Now, Rajasthan High Court bans single-use plastic

Jaipur: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to make the country single-use plastic free, the Full Court of Rajasthan High Court has unanimously resolved to ban single-use plastic and thermocol products in the court`s premises.

The decision to ban single-use plastic was taken as a mark of respect to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth Anniversary on October 2.

The Rajasthan High Court issued a circular in which it said that the state government had imposed a ban on the use of plastic carry bags across the state in 2010 but the same has not sufficiently worked on the ground.

The centre recently declared to ban the single-use plastic across the nation from October 2, but without public awareness and commitment, this step may also result in futility, the circular stated.

"As a mark of respect to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth anniversary and in the interest of the institution and public at large, the Full Court has unanimously resolved not to use the banned single-use plastic/thermocol in any manner in the premises of the Rajasthan High Court and High Court guest house both at Jodhpur and Jaipur, as also in the premises of all the subordinate courts, canteens/restaurants in the premises of all the Courts of the State and also during official functions, conferences and any other occasions," a notification from the Rajasthan High Court said.

The notification implies that the ban will extend to all courts across the state, High Court Guest House at Jaipur and Jodhpur, canteens and restaurants operating inside the premises of Courts as well as official functions, conferences and any other occasion.

In the circular, the authorities have been directed to follow the order and ensure strict compliance of this practice.

Recently, the Full Court of Calcutta High Court had also banned single-use plastic in its premises by way of a resolution.

During the Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a ban on single-use plastic.

He called upon citizens to abandon the use of single-use plastic. "Can we free India from single-use plastic? The time for implementing such an idea has come. May teams be mobilised to work in this direction. Let a significant step be made on 2nd October," PM Modi said in his Independence Day speech.

Since then, Indian Railways, several government ministries and departments have issued orders banning single-use plastic.