Officials from the pollution control board of Himachal Pradesh had imposed a ban on production, storage, use, sale and distribution of all types of polythene bags made of non-biodegradable materials on 2nd October 2009. Despite this, plastic litter has become a common sight in tourist towns like Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie, besides ecologically sensitive places like the Rohtang Pass. Pollution Control Board secretary Vineet Kumar said that in Norway, cement plants were using polythene, animal carcass and plastic waste as alternate fuel and now the same system will be used in Himachal Pradesh. He said that to make Kullu polythene-free, the local municipal council has already started supplying polythene waste to cement plant in Bilaspur. ´We have asked the Bilaspur-based cement plant to utilise polythene waste generated in Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu districts. Other cement plants too, will be approached to use municipal solid waste as alternate fuel,´ he added. Kilns in cement plants have a temperature between 1,300 to 1,400 centigrade. At such high temperatures, polythene burns up completely. Plastic waste can serve as an excellent alternate fuel.