The bench was hearing a PIL filed by a group of law students regarding hazardous effects of plastic bags on humans as well as animals, said Bulbul Godiyal, Additional Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh, who appeared on behalf of the state government.
“The High Court passed an order saying that an earlier order passed by the Allahabab bench of the court regarding ban on plastic bags in Allahabad be followed by the state government across the state,” she said. “On behalf of the state government, I assured the court that steps will be taken in this direction,” she added.
“We had filed a PIL regarding the increasing number of deaths of cows in the state due to consumption of plastic bags. After hearing the PIL, the court passed the order,” said Satish Mishra, petitioners’ counsel. “There is already a ban on plastic and polythene goods in Mathura, Agra and Varanasi,” he said.
On October 19, Justices Ashok Bhushan and Arun Tandon, while hearing a petition regarding pollution in Ganga, had imposed a complete ban on use and sale of polythene bags and use of polythene as packing material for foodstuff in Allahabad. On December 7, the government counsel, appearing before the same bench had said that the issue regarding ban of polythene in all districts situated on the banks of river Ganga shall be considered by the state government.