Imphal, Nov. 16: The Manipuri Students Federation (MSF), a student organisation, has imposed a ban on plastic and launched a campaign against the use of the material by collecting plastic and polythene bags from shops and other business establishments in the Manipuri capital.

The influential student organisation launched the campaign after bans imposed by the state authorities ?failed? to curb the rampant use of the material.

Plastic was banned in Manipur for the first time when the state was under President?s rule in 2001. The move was endorsed by the Okram Ibobi Singh government when it assumed charge the following year. The minister of state for forest and environment, N. Biren Singh, marshalled the campaign against plastic in and around the capital. The use of plastic continued nevertheless, and no one was prosecuted for violating the ban.

S. Sanjay, the president of the student body, said volunteers collected a large number of plastic and polythene bags from shops and civilians during a drive in the city today. A similar campaign was carried out yesterday.

The student volunteers appealed to shopkeepers and civilians to replace plastic and polythene bags with environment-friendly paper ones to protect the state?s environment from degradation. They said users were dumping plastic bags into the Imphal river, polluting it in the process. This non-biodeg-radable refuse settles on the river bed, increasing water levels and causing frequent floods.

The MSF also warned truckers using the Imphal-Jiribam and Imphal-Kohima highways.

The student leader said the campaign would be extended to other districts as well. The organisation is planning to rope in the state pollution control board.

In the Assam capital Guwahati yesterday, the gover-nment banned the use of plastic after the recent floods in the city. The administration will follow the Mumbai model and asked residents for their cooperation in getting rid of plastic.