STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam government, vide a notification issued by the Environment & Forest Department dated October 11, 2023, has banned the manufacture and use of plastic water bottles used for packaging or bottling drinking water up to 500 ml capacity.
Following this, an immediate ban has been imposed on the manufacture and use of plastic drinking water bottles up to 500 ml capacity in the state.
The notification was issued in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and in accordance with the powers delegated to the state under Section 23 of the said Act. It was also issued in reference to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India's notification dated February 10, 1988, and in partial modification of the earlier notification issued by the Government of Assam on August 23, 2023.
Through the notification, the government has now prohibited the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of all plastic water bottles used for packaging or bottling drinking water up to 500 ml capacity only, with effect from its date of issue, i.e., October 11, 2023.
The Environment and Forest (E&F) Department had earlier mentioned that single-use plastic (SUP) items have a very high littering potential, lead to short-term and long-term environmental damage, and pose a health hazard.
It should be mentioned here that the E&F Department had earlier issued a ban on packaged drinking water bottles below 1,000 ml or one litre capacity from October 2, 2023. The State Government has now reduced the capacity of plastic water bottles banned for manufacture and use to up to 500 ml.
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