Srinagar, June 19 -- Leh- Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena has ordered a strict ban on the sale and use of single-use plastics and directed a complete crackdown on littering across the Union Territory in a major step aimed at protecting the region's fragile ecology and pristine environment.

Under the new enforcement framework, hefty penalties will be imposed for littering and violations related to single-use plastics, officials said on Friday.

For the first time, field-level officers, including Block Development Officers (BDOs), Tehsildars, Municipal Officers, Foresters and Forest Guards, have been authorised to detect violations and issue challans to ensure stricter implementation of environmental regulations.

The admi...