Banned plastic worth 1,060kg seized in Khandsa Mandi, vendor fined ₹25,000

The seized material was sent to a waste-to-energy plant in Sonipat, while the pollution board said the unit was found violating rules on prohibited SUP items.

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) seized 1,060 kg of banned single-use plastic (SUP) from a unit in Khandsa Mandi during an enforcement drive on Tuesday, officials said on Wednesday. The material was confiscated and sent to the JBM Enviro Waste to Energy Plant at Tajpur, Murthal, in the Sonipat district, for disposal.

The HSPCB Gurugram North team inspected vendors, commercial establishments and storage points during the enforcement drive against prohibited plastic items. (HT)

The action was carried out by the HSPCB’s Gurugram Region (North) team, which inspected commercial establishments, vendors and storage points to check the use, storage and distribution of prohibited SUP items.

According to HSPCB, the seized material was found in the possession of a unit and was in violation of rules governing prohibited SUP items. A penalty of ₹25,000 was imposed on the owner, officials said.

“All the seized plastic has been sent to the Sonipat Waste to Energy Plant, and a penalty of ₹25,000 was imposed on the owner. HSPCB has zero tolerance towards such practices,” said HSPCB (North) regional officer Akansha Tanwar.

The enforcement drive was conducted by assistant environmental engineer Kamesh and junior environmental engineer Raghvender Singh of the HSPCB’s Gurugram Region (North).

Haryana prohibits the manufacture, sale, distribution, stocking, transportation and use of virgin and recycled plastic carry bags, as well as recycled plastic containers used for storing food. The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended, also prohibit specified SUP items. Violations can attract penal action under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

In May, HT reported that HSPCB and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) had issued more than 11,600 challans and recovered over ₹1 crore during intensive action against banned SUP items over the previous year.