The Public Action Committee (PAC) has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking environmental compensation from the state government over the alleged use of banned single-use plastic items at the state government’s Jashan-E-Inquilab programme held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on September 28.

According to the committee, photographs and other material placed before the tribunal show the use of prohibited plastic articles at the event. It has also sought directions to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to submit a comprehensive report on compliance with the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

PAC members Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira said the petition questioned how government authorities could expect citizens, traders and institutions to comply with environmental laws if the restrictions were not being followed at a government-organised programme.

According to the petition, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single-use plastic items, including specified plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, straws and trays, have been prohibited under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended from time to time. PAC members Amandeep Bains and Jaskirat Singh alleged that such prohibited items were used at the event.

Committee members Gurpreet Singh and Mohit Saggar said that banned single-use plastic items continued to be manufactured, stocked, sold and used openly in Ludhiana and other parts of Punjab despite the board’s directions and enforcement powers. It has has urged the NGT to impose environmental compensation on the state government under the rules framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and also sought directions to the PPCB to submit a comprehensive report in accordance with directions issued by the Central Pollution Control Board under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act in relation to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.