Ensure no plastic bags less than 50 microns is manufactured, sold: NGT to CPCB

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure that no plastic carry bags less than 50 microns thickness be manufactured, stocked, sold and used within the country.

The Tribunal has also directed to set up Special Environment Squads to oversee and ensure that no litter of plastic waste takes place at historical, religious, public places and dumping of plastic waste on drains, river, banks and sea.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also asked CPCB to check that thermocol, polystyrene cups, plates used extensively and haphazardly littered are properly regulated.

The NGT asked CPCB to establish an institutional mechanism to ensure that no unregistered plastic manufacturing or recycling units is in operation and no unit is running in non-conforming residential areas.

The Tribunal said that a national framework for extended producers liability be finalised and enforced as far as possible within three months and a report furnished by the ministry of environment and forests and climate change.

The bench also asked pollution board to compile and file its consolidated report on a quarterly basis before this tribunal. The tribunal, which was hearing the plea filed by Amit Jain, listed the matter for further hearing on April 29.

The tribunal also noted that burning of plastic waste was continuing, apart from littering of plastic waste on railway tracks and bus stations.