New Delhi, July 9: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a petition challenging the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, passed on a plea raising the issue of unregulated use of plastics for packaging and its adverse effects on environment and health, saying it is a “very serious matter”.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and M R Shah issued notices to the Centre, Central Pollution Control Board and others seeking their responses on the plea against this year’s January 8 order passed by the NGT.
“It is a very serious matter. NGT was hearing the case in its original jurisdiction. It should not have allowed the matter to go like this,” the bench said during the hearing. The apex court observed that the Centre, in its report filed before the NGT, had itself said that plastic packaging has adverse effects.
“Issue notice,” it said and posted the matter for hearing after six weeks. The plea filed in the apex court by NGO ‘Him Jagriti Uttaranchal Welfare Society’ has challenged the NGT order claiming that despite arriving at the conclusion that there were adverse effects of plastic packaging on human health, the tribunal said it was not necessary to pass any further orders as the matter would be dealt with by the concerned executive authorities.
It said that during the pendency of the matter before the tribunal, the NGT had directed constitution of an expert committee to look into the question of whether steps had been taken towards restrictions on plastic packaging, and if regulatory provisions would be required. (PTI)
