Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party government for being lax in implementing the plastic ban order of 2012, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday imposed an interim ban on 'sale and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags which are less than 50 microns in thickness.
The green court has also come out with a hefty penalty amounting to Rs5,000 for violators.
The tribunal has directed the government's Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) along with associated authorities to confiscate the entire stock of such plastic within a week's time from the date of order.
However, the green panel also made it clear that this is an interim order subject to change after hearing all parties concerned.
The panel said, "We must express dissatisfaction over the way the Delhi government has implemented the direction of the tribunal in preventing and controlling pollution resulting from the indiscriminate use of plastic waste more particularly the carry bags of thickness 50 microns which are used in the market..."
The order is in line with Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016. The rules of minimum thickness of plastic carry bags were notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change last year, superseding the earlier Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.
The minimum thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from 40 microns to 50 microns under the new Rules. Following it, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has asked the civic bodies to constitute 'vigilance squads' to ensure prohibition on stocking, distribution, selling and use of any carry bags of thickness less than 50 microns and sachets/ pouches using plastic material.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar stated that the Delhi government and the DPCC will ensure that the sale, use and storage of such plastic is not allowed at shops or otherwise.
The tribunal noted that plastic degrades environment and causes serious damage to the health of human beings and animals.
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