Without plastic ban, Bengaluru will be garbage city: Govt

BENGALURU: The state government on Monday defended its stand on banning the use of plastic and cited its hazardous effects on animals and environment.

The government made the submissions through an affidavit, stating that it has banned plastic after considering an expert committee report, which highlighted the dangerous effects of using plastic.

During its previous hearing, the court sought to know from the state government the environmental effects of plastic. The court was hearing a petition filed by plastic manufacturers and traders, who had sought quashing of the government notification which has imposed a blanket ban on the use of plastic.

The government stressed that it imposed the ban while taking into account the use of plastic on a daily basis, and allowing it would result in further environmental complications. It further said that by further allowing the use of plastic, Bengaluru would become a city of plastic waste.

The affidavit also highlighted the fact that several countries, including Germany and China, and several states in the country have banned plastic already.

“The quality of air has gone down and cases of respiratory diseases have increased due to use of plastics,” the government said. When the court sought to know as to why the ban was imposed suddenly, the government submitted that it decided to ban it in 2011 and had been pushing the deadline since then.

The state had earlier said that it has the authority to impose a blanket ban, but allowed packing of essential commodities like medicines and milk packets in plastic.

The petitioners have contended that the state government cannot impose a blanket ban exercising the legislative power under Section 23 of the Environment Protection Act and it is contrary to the Plastic Waste (management and handling) Rules 2011 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and that it is only the Central government which has powers to issue such directions.