GANGTOK: All tourist vehicles entering Sikkim will now have to mandatorily carry a large garbage bag, according to an official order.

The decision has been taken to ensure community participation towards achieving the goal of environmental sustainability, said the order issued by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department.

It will be the responsibility of the tour operators, travel agencies and vehicle drivers to inform the traveller about the use of garbage bags for waste disposal, it said.

Random checks of tourist vehicles would be conducted to ensure compliance and any vehicle found violating the order, will be penalised, it added.

Awareness campaigns about cleanliness are being carried out to educate tourists about waste management and environmental sustainability, officials said.

Sikkim, which is India's least populated state with over 6 lakh residents, gets more than 20 lakh visitors every year for its picturesque Himalayan destinations, they said.