Seeking to make Uttar Pradesh an environemt-friendly place, the state government has decided to enforce the ban on the use of polythene across the state, a month after the Allahabad High Courts direction to prohibit its usage. A decision to this effect was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Akhilesh here. The administration, however has not specified the timeline as to when the ban will come into force.  Recently the Allahabad High Court had directed the state government to issue a notification enforcing complete ban on the sale of polythene across the state by December 31 this year.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) too had recently banned the use of polythene along the Ganga, including areas in Uttar Pradesh, and sources said the cabinet decision was in compliance with those orders. However, the situation in Ghaziabad remains grim due to the rampant use of polythene carry bags. Environment activists said that the enforcement of the ban will be a major challenge.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Yashwant Verma following an assurance by Advocate General Vijay Bahadur Singh that the Court may “fix any deadline” and the “state government will positively issue a notification.”

The direction had come in the course of a hearing on a public interest litigation filed by one Ashok Kumar who had sought the courts intervention for improving public sanitation in the city of Allahabad.