Centre issues draft notifice on single-use plastic ban in poll campaigns

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that it has issued a draft notification inviting objections from all the stakeholders with regard to a proposed ban on different categories of plastic, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), that have a thickness of less than 100 microns.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati made the submission before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice Aniruddha Bose, according to a PTI report.

Responding to the submission, the bench said: “We hope and trust that the Union of India will proceed to pass suitable orders and directions after finalising the objections to the draft notification.”

National Green Tribunal move

The bench was hearing an appeal by petitioner W Edwin Wilson against an order issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), said the PTI report. The NGT order banned the use of PVC and chlorinated plastic for banners and hoardings used during elections.

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On January 17, 2019, the NGT had directed the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of all the states and Union Territories to take steps to comply with the directions issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in this regard.

The petitioner contended that the MoEF has to issue certain directions under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to ban the use of PVC and chlorinated plastic for advertisements during elections. The Election Commission (EC) should also take pro-active steps to include this ban in the Model Code of Conduct ahead of polls, and give suitable directions to all the stakeholders, the petitioner added.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, who represented the EC, said the onus of making necessary amendments to the Act is on the government, and there is little it can do at this stage.

The NGT had directed the EC and the chief electoral officers of the states to monitor the compliance of the advisories against the use of plastic, especially banners and hoardings, during elections, said the PTI report.

Plastic alternatives

The order came after the NGT was informed that the MoEF has asked the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of the states to use alternatives to single-use-plastic during poll campaigns. The ministry said it has written letters to them, suggesting the use of compostable plastic, natural fabrics, recycled paper and other eco-friendly material.

“In view of the fact that the MoEF as well as the Election Commission have taken the view that use of plastic during elections, particularly banners or hoardings, needs to be avoided, it will be appropriate that the compliance of advisories or directions mentioned above is appropriately monitored by the Election Commission of India, the chief electoral officers of all the states and Union Territories and the Central Pollution Control Board,” said the NGT.

The NGT petition, moved through advocates Sanjay Upadhyay and Salik Shafique, had claimed that campaigning material made of plastic is extensively used during election campaigning. This is subsequently discarded as waste.