Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, on Friday, issued an order banning the use of plastic in the state from July 15.

Uttar Pradesh is the second state after Maharashtra to enforce a ban on plastic.

The Maharashtra government had banned  plastic from June 23, and announced that it would fine `5,000 for the first offence, `10,000 for the second, and up to `25,000 and a three-month jail term for repeated violations.

Announcing this on Friday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that “I hope people will stop using plastic cups, glasses and polythene at every level from July 15. We will require everyone’s cooperation to implement this ban”. In December 2015,  during the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, the state cabinet had approved a complete ban on the distribution, manufacture and sale of polythene carry bags of 40 microns thickness after a directive in this regard from the Allahabad high court.

This year, on the World Environment Day (June 5), Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the countrymen to to take a pledge to beat plastic pollution.

Beating the plastic pollution was also the theme of the World Environment day this year.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Human Resource Development minister Prakash Javadekar also urged people to reaffirm the commitment to a cleaner and sustainable planet and pledge to beat the plastic pollution.