Aavin gets pulled up for dumping plastic waste by the National Green Tribunal

An application filed before the National Green Tribunal recently questioned the quality of plastics used by Aavin for packaging and sought an injunction against dumping wastes on its premises in Ambattur/ Korattur. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has been asked to inspect the dairy’s other sites in Sholinganallur and Madhavaram to check if there is dumping on these premises as well.

In his application, J Jeya Sabare Eswaran a resident of Kodambakkam, has mentioned that in July  this year, he came across the Ambattur/Korattur Dairy premises in which he noticed the random dumping of plastic and other wastes by the units of Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd (Aavin). He has also questioned the type of plastic used for packaging of the milk products. The notice was issued under S 14 of the National Green Tribunal Act, after the applicant, a lawyer by profession, approached the tribunal following unconvincing responses on

his RTI queries, from various departments. Apart from the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd, the other respondents include District Environmental Engineer, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Deputy Director Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSSI), Southern Regional Office, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board.

The applicant said that according to Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 and Indian Standard Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics (IS: 14534: 1998), in order to differentiate between recyclable and non-recyclable plastic, the rules prescribed that in all recyclable plastic, it was mandatory to have a symbol for the purpose of identifying and recycling. The applicant added, ‘if there are no symbols mentioned in the plastic sachet or cover, it has to be assumed that the plastic cannot be recycled.’ The application also said that ‘dumping of large amounts of plastic wastes by Aavin was in direct violation of The Plastics Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2000 and several other statutes’