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Maharashtra

‘Plastic Flowers Not Banned Due To Low Littering Potential’: Union Government Says To Bombay High Court

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Mumbai: The Union government has informed the Bombay High Court that plastic flowers are not included in the list of banned single-use plastic items as they do not meet the criteria of “high littering potential and low utility”. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in an affidavit, stated that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had forwarded the matter for consideration but without any supporting analysis.

The affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Growers Flowers Council of India (GFCI), which sought a ban on plastic flowers in Maharashtra. The PIL argued that plastic flowers, particularly those less than 100 microns thick, contribute to environmental pollution and should be included in the list of prohibited singleuse plastic items.

The High Court had earlier issued notices to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), CPCB, and MoEFCC, seeking their response on the demand for a ban. In October 2024, the court had asked the Centre whether it had considered CPCB’s recommendations for banning plastic flowers.

The MoEFCC, in its affidavit, clarified that an expert committee constituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) had identified 40 single-use plastic items for detailed analysis. However, plastic flowers were not among them.

Refuting the petitioner’s claims, the affidavit stated that the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, do not specify a minimum thickness requirement of 100 microns for plastic flowers.

The government argued, “The petitioner states that… violation of this thickness requirement has resulted in difficulties in decomposing. This is wrong and misleading. There is no such provision in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016,” the MoEFCC affidavit emphasises.

The plea also highlighted that the Maharashtra government had issued a notification on March 8, 2022, banning several single-use plastic items.

Maharashtra

Conspiracy to defame Sameer Wankhede… serious accusation of protecting Cordelia Cruz from drug case, Judge Irfan Shaikh dismissed after disciplinary committee report

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Mumbai: An attempt to defame former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede has started once again. Now the latest case is the dismissal of Judge Irfan Sheikh, in which this allegation has been made against Sameer Wankhede. In the Cordelia Cruz case, instead of arresting Judge Irfan Sheikh, his team has saved the judge. Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Irfan Sheikh was then posted as a judge of the Splendid Court. He was currently serving as a judge of Palghar and Thana District. After serious allegations like misuse of office, use of seized drugs, hitting a taxi with his car on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg while intoxicated, abusing his powers along with having disproportionate wealth, hiding his identity at Nair Hospital and registering a false and misleading address, and getting the car back without depositing it, the High Court has dismissed the judge from service under disciplinary action. When the judge was investigated in the case, the allegations were found to be true and Irfan Sheikh was dismissed from his job. There is no mention of the Cordelia Cruz drug case anywhere in it, but Sameer Wankhede is being accused of helping the judge. Sameer Wankhede has categorically denied this and said that there is no mention of the Cordelia Cruz drug case in the police report or the judicial committee report.
When the documents and copies were obtained in this regard, there was no mention of the Cordelia Cruise drug case. Sameer Wankhede is a constant target of Bollywood, so Shah Rukh Khan’s company Red Chillies Entertainment had prepared a series of bad Bollywood stories against him, against which Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation case in the Delhi High Court and its hearing is likely to be held soon. The series of slander against Sameer Wankhede and his family has become long and this is the reason why the attempt to defame Sameer Wankhede has intensified in the Irfan Sheikh case as well, but Sameer Wankhede or the NCB team have no role or involvement in this matter.

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Maharashtra

Muslims should stop pasting stickers of I Love Muhammad, criticism of Somaiya and Nitesh Rane, accusation of Abu Asim Azmi of working on a hate agenda

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to Muslims to follow the footsteps and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and stop pasting stickers of I Love Muhammad because this government is taking action against pasting stickers and is also raining down batons. He said that the unrest being created over the I Love Muhammad sticker is a threat to the country, but despite this, the government is taking action against Muslims. On the Bareilly violence, Azmi said that I Love Muhammad is now an opportunity for sectarians under the guise of which they are running a hateful agenda. Therefore, now Muslims should love him with their true teachings and heart instead of pasting stickers of I Love Muhammad and should avoid pasting stickers. He said that Kirit Somaiya shows provocations about Ai Lo Muhammad and Muslims every day, along with that, the stickers that were pasted in Kurla were pasted with the will of the vehicle owners, there is no need to create a fuss and uproar over it, but Kirit Somaiya has no value, that is why he runs a hate agenda every day. Responding to BJP leader Nitesh Rane’s threat, MLA Abu Asim Azmi said that Nitesh Rane has no other business except spreading hatred, that is why I do not want to respond to his words. Elephants walk, dogs bark. He said that Nitesh Rane cannot even do Hanuman Chalisa and Bhagwat Gita Puja Paat properly, he only does politics in the name of Ram.

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Maharashtra

Thane: Major Blaze Erupts At Chemical Godown In Bhiwandi; One Fire Officer Injured

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Thane: A major fire broke out at a godown storing chemicals along the Mumbai-Nashik highway in Maharashtra’s Thane district, officials said on Monday.

While no casualty was reported in the blaze which erupted around 9.45 pm on Sunday, a fire officer was injured after falling into a drain during the firefighting operation, they said.

Thick smoke from the burning chemicals triggered panic in the surrounding industrial area.

Efforts were still on to douse the blaze, the officials said.

The fire originated in the chemical storage unit located near Savad Naka in Lonad village of Bhiwandi town along the highway, Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell chief Saquib Kharbe said.

Several fire engines and private water tankers were pressed into service, he said.

There was no report of any casualty in the blaze so far. However, fire officer Nitin Lad sustained injuries after slipping and falling into a drain while wearing a fire suit during the operation and was immediately provided medical assistance, the official said.

Four fire engines — two from Kalyan and one each from Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar — were rushed to the spot. Several fire personnel were at the spot and efforts were still on to douse the flames, Thane Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.

The cause of the blaze was yet to be determined, he added.

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