Explore ways to get rid of PET bottles, Madras HC tells railways

CHENNAI:  A special bench of the Madras High Court told the Railways to explore possibilities for doing away with PET bottles used in railway stations and on trains. Justices S Vaidyanathan and PT Asha said: “... made a last request to the learned Central Government Standing Counsel as to the steps that the Southern Railway would take to ensure that the PET bottles disappear from the Railway Stations as well as trains.

The learned Central Government Standing Counsel stated that he would revert in this regard as well.” The bench said a proactive step by the railways in this direction would set an example for the other departments to follow. The standing counsel, V Chandrasekaran, also submitted a letter written to him by the senior law officer of Southern Railway (SR) informing the steps taken towards achieving the object of eradicating plastic.

The bench, which has been dealing with petitions regarding ban on plastic goods, recently said the steps taken by SR are credit-worthy. The special government pleader and the office of the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) were directed to produce the copy of the plastic waste management policy before the next hearing.