Delhi govt to ban pouches used for packing

After banning plastic bags, the Delhi Govt has now turned its attention to curb hazardous multi-layered metallised pouches used for packing various items in the national capital.

After banning plastic bags, the Delhi Government has now turned its attention to curb hazardous multi-layered metallised pouches used for packing various items in the national capital.

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It has written to the Central government to help it tackle usage of the metallised pouches as "the items are not manufactured in the city".

A senior environment official in the Delhi government told PTI that since there is no metallised pouches producing factory in the city and most of the items come from outside Delhi, it is under the jurisdiction of the Centre to ban such products.

In fact, he added, "we are seeking guidance from the Environment Ministry to how to go about the ban on metallised pouches as recommended by one of its committees".

A government panel, comprising officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCB) and retired judge R C Chopra, too in its report submitted to the Delhi High Court last year acknowledged that "multi-layered and metallised pouches used for gutkha and pan masala are not recyclable due to their composition and as such they remain as solid waste, causing serious damage to the environment."

It had also suggested a complete ban on coloured bags containing metallic additives, stating that they are injurious to health as well as the environment.