Srinagar, June 20 -- Ladakh lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday ordered a strict ban on identified single-use plastic items and littering across the Union Territory, introducing a stringent enforcement framework that imposes hefty penalties on violators as a major push to protect Ladakh's fragile Himalayan ecosystem. "Have ordered a strict ban on the sale and use of "single-use plastics", along with a complete crackdown on littering, across Ladakh, a crucial move to protect the region's fragile ecology and pristine landscapes," LG Ladakh wrote on X. He said violators will have to face hefty penalty. "The new framework provides for hefty penalty for littering and plastic-related violations. For the first time, field level officers, including BDOs, tehsildars, municipal officers, foresters and guards, too, have been authorised to detect violations and issue challans, for stricter enforcement," he said. The LG further said random checks will be conducted for single-use plastic items at Leh Airport and Ladakh's border/entry points. "Ladakh's pristine environment is its greatest strength and foundation of our tourism economy. As we strive to develop Ladakh into world-class tourist destination, development must go hand in hand with environmental responsibility."...