10K Steel Bottles Given In Exchange For 1 Lakh Plastic Ones: GPCB Tells Gujarat High Court On Steps To Tackle Waste During Ambaji Pilgrimage

The Gujarat Pollution Control Board informed the High Court on Friday (September 12) that it had distributed 10,000 re-usable steel bottles in exchange for over 1 Lakh used plastic bottles as a step to tackle and manage waste during the Ambaji Padyatra. 

The padyatra is a religious pilgrimage taken by devotees to the Ambaji Temple in Banaskantha.

Previously the court had asked eight municipal corporations in the state to emulate the initiative undertaken by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board of installing cloth bag vending machines and reverse vending machines for collecting plastic bottles, with a view to encourage plastic waste disposal and recycling. The court was hearing a PIL plea highlighting the non disposal of plastic waste around the temples on Girnar hill, Junagadh, which is an eco sensitive zone.

During the hearing today, additional advocate general Manish Lav Kumar Shah appearing for the board submitted before Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice DN Ray:

"For the present Ambaji Padyatra is going on that is very prominent as huge crowds go. Some initiatives to promote eco friendly practices, we have initiated during the yatra...107 tonnes plastic waste collected along all three routes spanning 370 km. This is so far. 1,35,400 bottles recovered through 21 reverse vending machines installed at camps at three places...10,000 re-usable steel bottles distributed in exchange for 1,10,250 used plastic bottles. So 1 steel bottle for 10 plastic bottles. More than 2500 cloth bags distributed to eliminate use of plastic bags..."

She submitted that board shall continue with these efforts. 

The advocate general for the State Kamal Trivedi also apprised the court of the further steps taken with respect to plastic waste management and fixing of time limit for all nagar palikas for arrangement of material recovery facility.

He submitted that as per the State monitoring committee's meeting, a circular dated September 6 was issued wherein regional commissioners are directed to ensure that nagar palikas complete the operationalization of MRF faciltiies within time line specified therein (annexure) and no extension beyond this would be granted.

He submitted that the upper time limit for these works varies depending on availability of land and other things.

The court at this orally said that once MRF facility is set up, processing units will also have to be engaged which must be certified by the GPCB. The court was told that 32 nagar palikas have MRF facility.

Meanwhile the counsel appearing for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation submitted, that there are more than 11 waste collection centres where segregation of plastic and non-plastic waste is carried out in the city. 

"two ongoing contracts wherein 100 tonnes per day is segregated per day, sent to recycling facilities. Cloth bags were distributed extensively. Ahmedabad has door to door collection...we have installed cloth vending bag machines at Kakanria lake. They have a capacity of 40 bags and are refilled periodically. This is a pilot project..," he said. 

The court however orally said that it had seen that in public areas people carry plastic bottle, drink and throw it there. 

"Door to door collection is very good but it is workable for buildings and houses. But for public places, then how are you collecting plastic in public places...You can have some kind of guidance from response received by GPCB...If there is an entry point (in a public place) you can tell people that you cannot take plastic bag inside...Its about money. If you say that you are creating litter here you have to pay fine...one or two may ignore but later they will start as how many times they will pay the fine. It is sound on the basis of polluter pays principle," the court orally said. 

The counsel said that he shall place an affidavit on the steps taken. 

The matter is now listed on November 21. 

Case title: AMIT MANIBHAI PANCHAL v/s STATE OF GUJARAT & ORS.

R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 6 of 2023