Shillong: Meghalaya has banned roadside cooking and littering amid growing environmental and safety concerns at tourist destinations.The order, effective immediately, follows reports of tourists cooking and dumping plastic, bottles, disposable plates, packaging and other waste along roads, particularly the Shillong-Sohra Civil Sub-Division and Shella routes.The govt said these activities caused environmental degradation, attracted stray animals, obstructed traffic and diminished the area’s natural beauty. The use of LPG cylinders, stoves, firewood and open flames without safety measures also posed risks of accidental fires and wildfires.“No person or group of persons shall cook, prepare food, light any fire or use LPG cylinders, kerosene stoves, charcoal stoves, firewood, barbecue grills or any other cooking appliance on any roadside, road shoulder, parking area or any other public place,” the order said.The ban will not apply to designated or officially approved picnic sites where cooking is permitted and adequate waste-disposal and fire-safety arrangements are available.Visitors must remove their waste and dispose of it only at authorised collection points or receptacles.Police, executive magistrates, forest, tourism and public works department officials, local authorities and Dorbar Shnongs have been directed to enforce the order strictly.Violators will face prosecution under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, environmental laws and other applicable legislation.
