The Madras High Court has imposed a ban on the manufacture, storage, supply, transport, sale, and distribution of 28 plastic items across the Western Ghats, wildlife sanctuaries, and tiger reserves.
The Madras High Court has been actively monitoring the ban on PET bottles and plastic waste in the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal hills. Despite periodic enforcement reducing waste, plastic usage quickly rebounds. Single-use PET bottles and other plastic items continue to pollute the Western Ghats, harming water bodies, wildlife, and the ecosystem. Concerned by the environmental damage and threat to biodiversity, the Court sought further suggestions from the government, parties, and Amicus Curiae. A memo was submitted recommending stricter enforcement to protect the fragile ecology of the Western Ghats.
The Division Bench comprising Justice N. Sathish Kumar and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy stated, “The manufacture, storage, supply, transport, sale, and distribution of the 28 items mentioned in paragraph No.9 above 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 banned items include PET plastic bottles used for packaged water, mineral water, and juices; plastic sheets and cling films used for food wrapping and table covers; thermocol and plastic-coated paper plates; paper cups, tea cups, and tumblers; plastic-coated and non-woven carry bags; water pouches and packets; plastic straws, flags, and all types of plastic carry bags regardless of size or thickness, along with plastic cutlery items.
The Court directed the State Government to issue a notification under Section 67(3) of the Motor Vehicles Act, mandating a permit condition and framing a special scheme to prohibit the transport of the 28 banned plastic items by any vehicle into the Western Ghats, especially the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal Hills.
The Bench also urged for strict enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules in both their essence and application. The court will assess the progress of these directives on June 6 and issue further orders based on the compliance reports submitted by the authorities.
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