Plastic sticks used in balloons, candies, ice-cream to be prohibited by Jan 1, 2022: Govt
New Delhi: Candy sticks and ice-cream sticks made of plastic may get phased out from January 1, 2022, the Centre informed Parliament on Friday.
Responding to a query on the phasing out schedule of single-use plastic, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey said as per the draft notification issued earlier this year, manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of some of the identified single-use plastic items are proposed to be prohibited by January 1, 2022.
Earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration are proposed to be phased out by January 1, while single-use plastic (including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene) items plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straw, container and container lids, trays, plastic/PVC banners less than 100 microns and stirrers are expected to be phased out by July next year.
Single-use plastic items expected to be phased out by September 30 this year include carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 120 microns in thickness and non-woven plastic carry bag less than 60 GSM (gram per square metre) or 240 microns in thickness, the minister informed Lok Sabha in a written response, adding that the provisions shall not apply to commodities (including carry bags) made of compostable plastic material.
The Ministry of Environment had issued a notification containing draft provisions on March 11, 2021 for amending Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, inter alia prohibiting the use of identified single-use plastic items by 2022 for public consultation.
Replying to another query on the steps taken to strengthen the implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and also to reduce the use of identified single-use plastic items, the minister said the states/UTs have been requested to constitute a special task force under the chief secretary or the administrator.
"Already, 14 states/UTs have constituted the special task force till date. A national level task force has also been constituted by the ministry for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified single-use plastic items and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016," he said.
The state and UT governments and the central ministries and departments concerned have also been requested for the development of a comprehensive action plan for elimination of single-use plastics and effective implementation of the rules in a time bound manner, he said, adding that the government has been taking measures for awareness generation towards elimination of single-use plastics.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
