The National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone) has directed local bodies, including the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and Chennai Collectorate, to strictly implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
This included the Extended Producers Responsibility provided under the guidelines issued in 2020 and subsequent guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Central Pollution Control Board. It asked them to take action against violators by imposing environmental compensation, apart from imposing the penalties as provided under the local and other environmental laws.
In an order on an original application by Antony Clement Rubin of Chennai, seeking directions to various government bodies to properly implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules, judicial member Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati also directed the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, and the Chief Secretary, State of Tamil Nadu, to monitor the implementation of the directions issued by the State government by the Special Task Force constituted as per G.O. (Ms.) No.25 Environment, Climate Change & Forests (EC.2) Department dated February 7, 2022.
