Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 20 May 2024
Despite a stringent ban on PET bottles smaller than 2 litres, fruit-flavoured drinks packaged in these prohibited containers are being widely sold across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising significant environmental and regulatory concerns.
In a decisive move to curb plastic pollution, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration issued a ban in 2019 on the use of PET bottles with a capacity of less than 2 litres. This prohibition, which came into effect following a notification on September 5, 2019, made the sale of water, beverages, and even alcohol in such small PET bottles illegal.
The administration initially enforced the ban rigorously, targeting companies that continued to package mineral water in the now-illegal small PET bottles. This led to a noticeable shift, with carbonated drinks and other beverages being offered in cans, tetra packs, and larger 2 -litre bottles.
The primary aim of banning these single-use plastics was to preserve the pristine environment and maintain the cleanliness of the islands. However, recent observations have highlighted a troubling trend: the market is now inundated with various brands of fruit-flavoured drinks in PET bottles of less than 500 millilitres.
These drinks, readily available in local markets, have slipped through regulatory cracks without any significant action from the authorities. Interestingly, some of these products are not domestically produced; they claim foreign origins yet display an FSSAI license number.
The presence of these drinks in banned PET bottles directly contravenes the 2019 ban imposed by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. This situation calls for immediate and stringent measures against the importers and distributors of these products.
It is crucial for the administration to publicly identify the individuals and entities responsible for these violations and hold them accountable. The enforcement of the ban on sub-2-litre PET bottles must be robust to ensure it does not become a routine infringement.
Addressing this issue with urgency will reinforce the administration’s commitment to environmental preservation and uphold the integrity of its regulations. Andaman and Nicobar Administration must act decisively to curtail this disregard for the ban and safeguard the islands’ environmental health.