National Green Tribunal (NGT): The Bench comprising of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (Chairperson) and Justice S.P. Wangdi (Judicial Member) and Dr Nagin Nanda (Expert Member), while addressing an issue of remedial action against cheap waste paper and road sweep waste import for the firing of brick kilns, stated that,
CPCB needs to take further action for implementation of its recommendations on the issues of “plastic waste management” as well as “restriction on import of plastic waste”.
Applicant submitted that 900,000 tons of waste are imported which is hazardous.
Tribunal had vide its order dated 30-04-2019, considered the response of CPCB which had suggested the following:
- Restriction on import of plastic waste and proper management of hazardous waste.
- It also suggested that local bodies should use plastic waste for road construction and energy recovery.
- Producers should follow “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)”
To the above, Tribunal directed CPCB to take further action in regard to the implementation of its recommendations on the issues of plastic waste management as well as the restriction on import of plastic waste.
In accordance with the report issued by CPCB in respect to the direction of Tribunal, the report acknowledged that “there is no proper mechanism for plastic waste management which was being dumped in open or burnt in brick kilns resulting in pollution.” Tribunal noted that, CPCB only had issued directions and also stated that “MoEF&CC is to deal with the issue of transboundary movement (import/export) hazardous and other wastes.”
Thus, the Tribunal in the present order stated that, apart from the issuance of direction by CPCB, it has to see the compliance of the same as well. Even with regard to the illegal import, CPCB as a statutory regulator can take up the matter with the concerned authorities.
Hence a report was directed to be submitted after further steps have been taken in the matter. The matter is listed for 16-10-2019. [Amit Jain v. Union of India, 2019 SCC OnLine NGT 278, decided on 06-09-2019]