Make laws in six months to ban polythene bags: LHC ruling

The judgment maintains that Bangladesh is poorer than Pakistan but it had imposed ban on polythene bags while South Africa had also passed a same legislation. After considering the horrific effects of the use of polythene bags in different areas of life, a holistic approach is required to take instead of considering only one aspect of likely unemployment.

“Hanging from the branches, flying in the air, stuck in the corners and racing along with vehicles on roads, one can see them everywhere-these are polythene bags.”

This wonder material of the 20th century has invaded every aspect of our life. It is all over the parks, clogging the drains and gutters. Hundreds of thousands of plastic bags are thrown away every day as waste, this otherwise is innocent mistake of throwing them everywhere result in choke drains, bacterial germination, waterborne diseases and spread of mosquitoes. Deposited in high quantities in the fields, these polythene bags cause soil infertility. Polythene waste when dumped or thrown into rivers, ponds or oceans has disastrous effects.

The court remarked that all the respondents had not really appreciated and realised gravity and depth of hazards and the destruction being posed by the menace known as polythene bags that is why, though they did not deny threat or damage being caused but still opposing complete ban on it.

According to Article 9 of the Constitution no person shall be deprived of his life or property save in accordance with law.

The court pointed out that it is a public interest litigation that has increased not only in our country in recent years rather we can see that all around the world. Because after failing to get relief from other organs of the state (executive and legislation), the people resort to the judiciary.