Penalty for cigarette butts in public places, to be decided on Mar 20

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) KSPCB has plans of imposing fines to curb people's neglect and disposal of beedis and cigarette butts, which are having a negative impact on the environment. KSPCB has called a meeting of health department, urban development department, BBMP and other stakeholders including tobacco manufacturers on March 20 to formulate guidelines.

In this regard, KSPCB member secretary sent a notice of the meeting and stated that as per the important recommendations of CBCB, cigarette and bidi manufacturers should create awareness about the ill effects of littering cigarette butts in their supply chain and provide clear instructions for safe disposal in each cigarette pack.

The National Green Tribunal has directed to curb the littering of beedis and cigarette butts. Against this backdrop, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued guidelines for disposal of cigarettes and bidi sticks in November last year. Cigarette butts should be disposed of in a scientific manner. They are dangerous if reused. One of the key recommendations of the CPCB is to ban littering and provide for fines for littering, the member secretary's notice said.

In 2015, an organisation called Doctor For You had filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stating that cigarettes and beedi butts are harmful and should direct the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to dispose of them in a proper manner.

In this regard, the Central Government, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Central Pollution Control Board and other respondents were given notices and their opinions were collected. Also, the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) was instructed to conduct a study on these butts. Finally, in 2020, the agency submitted a report that bidis and cigarette butts contain cellulose acetate, which remains intact in the environment for long periods of time. It was said that it does not belong in the environment.

Based on this fact, the NGT directed the CPCB to formulate a separate guideline to create awareness about dumping of such pieces everywhere.  As harmful as beedis and cigarettes are, so are the discarded pieces of bidi. KSPCB has taken up the process of finalising the rules as per the order of the National Green Tribunal and as directed by the National Pollution Control Board," said Dr US Vishal Rao, Member, Karnataka Tobacco Control Board.