MADURAI: Holding that importing or aiding the import of wastes from other countries to India is nothing short of treason, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently recommended that the union government consider reframing policy to encourage the segregation of waste paper output in the country, prevent its burning, and improve its availability for recycling.
Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy made the observations while dealing with a batch of petitions filed by paper manufacturing companies challenging orders passed by customs authorities confiscating their waste paper consignments at Thoothukudi port, imposing penalties, and directing re-export of the goods, after finding that it had municipal solid waste, including plastic bottles, food-paper waste, and used soft-drink cans, among others.
Refusing to interfere with the orders, the judge observed, “If any person knowingly designs, imports, or aids in importing and throwing trash on Bharat Mata, it is not just an offence under the Environment Protection Act, 1985, alone, but it is a direct challenge to her sovereignty. There cannot be a more aggravated form of deshdroh.”
“We, the citizens of the country, have a bounden duty to source-segregate the solid wastes, and only by a robust process of realisation that entire waste paper is available for these recycling industries can the very import be given up,” he further said. and recommended the environment ministry, the director general of foreign trade and the concerned ministry to consider reframing the policy, to improve the segregation output of waste paper and improve its availability for recycling.
He also issued a series of directions to the petitioners to ensure that the goods are re-exported within 60 days.