Root Out Plastic Bag Less Than 50 Microns: National Green Tribunal

11-Dec-19

The National Green Tribunal has asked Central Pollution Control Board to ensure that no plastic bag less than 50 microns of thickness be manufactured,stocked, sold and used across the country.

The green court also asked CPCB to ensure that no unregistered plastic manufacturing and recycling unit is in operation and no unit is running in non-conforming or residential areas.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said a national framework for extended producers liability be finalised and enforced as far as possible within three months and a report furnished by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF).

“Thermocol or polystyrene cups, plates, etc, used extensively and haphazardly littered are properly regulated. Special environment squads may be set up for enforcement to oversee and ensure that no litter of plastic waste takes place at historical, religious, public places and dumping of plastic waste on drains, river, banks and sea and no burning of plastic takes place in open,” the bench noted.

The green court also asked states and Union territories to submit their compliance reports on the issue of plastic waste management to CPCB quarterly in a cumulative format, failing which compensation of Rs 1 lakh per quarter shall be levied by the apex pollution control board.

“CPCB may compile and file its consolidated report on quarterly basis before this tribunal.First quarterly report to be filed before April 29,the next date by e-mail,” the bench said in a recent order.NGT had earlier said there was no proper mechanism for plastic waste management in the country and directed CPCB to take necessary action in this regard.

Source: Time of India.