SC bans gutkha, pan masala in plastic pouches

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a blanket ban on use of plastic pouches for packing tobacco products like gutkha and pan masala from March next year.

The apex court also directed the government to carry out a survey on the ill-effects of these products, including additional negative health impact of packing such products in plastic pouches, within eight weeks.

A division bench of justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly, taking up a petition by civil society on ill effects of tobacco products, directed gutkha and pan masala manufacturers to decide by March 2011 the alternative material for packaging their products.

To a submission by the manufacturers that such a ban could lead to closure of these industries, the apex court bench quipped that they can shut down their business or alternately shift to more eco-friendly packaging materials.

The court also directed the government to conduct a survey on the ill effects of tobacco products and recorded an undertaking from Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium that the survey would be completed by the National Institute of Public Health within eight weeks.

The effects of packaging these products in plastic pouches would also be surveyed, the court directed.

The Centre was also asked to finalise and enforce within eight weeks the Plastic Management and Disposal Rules 2009.