The court’s order came on a PIL filed by budding lawyer Priyansha Gupta, a third year BA (LLB) student from Bennett University, on December 1.
The court, in its judgment, asked why despite the notification banning the manufacture and use of plastic bags in the country, it was still being used in the state.
Priyansha had argued in her petition that “Rajasthan was declared a plastic free zone in 2010. However, even after 11 years, plastic continues to form a major part of the state’s garbage dump. In 2016, the Center had banned single-use plastic bags under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. However, Rajasthan still hasn’t implemented the ban properly.”
Prior to filing her petition, Priyansha took a tour of the city of Jaipur documenting the extent of the problem. He took photographs of plastic bags littering the streets, clogging drains and dislodging garbage dumps. He also researched the report filed by the Rajasthan government regarding the Centre’s implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Finally, Priyansha, ready with all the documents, filed her petition in the Rajasthan High Court on 5 October. He himself decided to debate the matter.
Priyansha said, “I went to court for the first time and being the petitioner I was very nervous, so much so that I could only hear my heartbeat while arguing and nothing else.”
He had reason to be nervous. Mr. Anil Mehta, along with the AAG, Additional Solicitor General RD Rastogi representing the Union of India, was arguing for the government.
The debate went on for 20 to 25 minutes.
Priyansha’s efforts bore fruit as a two-judge bench ruled in her favor on December 1.
In its order, the court ordered the state of Rajasthan to comply with the notifications and impose a complete ban on plastic bags.
Priyansha, the fifth generation lawyer of her family, now wants to raise several other issues of public interest. These include the use of green cigarettes by youth, which do not even carry a warning, and the service charges levied on customers by restaurants.
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