Plastic water bottles stacked on a idle bunk in Kozhikode. Small plastic bottles of water were forbidden in restaurants and weddings at the High Court in Kerala. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
A ban on plastics with one use recently imposed by the Kerala High Court in large tourist destinations, as well as weddings, hotels and restaurants, and fears concerns in the hotel, restaurant and food throughout the state about its practicality.
While the ban on plastic containers and pouch is considered to be less concerned, the most urgent problem is marked with water bottles with a capacity of less than five liters and bottles with non -alcoholic beverages under two liters.
“No one would buy five -liter water bottles because they are difficult and difficult to carry. Even if it is unfavorable to the travelers, some small restaurants from business could ban,” said G. Jayapal, President, Kerala Hotel and Restaurants Association (KHRA).
The food catering sector also expressed concern about the ban. “This step will not be effective if the public is not properly educated for repeated use and recycling of plastics. The market must also be available viable alternatives,” said Badusha Kadalundi, Association Association Caters’ Association (AKCA). He described the prohibition as a crisis for chefs because small plastic bottles of water were commonly provided at the weddings. “How else can we ensure that the water served to the guests is clean? Alternatives are expensive and impractical when working within the budget,” he added.
On the other hand, the tourism industry welcomed this ban and considered it an opportunity to strengthen the image of this industry. “The 100 -room hotel will destroy at least 200 plastic water bottles a day. We have already taken steps to remove this waste by providing glass bottles in the rooms,” said Sajeer Padikkal, President of the Malabar (MTC) Tourism Council. “It’s cost -effective. Everything we need is a cleaner. It can be at first challenging, but eventually becomes the norm,” added Rajish Raghavan, secretary MTC. He also noted that the ban would significantly benefit the tourism industry by helping market destinations and hotels such as zero waste and environmentally friendly.
However, all of the above -mentioned organizations emphasized the need for proper research and development of alternative products and urged the government to actively promote them. “We need more water dispenses in public areas, especially in tourist destinations, so that people can replenish their bottles if necessary,” added Mr. Rajish.
After ordering the High Court, the state government expressed its willingness to carry out a ban from 2 October. In particular, the state in 2018 introduced a ban on plastic with one use, but poor recovery led to continued violations. The restored ban is expected to provide more teeth to the state machine for its implementation.
Meanwhile, the Khra is planned to approach court and look for a practical solution to the problem instead of a flat ban.
Published – 20th June 2025 23:55 is
