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Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding plastic pollution in Malegaon, 21/01/2020

  • 21/01/2020

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Mohammad Yusuf Abdullah Shaikh & Others Vs State of Maharashtra & Others dated 21/01/2020 regarding air pollution on account of melting of plastic in the process of manufacturing gitti (recycled plastic granules) for use of plastic pipes at Malegaon in the State of Maharashtra.

Report filed by the CPCB on January 15, 2020 informed the Tribunal that there was no effective closure of operations and the polluting activities were still continuing even after repeated efforts like inventorisation of plastic related activities and sizing units, issuing warning notices in the local newspapers, issuance of directions for closure of all units having facilities for plastic related activities and noncomplying sizing ones, units engaged in plastic related activities have not effectively closed their operations fully and are operating stealthily.

Taking into consideration the CPCB report, the Tribunal said that there was need for coordination among the District Administration, Police Department, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, Malegaon Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to ensure the effective closure of operations of plastic related activities and sizing units who have been issued clousure directions by the MPCB and such activites be removed from non-conforming areas. Further, the tribunal stressed that compensation needs to be speedily assessed and recovered from the polluters.