The state government on Tuesday informed the Bombay High Court that from April 1 no liquor will be sold in plastic bottles.
The state informed a division bench of Justices VM Kanade and Revati Mohite-dere that a government resolution dated January 11, 2016 has been issued that stated that government has banned the sale of liquor in plastic bottles fearing it will harm the health of alcohol consumers.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Global Enviro Solutions that alleged that plastic material was soluble and migrated into the stored alcohol causing cancer to consumers.
Reports of National Test House, a government lab, was produced in court to show that antimony (poisonous chemical) increases when liquor was stored in plastic bottles. Advocate appearing for the NGO said the Centre needs to consider the reports.
Senior counsel Milind Sathe, representing bottle manufacturers, argued the Centre has constituted an expert panel to examine the effect of liquor or medicine storage in plastic bottles.
