Lok Sabha Question No. 2672 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Impact of Plastic Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2672

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016

## Impact of Plastic Waste

## 2672.   SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  Committees/Task  Forces/Panels  constituted  by  the  Government  to examine the hazardous impact of plastic waste on environment during each of the last three years and the current year along with their main recommendations;
- (b) whether it is a fact that the generation of plastic waste and its harmful effect on human life have increased despite several measures taken by the Government for management of plastic waste in the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, State/ UT-wise and the reasons therefor along with the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (d) whether cases of violation of Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 have come to the notice of the Government during the said period; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof, State/ UT-wise and the reasons therefor along with corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a)  No study on impact of plastic waste on environment was carried out by the Ministry during last three years. However,  the environmental impact of plastic waste has been examined by various committees in the past which includes a Task Force headed by Shri Dilip Biswas in 1997 constituted to formulate a strategy and action program for management of plastic waste; Justice Ranganath Mishra Committee in 2002  which examined environmental hazards posed by  indiscriminate  littering  and  disposal  of  plastic  waste;  R.  C.  Chopra  Committee  in  2007 which assessed the environmental hazards related to use of plastic bags in the city of Delhi; Expert Committee appointed by the Ministry in 2010 to evolve road map for management of waste in the country including plastic waste; and  the study in 2008-09 by the Central Pollution Control  Board  to  assess  the  impact  of  plastics  waste  disposal  on  soil  and  water  quality  at Lucknow  dumpsites. Key  recommendations  of those committees included coordinated approach  for  plastic  waste  management  by  manufacturers,  consumers,  waste  collectors,  recyclers  as  well  as  civic  authorities,  involvement  of  manufacturers  in  implementation  of regulatory framework on plastic waste management,  increase thickness of plastic  carry bags, ban multilayered and metalized pouches, encourage use of biodegradable plastic carry bag etc.

(b) &  (c) The  above  studies indicated that plastic waste and bags if not collected systematically, choke drainage system and create unhygienic conditions; animals ingest plastic bags with the discarded food leading to their illness and sometimes death; the plastic waste when disposed of on soil reduces recharging of ground water aquifers; and when disposed of in landfill sites causes leaching of metals and additives into the soil and ground water.

The  use  of  plastic  carry  bags  has  been  completely  banned  in  14  States  /  Union Territories  namely;  Chandigarh,  Chhattisgarh,  Delhi,  Haryana,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Jammu& Kashmir,  Karnataka,  Andaman  &  Nicobar  Islands,  Lakshadweep,  Nagaland,  Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh. Further, use of plastic carry bags has been partially banned in  some  pilgrimage  centres,  tourist  and  historical  places  located  in  the  States  of  Andhra Pradesh,  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam,  Goa,  Gujarat,  Karnataka,  Odisha,  Tamil  Nadu,  West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has comprehensively revised the Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules  on  18 th March,  2016  in  supersession  of  the  Plastic  Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. The salient features of the revised Rules include the expansion  of  the  applicability  area  to  include  the  entire  country;  the  minimum  permissible thickness  of  plastic  carry  bags  increased  from  40  to    50  microns;  minimum  thickness  of  50 micron imposed for  plastic sheets; introduction of Extended Producers Responsibility for the brands packaging their products in plastics; use of waste plastic in co-generation of energy and road construction; plastic waste minimization; source segregation & recycling involving waste pickers,  recyclers & waste processors etc.

(d) & (e)  The number of individuals / companies / distributors and other entities penalized for violation of the PW(M&H) Rules is annexed.

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ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PART (d) & (e) OF STATEMENT FOR REPLY TO THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2672  FOR  10.05.2016  BY SHRI  BHARTRUHARI  MAHTAB  AND  SHRI  SANJAY  DHOTRE  REGARDING IMPACT OF PLASTIC WASTE:

Number of Individuals / Companies / Distributors and other entities penalised for violation of Rules in some of the State / Union Territory

|   S. No. | State            | Details of violation and action taken                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|----------|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Chandigarh       | One industry has been penalised for manufacturing plastic carry bags against the ban.                                                                                                                                                             |
|        2 | Delhi            | 258 complaints against individuals / companies were lodged.                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|        3 | Gujarat          | Show Cause notice issued to 1376 industries. Directions under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 were issued to 230 industries                                                                                                                    |
|        4 | Haryana          | 739 individuals /companies /distributors were penalised                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|        5 | Himachal Pradesh | 500 individuals /companies /distributors were penalised                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|        6 | Jammu & Kashmir  | 128 manufacturing units of polythene carry bags in the State have been closed down. Prohibited material has been seized from distributors in huge quantities. Penalties have been imposed on people indulging in trading of polythene carry bags. |
|        7 | Karnataka        | 2777 individuals /companies /distributors were penalized.                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|        8 | Maharashtra      | 54 defaulting manufacturers penalised and recovered Rs. 2,50,000/-.                                                                                                                                                                               |
|        9 | Puducherry       | Two industries were closed and one stockist godown was sealed. Show Cause notice issued to 05 stockists.                                                                                                                                          |
|       10 | Telangana        | 23 defaulting units for manufacturing carry bags of less than stipulated thickness were penalised.                                                                                                                                                |

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