Airline carrier IndiGo has been fined by the Greater Chennai Corporation for its continued use of single-layer plastic on board flights to cover face shields, masks and sanitisers that are handed out to passengers before a flight. In a notice issued to IndiGo airlines, the Deputy Commissioner Health & Solid Waste Management in Chennai has said that a fine of Rs 25,000 has been imposed on IndiGo for using plastic that is below the thickness as required by law.
“It has come to the notice of Greater Chennai Corporation, that IndiGo airlines is giving single-use plastic envelopes for providing face shield, triple-layered mask and sanitiser to all the passengers travelling via IndiGo Airlines,” the notice to the airline said. “The same envelope was tested by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on August 13, 2021. As per the report by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the plastic envelope had a thickness of 27 Microns, which is the banned category as per G.O.(Ms) No. 84, Environment and Forest (EC-2) Department, dated June 25, 2018,” it added. In 2019, the Union government had mandated that plastic items of daily convenience, like plastic bags and single-use items, should have a minimum thickness of 50 microns, and had announced a ban on plastics items of any thickness below that.
The notice added that IndiGo was being charged “as per the Amendment to the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919, u/s 349, 284 — which attracts penalty for breach of bye-laws for the first time offence in respect of storage, supply, transport, sale and distribution of use and throw away.”
According to The New Indian Express, the use of single-use plastic by IndiGo was first flagged by Manish Narnaware, the Deputy Commissioner of Health in Chennai Corporation. He told TNIE that he had travelled by IndiGo and despite raising the matter with them, they did not stop using the plastic covers. He then approached the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and asked for the plastic to be tested for thickness.
IndiGo Airlines has been directed to deposit the Rs 25,000 fine with the Treasury of Greater Chennai Corporation within seven days. The airline has also been advised to use biodegradable envelopes instead of single-use plastic envelopes.
Indigo Airlines fined by Chennai Corporation today for using single-use plastic envelopes -- to provide face shield, mask & sanitiser -- in flights to passengers @goindigoairline@omjasvinMD @xpresstn @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/cZ7Eyo7OQX
— Anto T Joseph (@AntoJoseph) August 19, 2021