English Legal Assignment

Submitted by -Kalpana
Class – B.A LLB (first year)
Roll no – 1914151
 Plastic prohibition related laws in the state of Sikkim and Tamil Nadu : A
critical appraisal

India was the host country on World Environment Day 2018 where the theme was “Beat Plastic
Pollution”. This topic pushes communities, individuals and governments to come forward and
survey alternatives and reduce the excessive production and use of single-use plastic which is
harmful for human health, causing damage to marine life and polluting our oceans. An essential
work done by government is the ban on plastic use.
HIGHLIGHTS
 500 to 1000 years are taken by plastics to deteriorate.
 In India, 56 lakh tons of plastic waste is produced per year.
 World oceans have 60% participation from India’s plastic wastes in it.

SIKKIM: AS AN ORGANIC STATE

Sikkim (the north eastern Indian) emerged out as an organic state by prohibiting single use
plastics. Sikkim hits its target to fabricate a green revolution of its own type which includes
restriction to single use plastics it does not affect the other agricultures like cultivation of
rice, wheat, etc.
The first village to put a ban on the use of plastic use was Yuksum in 1996.Yuksum village
put a ban on the plastic bags and bottles in 1996. After which within 2 years the state had
introduced a ban on plastic bags and bottles in the whole state. The notifications related to
the state-wide ban came on 4th June, 1998 1issued that no one should deliver goods or
purchase things to any person or from any person, shop, company or agency, firm or
organization in form of plastic bags or wrappers. With it also took place in the starting phase
that created a fear in the mind of people which made the ban effective up to a limit in the
state of Sikkim which is very essential for this north-eastern state.
The plastic ban was issue under the notification of Trade License and Miscellaneous
Provisions (Amendment Rules, 1998) in Sikkim from previous 22 years and when we talk
about the effectiveness and awareness of the ban than we analyze that there is a need of
improvements and changes that are required. This only put the responsibilities and
enforcement of the ban only on the vendors, manufactures, retailers and on the shopkeepers
for not selling any food item or anything which have plastic or wrapped them in plastic or
using plastic carry bags. A plastic ban or prohibition is required in a wider, comprehensive,
inclusive and large range. Recently, Gangtok Municipal Corporation is thinking and
processing about it which will include the State Level Solid Waste Management Policy too.
1
NO.GOS/UD&HD/97-98/6(84)-
Issued by the Government of Sikkim, Urban Development and Housing Department under the Sikkim Trade License
and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment Rules, 1998).
Plastic pollution free Tamil Nadu
Currently, Tamil Nadu merged in the list of state those having a prohibition on single-use
plastics in 2019. The prominent among all the states consuming and manufacturing plastic is
Tamil Nadu around 18,000 crore rupees are spend for the consumption of about 9 lakh tons of
plastic in the state. After Maharashtra and Gujarat, Tamil Nadu stands in the 3rd position in India
according to a study for generating plastic waste.
Hence, on 25 June the state government issued a ban on supply, collection, distribution, sale and
transport of “Use and Throw Plastic” in the state. This prohibition was enforced to safeguard the
environment from plastic waste which is non-biodegradable in nature and are also blocking
sewers and drains or streams and also polluting the water badly under the provisions of “The
Environmental Protection Act, 1986”. It was also admitted by the Tamil Nadu Control Board that
the damage caused by single-use plastics to the environment due to the factors like livelihood
concerns and industrial pressure can’t be overcome.
Rajagopalan Vasudevan, is a humble man of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai. The
72-year old college Dean and Head of the Chemistry Department is known, in India and the
world over, as ‘The Plastic Man’. The Thiagarajar College of Engineering received the patent for
this technology and invention in 2006. The plastic waste items that can be used for road
construction are plastic carry bags, plastic cups, plastic packaging for potato chips, biscuits,
chocolates and so on plastics.
Prof R Vasudevan also innovated ‘Plastone’ in 2012 which was a stone with plastic coating. A
plastone block is made from a mixture of waste plastic and stone. It has been found to withstand
more pressure and it resists water percolation. Each plastone block ingests 300 plastic carry bags
and six PET bottles. Plastone can be used for flooring, especially outdoors. It is a cheap and
strong substitute for cement blocks, which have a tendency to decline away in constant rain.
In Tamil Nadu alone, more than 1,200 km of plastic roads have been built covering more than
29 districts under the District Rural Development Agency. Today, more than 12 states are
successfully implementing his idea. The idea received ultimate recognition when, in November,
2015, a government order made it mandatory for all road developers in the country to use waste
plastic, along with bituminous mixes, for road construction. He was awarded with Tech Icon of
India, awarded by India Today Group by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 October, 2015. He
featured in ‘Nominee in Amazing Indians’,conducted by Times Now Group. He was also given
India’s highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.
CONCLUSION
In this context, it is concluded that efforts are needed not only to raise awareness and knowledge
on plastics but targeting the practice in particular avoiding one time use of plastics, to bring the
real impact on the ground level. India is strong on law related to plastics. But it remains
challenging to implement these laws. Our actions like eco-friendly marriage functions, meetings
rejecting plastic bags and even a simple act of ditching ball pen in our lie make a significant
change. The choices that we make today will define our collective future.