Uttar Pradesh Government yet again announced ban on use of polythene asking concerned departments to stop production and sale of polythene and plastic of 50 micron thickness and below saying use of banned items after July 15 will be punishable offence. It is third time in three years Government has issued such directive. The fresh announcement was made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Barabanki on Friday. “The Government has issued a order banning use of plastic and polythene from July 15. No plastic cups, glass and polythene bags will be used after the designated day,” Yogi said while addressing a rally.
He said there will be complete ban on the manufacture, sale, purchase, storage, and use of polythene carry bags across the state.
Earlier on November 15, 2015 Allahabad High Court directed the state government to issue a notification enforcing a complete ban on the sale of polythene across the state by the end of that year. In December 2015, the then government led by Akhilesh Yadav approved a complete statewide ban on the distribution, manufacture and sale of polythene carry bags and the ban was implemented from January 21,2016.
The ban was reinforced in 2017 but once again authorities failed to stop the polythene bag flow into the cities. This time too officials said the ban would be enforced on the polythene carry bags of 50 microns thickness and below.
The polythene ban, in the state, prohibits manufacturing, importing, purchasing and storage of all kinds of plastic carry bags
While the ban applies to all retails usage of plastic and polythene, it exempts from its purview those plastic bags that are indispensible parts of packaging materials, and that involve sealing products before use. In addition, the ban will also not apply to plastic bags covered under the biomedical waste (management and handling) Rules 1998. The ban will be imposed and monitored by the secretary and chairperson of the UP Pollution Control Board and those found flouting the orders will be acted against under Section 19 of the Environment Protection Act 1986. The latest order by the government comes following in the footsteps of Maharashtra government which enforced a similar ban after issuing the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (manufacture, usage, sale, transport, handling, and storage) notification in March this year. The Maharashtra government banned plastic from June 23 last, and announced that it would fine Rs 5,000 for the first offence, Rs 10,000 for the second, and up to Rs 25,000 and a three-month jail term for repeated violations. The government banned the manufacture, usage, sale, transport, distribution, wholesale and retail sale and storage, import of plastic bags with or without handle, and disposable products made out of plastic and thermocol. Citing the environmental risks and harm caused to wild animals from ingestion or entanglement in plastic, the government enforced the ban with immediate effect.