In the Rania industrial area of Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh, plastic waste is being manually cut and washed using hot groundwater on open agricultural land.
This activity is in violation of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and falls under the regulatory provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The processing of plastic waste on agricultural land is also contrary to the requirement that such activities must be carried out only at authorised and compliant waste-processing facilities.
The uncontrolled washing of plastic waste has the potential to contaminate soil and groundwater resources, while plastic residues and contaminated effluents may further disseminate pollutants into the surrounding agricultural environment.
This practice reflects unscientific plastic waste management and poses a significant environmental risk to farmland, groundwater quality, and public health.