NAINITAL, Sep. 13, 2022 (TBINN) Uttarakhand High Court, on Monday instructed the state government to prepare a model S.O.P. regarding the plastic waste management and sought a report from local bodies on how much penalty has been imposed on violators till now.
Divisional Bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice R.C. Khulbe ordered the state government after hearing a P.I.L. filed on disposal of single use plastic management and a complete ban on plastic waste in Uttarakhand. High Court made state-level monitoring committee, headed by Secretary (Forest), a party in the matter. They have been held responsible for compliance of these directions.
The committee will be responsible for the further compliance and will hold a meeting with all the district officials to find a solution for the disposal of waste. Divisional Forest Officers are ordered to make maps of the Forest Panchayats of their respective areas and upload the same on the digital platform. Besides, orders to develop a complaint lodging app are also given and the Forest Secretary is directed to take appropriate steps to provide adequate mechanism and machinery to the Sarpanch of Van Panchayat.
During the hearing Pollution Control Board argued that few authorities did not follow the rules. On that H.C. directed the P.C.B. to impose a fine of Rs 1 lakh per month on such officials for environmental damage. The case will next be heard on October 19, 2022.
It is to be mentioned here that one Jitendra Yadav, a resident of Almora, filed a P.I.L. stating that the state government of Uttarakhand made rules for plastic-use and its disposal in 2013 which are not being followed.
In 2018, the Union Government made P.W.M. rules, in which the producers, transporters and sellers are given the responsibility to take back the empty plastic and if they fail to do so, the concerned civic body will take care of it.
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