostel.
Through welfare committees, these bags were given away for free to market attendees in an effort to lessen the usage of plastic and to give local women more economic power.
The DC encouraged the market committees and SHGs to keep supporting the campaign and serve as role models for other districts as she turned over the last batch. She also promoted the creation of other products with traditional Apatani designs, such as tablecloths and curtains.
She made the significant announcement that, as of August 15, 2025, a district-wide prohibition on the usage, distribution, storage, and sale of single-use plastic carry bags will take effect.
To guarantee consistent market connections for cloth bag manufacturers, additional deputy commissioner Himani Meena recommended partnering with major shops like Vishal Mega Mart.
