New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Thursday to lay down guidelines for disposal of cigarette and bidi butts within three months. Noting that tobacco is harmful for health, the NGT passed the direction taking cognisance of an expert study conducted by the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) on whether cigarette and bidi butts fall within the category of toxic waste or not.
According to the study, the analysis of the cigarette/bidi butts reflect that concentration of various chemicals based on the parameters analysed is lower than the prescribed limits and will not be toxic to human and environment. However, Cellulose Acetate is a major component of the cigarette and bidi butts and its degradation studies show that it will persist for a longer duration.
The degradation studies under natural environmental conditions and laboratory simulating conditions will be required to conclude safety/toxicity of cigarette butts to further correlate with human health risk assessment, it said. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice AK Goel said while tobacco is undoubtedly harmful and the concerned authorities are seized of the remedial action, the tribunal is mainly concerned with the manner of disposal of cigarette/bidi butts.
An expert study has been conducted. We do not find any valid reason to reject the expert report. Accordingly, we direct that the CPCB may lay down guidelines for disposal of cigarette/bidi butts, in the interest of environment, within three months, the bench said. The NGT had earlier slammed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for terming cigarette butts as ’biodegradable’ and directed it to clarify its stand on the issue.
The tribunal had earlier issued notices to the MoEF, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Central Pollution Control Board on a plea filed by by a doctors body seeking prohibition on consumption of tobacco in all public places and proper disposal of related waste. Doctors for You, an NGO working towards cancer care, had moved the NGT praying that the Centre be directed to declare cigarette and bidi butts ”toxic waste”.
It had claimed that tobacco was causing major health problems and its ”cultivation, processing, production and disposal was harming the ecology badly”. The plea had sought directions to prohibit consumption of tobacco in any form in all public places and ban the use of plastics for packing tobacco used in cigarettes.
According to the plea, cigarette butts are concentrated toxic waste dumps and their improper disposal causes environmental problems.
Comments
0 comment