Kochi: The Kerala High Court has imposed a ban on the use of plastic in the state’s hilly regions. The guidelines issued by the High Court explicitly state that the use and sale of non-reusable plastic products are prohibited in these areas.
Under the new directives, cold drink bottles below two liters and water bottles below five liters are banned from use in hilly areas. The court has also prohibited the use and sale of single-use plastic food containers, plates, cups, straws, covers, and bakery boxes in mountainous tourist zones. The ban specifically targets busy hilly tourist destinations.
The High Court’s division bench has ordered the government to strictly implement this directive.
To ensure the effectiveness of the plastic ban, the High Court has mandated that the Chief Secretary and the Local Self-Government Secretary ensure coordination. Kiosks must be established in the prohibited areas to guarantee access to drinking water, and the use of steel and copper glasses for drinking should be promoted as an alternative. Local self-governing bodies are tasked with preventing the dumping of plastic waste into water bodies. The court also emphasized encouraging the use of alternative facilities instead of plastic.
These new guidelines are set to come into force from the upcoming Gandhi Jayanti (October 2nd). Furthermore, the use of plastic will also be prohibited in programs organized by both Central and State governments. The High Court underscored that everyone has a constitutional obligation to protect the environment.
In a related development, the High Court also criticized the Railways. The court noted that water bottles sold on the Vande Bharat train were dumped at Veli in Thiruvananthapuram, subsequently polluting the backwaters (kayal). This criticism from the court was based on an examination of visual evidence.