The Punjab government has decided to ban the use of plastic in a bid to conserve its deteriorating environment.A notification to this effect will be issued after a formal approval by the state cabinet on the decision taken on Tuesday at the Local Government Department meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.The Chief Minister directed the officials to impose the ban after giving people sufficient time to move to alternative packaging, according to an official spokesperson.Several states across India have already banned the use of plastic bags and other plastic materials, with courts also intervening proactively to rid the environment of the unhealthy practice of using plastic.