Him Jagriti Uttaranchal Welfare Society v. India, No. 15/2014, National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench) (31 May 2019)

Him Jagriti Uttaranchal Welfare Society v. India, No. 15/2014, National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench)  (31 May 2019)

In 2019, the New Delhi bench of the National Green Tribunal reviewed the procedural history for a case raising environmental and health concerns related to the use of plastic that has been on-going since 2014. The Him Jagriti Uttaranchal Welfare Society filed the case seeking orders to restrict use of plastic bottles and multi-layered plastic packages. The applicant presented evidence demonstrating that the use of plastics, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and multi-layered plastic, have an adverse impact on human health and the environment. Him Jagriti Uttaranchal Welfare Society v. Union of India & Ors., O.A. No. 15 of 2014 (National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench) (31 May 2019), Para. 1. The Tribunal recognized the government has taken some actions to address the problem, but the applicant asserts the government has only addressed part of the problem. In this 31 May 2019 order, the Tribunal ordered an Expert Committee of government agency representatives to convene to examine whether additional restrictions on the use of plastic in packaging are required. Id. Para. 8. The committee was given three months to prepare a report for the Tribunal. Id.