Kerala High Court Suggests Govt To Come Up With Scheme Incentivising People For Collecting Plastic Waste
The Kerala High Court has suggested the State government to rope in the public in collecting plastic waste by incentivising them for the waste they collect.
The Court said the government can test the viability of this project by starting it in any one place. The government can fix a minimum quantity and the rate at which they want to buy clean plastic (plastic which is cleaned and used for recycling). The court said that based on the result of this project, it can be extended to other areas and to other recyclable materials.
The remarks were made orally by the Division Bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Gopinath P., specially constituted after a fire broke out in a major waste dump yard in Kochi in 2023. The huge amount of waste in the site made it difficult to put out the fire, raising alarms about the health of the residents in Kochi. Since then, the Bench has been sitting regularly to monitor the waste management in the State.
Special Secretary of the Local Self- Government T. V. Anupama, IAS informed the court that government gets money from recyclers after giving them clean plastic. For rejected plastic, government has to pay recyclers money for the recyclers to accept it. Any money so received goes to the Haritha Karma Sena. The Court said that a part of this money can be given to the public for bringing clean plastic. This will incentivize the public to not litter public places and they might even collect plastic from the ground.
The Court orally enquired whether a provision or amendment can be brought where a resident who is not paying to maintain their sewage treatment can be made to pay a higher building tax. As of now, the government can collect a higher tax for buildings constructed without any authorization. The Court asked whether something in the same fashion can also be done in this case. “Only if it starts pinching financially will it start working,” it orally remarked.
The Court also emphasized on the need of spreading awareness. It noted that there is a need for a cultural change; a civic sense needs to be generated. For that, it said, things are to be said repeatedly and regularly. When the Corporation punishes a person for violating the rules, it will deter that one person only if the action is not known to the public, Court remarked. It therefore urged the State to look into advertising through Instagram ads.
The matter will be next heard on September 27.
Case Title: Suo Moto v State of Kerala and Others
Case No: WP(C) 7844/ 2023