Madras HC Campus to Become ‘Plastic-Free Zone’ from November 10

Madras High court law insider

Tanisha Rana

Published on: November 3, 2022 at 21:37 IST

The Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court that the campus will become a “plastic-free zone” as of November 10.

The traditional “manjappai,” or yellow cloth bag that may be used to carry items, will be available through vending machines at five locations on the high court campus starting the following week, according to Acting Chief Justice T Raja.

A plastic bottle crusher unit will also be put into operation by the Acting Chief Justice, according to Additional Attorney General J Ravindran.

On Wednesday, before a specially designated bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy hearing cases involving the conservation of wildlife and ecosystem, Ravindran delivered the submissions.

Following a series of orders issued earlier this year by a bench of Justices S Vaidyanathan and PT Asha, who were considering a case involving the ban on single-use plastics enacted by the Tamil Nadu government in 2019, the decision to make the High Court premises completely plastic-free was made.

Since the State government enacted this prohibition, Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged people to start using manjappai instead of single-use plastic bags.

The manjappai is a traditional shopping bag used by Tamil Nadu residents, particularly those who live in rural regions, to transport valuables like gold, cash, and books. It is also connected with good fortune.

Following earlier directives, AAG Ravindran informed the court on Wednesday that after discussing the matter with State Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu, the government had agreed to designate the High Court campus as a plastic-free zone beginning on November 10.

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