Madras HC bans 28 plastic items in Ghats; transporting vehicles to be seized
A special bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy issued orders to ban the manufacture and use of products including PET bottles, cups, tumblers, plates, carry bags, and plastic films used for food wrapping.;
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has banned 28 plastic items in the Western Ghats, ranging from The Nilgiris to the Agasthiyar biosphere in Kanniyakumari, and has called for action against tourist vehicles, particularly those bound to The Nilgiris and Kodaikanal, against carrying banned plastics.
A special bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy issued orders to ban the manufacture and use of products including PET bottles, cups, tumblers, plates, carry bags, and plastic films used for food wrapping.
The bench directed the State to issue a notification under section 67(3) of the Motor Vehicles Act, adding a permit condition and framing a special transportation scheme prohibiting vehicles from carrying banned plastic to the western ghats. It also ordered that those vehicles violating the ban should be immediately seized and their permit suspended or cancelled. The owners of these vehicles and other persons in charge are all liable to be prosecuted for the offences, the bench further directed.
Unfortunately, despite this court earlier issuing an order to ban the usage of plastic products in the hill stations which was upheld by the Supreme Court, tourists are carrying plastic products primarily water bottles and packed juice products and discarding them in the open thereby destroying the pristine biodiversity, held the bench.
Hence, the bench issued a slew of directions that shop owners, vendors, or any other persons involved in the distribution of snack items, biscuits, or any other consumables packaged in multi-layered wrappers, foils, sachets, pouches, or other non-biodegradable packaging materials should cut open the packaging and transfer the contents to biodegradable paper covers.
The local bodies should provide disposable paper covers for their use and such costs can be reimbursed from the green funds.
The bench directed the district administration to devise a scheme involving the manufacturers of non-biodegradable packaging materials for their recycling and safe disposal which will include funding for local bodies for expenses incurred.