The Public Action Committee (PAC) has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) alleging that prohibited single-use plastic items were used at the Punjab government’s Jashan-E-Inquilab programme at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana on September 28, 2026. Hindustan Times reported on October 2 that PAC sought environmental compensation from the state government and asked the tribunal to direct the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to report on compliance. The allegation is not an NGT finding: the report does not identify an order or outcome.
What PAC alleges about the PAU event
According to Hindustan Times, PAC relied on photographs and other material submitted to the tribunal. Members Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira described the petition as a challenge to government compliance, while Amandeep Bains and Jaskirat Singh alleged that prohibited items were used at the event. PAC members Gurpreet Singh and Mohit Saggar also alleged that banned items continued to be manufactured, stocked, sold and used openly in Ludhiana and elsewhere in Punjab.
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These are claims attributed to PAC in the news report; the material has not been independently tested here. The report says PAC asked the NGT to seek a comprehensive PPCB report on compliance with the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and sought environmental compensation from the state government.
What is known about the NGT case
The Hindustan Times report, published October 2, 2026, does not give an NGT case number, exact filing date, respondent reply, hearing date or tribunal order. It therefore does not establish whether the NGT has considered the allegations, found a violation or directed any action. Case status and any government response are not stated in the report.
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Which plastic items are prohibited nationally?
The CPCB-hosted Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) FAQ explains that the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, notified as G.S.R. 571(E) on August 12, 2021, prohibit specified single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. The prohibition applies to manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the identified items—not to all plastic products. The FAQ says the selection criterion was that “The banned single use plastic items have low utility and high littering potential.” CPCB-hosted MoEFCC FAQ on single-use plastics.
- Plastic-stemmed earbuds, balloon sticks, plastic flags, candy sticks and ice-cream sticks.
- Polystyrene (Thermocol) used for decoration.
- Specified plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, straws and trays.
- Wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets.
- Plastic or PVC banners below 100 microns, and stirrers.
Plastic carry bags are subject to separate thickness limits. Under the FAQ’s account, manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of bags below 75 microns were prohibited from September 30, 2021; the minimum thickness became 120 microns from December 31, 2022. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change repeated this timeline in a December 2022 release. PIB: Ministry update on single-use plastics.
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A PPCB circular indexed as dated September 17, 2025 asked Punjab administrative secretaries to comply with the amended rules and summarized the national ban. The circular’s PDF was not available for direct inspection, so its details should be treated as reported by the index rather than independently confirmed from the document. A separate PPCB letter indexed as July 20, 2022 says Punjab prohibited plastic carry bags in municipal jurisdictions from April 1, 2016; that statement does not establish a broader prohibition on every plastic item or across every jurisdiction. PPCB circular indexed September 17, 2025; PPCB letter indexed July 20, 2022.
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How residents can report suspected single-use plastic violations
The CPCB FAQ describes a single-use plastic compliance-monitoring module, a field application and a grievance-redressal app. It says citizens can lodge and track SUP-related complaints with on-site pictures. These are national reporting mechanisms; they do not confirm that PPCB has taken a particular action regarding the PAU programme. The Ministry’s December 2022 parliamentary answer also described national monitoring platforms and said states and Union territories had been asked to conduct regular enforcement drives. CPCB-hosted MoEFCC FAQ; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change parliamentary answer, December 2022.
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Alternatives listed for event serviceware
The CPCB-hosted FAQ gives indicative alternatives, not a guarantee that a particular product or use is compliant. Its examples include wooden or plant-based cutlery; plantain leaves, eco-based or paper trays, areca leaf plates, and glass or metal for trays; paper straws or beverage cartons with spouts for straws and stirrers; and paper or cloth flags.
For an event, organisers can assess whether reusable metal or glass serviceware, or suitable paper and areca-leaf serving products, fit the menu and venue. Check the material and any vendor compliance claims, suitability for hot or wet foods, collection and disposal arrangements, and availability. The cited sources do not compare costs, environmental footprints or vendor performance.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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