Mumbai: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued show cause notice to 171 units and sent closure notices to 19 units found to be violating the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) Notification, 2018.
The State government filed an affidavit at the Bombay High Court throught the Under Secretary of the Environment Department, which said the government has constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary, on April 26, 2018. The representations have been received from the Plastic and Thermocol Manufacturing Association and were considered by the said expert committee.
The affidavit mentioned minutes of the expert committee was placed before the empower committee constituted under the Environmental Minister and it has taken decision on the recommendations of the expert committee based on the representations received from the manufacturing associations.
On May 4, 2018, a semi-official letter was sent to all Divisional Commissioners, Municipal Corporations, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Directorate Municipal Administration, All District Collectors, All Chief Executive Officers, Zilla Parishad.
MPCB carried out a survey of plastic manufacturing industries and issued proposed direction and show cause notices to 171 units and sent closure notices to 19 of them.
The government also informed that it has formed a task force consisting of plastic manufacturing associations, experts and government officials to find solutions andto prepare an action plan for plastic waste management.
On April 13, A Division Bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla had refused to stay the ban, saying, “We are aware that the petitioners and all those persons involved in the business of plastic materials may suffer loss due to the ban. However, we have to consider the impact of plastic waste on the environment and the eco-system in general and the effect thereof on citizens. The harmful effects of plastic waste are multifold.”