2 days ago
Plea to ensure G.O. banning single use plastic is strictly implemented in Palani
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday ordered notice to Dindigul District Administration on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the authorities to strictly implement the 2018 G.O. that banned the use of single use plastic items. The petitioner sought the strict implementation of the G.O. in Palani taluk in Dindigul district.
A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete sought the response of the authorities to the petition filed by K. Purushothaman of Palani in Dindigul district. He said lakhs of people were visiting Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani and shops and people were using the banned plastic items.
The petitioner complained that the shopkeepers and people were continuing to use the banned single use plastic items ignoring the G.O. issued in 2018. These plastic items that included covers, cups, sheets, straws, plates and other such items were still being produced and used. The usage of such plastics affected people's health and caused environmental pollution, he said.
The government had issued a notification in 2019 stating that no industry or person shall manufacture, store, supply, transport, sell or distribute, use and throw away plastics and no person including the shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker and salesman shall use and throw away plastics, he said.
Even after the G.O. and the notification was issued the district administration had failed to prevent the production and sale of the single use plastic items. The shopkeepers and people were continuing to use these plastic items. They use these plastic items and discard them on the roadside, he said.
The petitioner said he had made a representation to the authorities concerned in this regard. However, no action was initiated by the authorities. He sought a direction to the authorities to ensure that the G.O. was strictly implemented and also to take action against the manufacturers and users. The court adjourned the hearing by two weeks.
