Provide incentives for producers to replace plastic: NGT

CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), on Tuesday, directed the State to evolve a policy providing incentive to manufactures/producers to replace plastic with eco-friendly alternatives.

The NGT panel comprising of judicial member K Ramakrishnan and expert member K Satyagopal asked the local bodies, including Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Chennai Collector to strictly implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, including the Extended Producer Responsibility and take action against those persons who are violating it by imposing environmental compensation, apart from imposing penalties. 

It was disposing of a plea filed by social activist Antony C Rubin, who said the government’s ban on single-use plastic was not being complied with.  The NGT said the State government constituted a special task force earlier this year at State and district levels to implement the ban and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. “Under such circumstances, it cannot be said that the government is not taking steps to implement the ban.”