KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has ordered a ban on single-use plastic items at wedding venues, hotels, and popular hill station tourist destinations. The court also banned plastic water bottles below five litres and soft drink bottles below two litres. The ban will come into effect on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, as per the directive issued by a division bench comprising Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice P. Gopinath.
To implement the order, the Chief Secretary and Local Self-Government Secretary have been instructed to take action by September. Since there is a pending appeal before the High Court, non-woven plastic bags above 60 GSM are currently exempt from the ban.
The bench emphasised that a clean environment is a fundamental right. The directive comes in connection with a suo motu petition initiated following the massive fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment facility two years ago.
Key court directives: