Madras HC Bans Plastics in the TN stretch of Western Ghats
The Madras High Court has imposed a blanket ban on 28 plastic items, including PET bottles, cups, tumblers, plates, carry bags, and plastic films used for food wrapping in the Western Ghats ranging from the Nilgiris to the Agathiyar Biosphere in the Kanyakumari district, according to a report in The New Indian Express.
The ban is expected to protect the environment and ecology of the Nilgiris and Kodai ranges of the Western Ghats.
A special division bench of the court, Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, passed the orders on petitions seeking to ban plastic products that harm the fragile environment of the Nilgiris.
“The manufacture, storage, supply, transport, sale, and distribution of the 28 items are banned throughout the Western Ghats, sanctuaries, and tiger reserves, starting from the Nilgiris up to the Agathiyar Biosphere in Kanyakumari District, which includes the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal hill areas,” the Bench said in its order.
The banned items include plastic pet bottles used for packaged water, mineral water, and juice; plastic sheets/cling film used for food wrapping; sheets used for spreading on dining tables; plastic thermocol plates; plastic-coated paper plates; paper cups; tea cups; tumblers; plastic-coated carry bags; non-woven carry bags; water pouches; packets; straws; flags; plastic carry bags of all sizes and thicknesses; and cutlery items made of plastic.
The bench said the shop owners, vendors, or any other persons involved in distributing snacks, biscuits, or any other consumables packaged in multi-layered wrappers, foils, multi-layered covers, sachets, pouches, or other non-biodegradable packaging materials shall cut open the packages and transfer the contents to biodegradable paper covers made of butter paper that do not contain plastic materials.
Alternatively, they may use natural products made of leaves, kora grass, and earthen mud, it said.
The bench directed the local bodies to provide disposable paper covers free of cost to the traders.
It also directed the authorities to ensure a supply of potable water through water ATMs and RO plants in public places.
It mooted a ‘deposit return system’ for providing reusable cups, tumblers, food containers, tiffin carriers, and ever-silver bottles to the tourists and the general public upon payment of Rs. 20 to Rs. 50, and the amount can be refunded upon returning these items.
