Uttarakhand HC Raps Officials on Plastic Waste Crisis

The Uttarakhand High Court has issued a stern directive to the directors of panchayati raj and urban development concerning the state's unmanaged plastic garbage problem. A division bench, led by Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, has mandated the submission of detailed affidavits outlining specific measures taken to control single-use plastic and manage waste across Uttarakhand.

Officials are required to report on their compliance with earlier court mandates. The court also urged the chief secretary to consider launching public awareness drives. These campaigns would involve school children, prominent citizens, and legal professionals to promote better plastic disposal habits.

The Public Interest Litigation highlighted that despite substantial public funds allocated for waste processing equipment, garbage continues to accumulate in urban and hilly areas. Furthermore, installed waste bins remain largely unused, indicating a systemic failure in waste management implementation.

The petition, filed in 2022, pointed to the routine disregard of state regulations from 2013 and national rules from 2018 concerning plastic waste management. These rules obligate manufacturers, sellers, and transporters to manage plastic waste under extended producer responsibility, a mandate reportedly ignored in Uttarakhand.

The accumulation of plastic waste reportedly clogs drains and exacerbates waterlogging issues, particularly during the monsoon season. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing in six weeks, expecting concrete steps toward resolving this environmental challenge.