No recycled polythene from May 1: HC

CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR: IN a significant order, the High Court imposed complete ban on manufacture, import, storage and use of recycled polythene in the State beginning May 1.A division bench comprising Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly and Justice Indrajit Mohanty, directed the Orissa Pollution Control Board and Industries Department to submit compliance report by May 15.So far, 13 states have banned any use of recycled polythene. The court expressed its dissatisfaction with the State Government for not acting upon its earlier directives and said that’s why it had to step into the Executive’s domain.In 2000, the Centre banned polythene with thickness less than 20 micron - both virgin and recycled - following a Supreme Court directive.In 2002, the court asked the Orissa Government to properly implement the rule.The Government simply delegated the responsibility to Forest and Environment Department which has jurisdiction over the forest areas.The court,which has been monitoring the implementation, on April 3 last again asked the Government to explore the possibility of banning recycled polythene. It also told the Government to give executive officers (of urban local bodies) as well as municipal commissioners (of corporations) the same authority like that of district collectors to impose ban. The Government had later come out with notification too.‘‘We had submitted before HC that 90 percent of the polythene used in Orissa is recycled, 80 percent of which is imported. The State eventually becomes a dumping ground for recycled polythene,’’ Siba Narayan Panda, counsel for Federation of Consumers Organisations, Orissa which filed the PIL petition, said.
Friday April 25 2008 10:26 IST
Express News Service
www.newindpress.com