NEW DELHI: The Environment Committee of the district courts has proposed ban on single-use plastic items and urged judicial officers, lawyers, litigants and the public visiting the court complex to cooperate in making district courts a plastic-free zone. There are six district courts in the national capital.
The circular from the chairman of the Environment Committee, Tis Hazari Courts, states, “This office proposes a ban on single-use plastic items and requests all judicial officers, branch heads, branch in-charges, staff members of this establishment, lawyers and litigants and members of general public to do away with the use of single-use plastic items such as PET water bottles, plastic cups, plastic plates, plastic glasses, plastic jugs, plastic folders, plastic banners, etc to create a plastic-free zone at all district courts.”
The circular urged the legal fraternity to join hands in the initiative taken by the Centre and take a pledge to save the environment.
Earlier this year, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change banned the use of plastic at the protected areas — wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and national parks.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), over 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated across India every day and more than 40% of this is disposed of unsafely and 60% is recycled. Plastic bags in soil can take 1,000 years to decompose, whereas PET bottles have a recycling rate of 90%. Till date, 17 states in India have passed their legislations banning plastics.
India consumes 35% of the plastic in packaging, 23% in construction, 8% in transport, 7% in agriculture and 19% in other activities, as per the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.