HC directs TN govt to submit photos of 'plastic' roads

Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to produce photographs of sites where roads have been relaid using plastic waste.
The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan passed the interim order on a PIL by advocate Akhila which sought action against violators of the ban on plastic bags in the city.
The petitioner submitted that even though the state government had banned the use and sale of plastic bags in Chennai, all the shops and commercial establishments were violating the order.
She contended that plastic bags blocked the free flow of water in sewerage/drainage systems and also prevented the re-charging of ground water.

When the matter came up for hearing, the bench recorded the submissions made in an affidavit filed by the state Environment Secretary that it has laid plastic roads of 1,104-km length during 2011-12 and 2012-13 at a cost of Rs 142.88 crore and directed it to file "the exact location of these roads with photographs before the court in two weeks".
The government submitted that the TN Pollution Control Board, the Chennai and Madurai Corporations and the Dindigul Municipality have established plastic waste collection centres with shredders and such waste is being used in the laying of roads.
The matter was posted to Nov. 27 for a further hearing.