The Bombay High Court on Friday refused any relief to thermocol manufacturers during Ganesh Chaturthi beginning September 13.
A Division Bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla was hearing a plea by Thermocol Fabricator and Decoration Association seeking permission to sell decorative items made of thermocol for Ganesh Chaturthi.
The petitioner said that if permission was refused they would suffer huge financial losses and even offered to take back the sold material and dispose it after the festival. However, the court did not accept their undertaking, in accordance with its earlier decision of refusing to stay the ban on use of plastic.
On April 13, the same Bench said, “We are aware that the petitioners and all those persons involved in the business of plastic materials may suffer loss due to the ban. However, we have to consider the impact of plastic waste on the environment and the eco-system in general and the effect thereof on citizens.”
The State government opposed the petition as the association had failed to meet the deadline set by it to come up with alternatives.
Last month, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board issued show cause notice to 171 units and sent closure notices to 19 units which were found to be violating the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) Notification, 2018.
