Mumbai: The State government on Friday informed the Bombay High Court that it has formed a special task force consisting of two committees to ensure that the plastic ban is implemented and find other ways to put an end to plastic waste.
An affidavit filed by an under secretary of the environment department before a Division Bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla said the two committees are an expert committee and an implementation committee.
“The task force comprising plastic manufacturing associations, experts from different institutions, and government officials, has been set up to prepare an action plan for plastic waste management. The petitioners, including Pet Container Manufacturers Association, Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers Association, All India Plastic Manufactures Association, and Thermacol Fabricator and Decoration Association, have not come up with any foolproof buyback mechanism for recycling of plastic waste,” the affidavit said.
On March 23, the government issued a notification imposing a ban on manufacture, use, stock, transport, distribution, sale, storage, and import of plastic bags and disposable products manufactured from plastic and thermocol (polystyrene) under the Maharashtra Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control Act.
On April 13, the same HC Bench refused to stay the ban, but protected individual users from any penal action for three months.
“We are aware that the petitioners and all those persons involved in the business of plastic materials may suffer losses due to the ban. But, we have to consider the impact of plastic on the environment. The harmful effects of plastic waste are manyfold,” the court had said.