Discourage single-use plastic and instead use jute carry bags: Dr. Harsh Vardhan
By Neeraj Bajpai
New Delhi, July 18, 2018
On a windy summer morning, a muster of peacocks, displaying colorful plumage like a flickering train, flip-flop atop huge green trees and scream at short intervals amid unfazed flocks of twittering birds at India’s environment, science and technology minister Dr HarshVardhan at his 8 Tees January Marg residence in the heart of the national capital.
Filing past the absorbing spectacle, a motley crowd of visitors, many of them holding handwritten petitions or banquets gently enter into a makeshift hall to meet the lawmaker who is a member of parliament from the moonlight crossing-ChandniChowk-constituency in old Delhi.
Much before, the agile minister, in tearing hurry to pack up his day-long tight schedule, makes an appearance and occupies a central chair to lend an ear to visitors –including some burqa-clad women from his constituency, his staff ensures trays of piping hot tea cups and coffee mugs are served regularly. The staff introduces itself to the audience and layout drill for whistle-stop meetings with ear nose and throat –ENT specialist turned politician.
The moment, the medium height suave minister enters the hall, commotion ensues but things settle down fast as professional photographers stand in attendance and race of selfie with minister ends. He listens and assures for quick redressal of genuine and fair petitions. This is a frequent morning scene at his residence may it be a sizzling summer or frigid winter.
Retreating people stare at a hanging poster which reads –‘Democracy is not the governance by the majority, neither it’s of governance of the minority, but it is the governance of the common inspiration of general public’. The frame with party’s ideologue and leaderDrDeendayalUpadadhya picture hangs innocuously from a bright green bamboo stick partition.
Despite shoestring budget of time, the minister spoke to this correspondent and said India’s resolve to protect the environment and ensure growth is non-negotiable and gave a detailed answer to many queries like-
1. It is not possible to do away with plastic altogether. How does the govt propose to reduce /recycle plastic?
With the growing population of the world and the lifestyle adopted, the amount of garbage production; including plastic waste, is also increasing. However, the accumulation of these products is leading to the increased amount of plastic pollution around the country and the world.
The Government of India has notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, which, inter-alia, regulate manufacture, sale, distribution and use plastic carry bags including carry bags of compostable plastic, and plastic sheets for packaging or wrapping commodities. The use of carry bags made from conventional plastic and less than 50 micron in thickness is prohibited. The use of plastic for packaging gutkha, tobacco, and pan masala is prohibited.
Based on the requirement and necessity, an individual state can take the decision on banning of the plastic bags. Therefore, use of the carry bags made of plastic is banned by seventeen States and three Union Territories.
Through the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, the generators of waste have been mandated to take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste, not to litter the plastic waste, ensure segregated storage of waste at source and handovers segregated waste to local body or agencies authorised by the local bodies. The rules has mandated the responsibilities of local bodies, gram panchayat, waste generator, retailers and street vendors to manage the plastic waste.
The rules mandated the producer, importer and brand owner to work out modalities for waste collection system based on Extended Producer Responsibility.
2. How 2017 was different in terms of air pollution in Delhi NCR?
Due to extensive efforts by all stakeholders, there has been an improvement in overall air quality in 2017. As per AQI data, the number of good, satisfactory and moderate days in 2017 were 151 as compared to 109 in 2016. The number of poor, very poor and severe days was down to 180 in 2017 as compared to 214 in 2016.
3. What is your message for this World Environment Day to the global citizen?
As you are aware the theme of World Environment Day is “Plastic Pollution”. I would like to urge all people to adopt sustainable lifestyle. India has a long history and tradition of harmonious co-existence between man and nature. In addition people should adopt these practices in their day to day life.
Let’s discourage single use plastic and instead we may use jute/cloth carry bags.
- Use of biodegradable and other types of compostable utensils in place of plastic, and bring a fork, knife and spoon from home.
- Use of durable, foldable &inexpensive reusable bag that can be carried around in car/pocket/purse.
- Discourage plastic bottles. Have glass, steel or clay bottles in offices.
- Encourage employees to refuse, reduce and reuse plastic products in their daily uses. Pledge for plastic free environment in the Organization.
- I would request all my fellow citizens to follow atleast one Green Good Deed on daily basis and there will be several hundred million Green Good Deeds performed daily to protect environment, is not only moral responsibility to our next generation to give them pristine earth to live in but it is also our green social responsibility too.
Q.4. you have been talking of building a movement for Green Good Deeds. How can this movement help in reducing plastic pollution - the theme of this year’s World Environment Day?
Green Good Deeds is a people-oriented campaign to raise awareness among people about environmental concerns in a simplified way. Everyone is looking up to India with expectation because they think that Indians have the DNA to protect the environment. Our ancestors had made protection of environment an integral part of their lifestyle. The campaign aims to broad its base with involvement of teachers, students and other voluntary organisations.
So, as there are more than 500 green good deeds listed in his aap. (Dr Harsh Vardhan Mobile App ) also which includes– planting trees, saving energy, conserving water, use of public transport and promoting carpool, discourage plastic bottles, have glass, steel or clay bottles in offices, etc., many of them are concerned with use of environment friendly consumables which means for sure discouraging use of plastics and such materials to some extent wherever possible therefore, if we encourage few of green good deeds it automatically means enhancing use of environmental friendly products and services in our lifestyle and plastic is so deep rooted especially in urban India that if we discourage it and adopt some relevant green deeds it will certainly reduce adverse impact on environment.
Also, we understand that, the objective of transforming Green Good Deeds into a peoples’ movement can be best achieved by repeatedly bringing multidimensional initiative and campaigns that can reach out to youth and children and in World Environment Day Celebrations 2018, is a great platform which will definitely discourage the use and beat plastic pollution – which is the theme this year
World Environment Day has always been a day of special importance to India. The day has been celebrated as rededication of national efforts for sustainable development and mainstreaming environmental concerns in the national developmental agenda.
Plastic it may not be a problem, littering and unsafe disposal of single-use plastic products, plastic bottles, food containers and packaging materials is causing concern to environment. In the age of advanced technology, we cannot live plastic free but we can manage our plastic waste disposal into circular economy and adapting good deeds and time has come that we must realize the concern and do collective efforts to reduce our plastic footprint by way of adapting green good deeds and 4 R principle (refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle).
In India, Not less than 25,490 tonnes of plastic is generated every day with minds boggling 40 per cent of plastic waste is uncollected.
He hopes there will be perceptible to and measurable difference in the country will be brought about the plastic pollution and other environmental issues.
According to him, about 60 million tonnes of solid waste is generated in one year and ‘’Plastic bottle takes between 450-1000 years to decompose”.
This year, India hosts the World Environment Day for the second time. MoEF&CC is hosting the World Environment Day 2018, in collaboration with UN Environment. India hosted the event in the year 2011, with the theme:‘Forests: Nature at your Service’.
Informatively, 5th June was designated as the World Environment Day by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the opening of the Stockholm Conference on Human Development. Annual celebrations of World Environment Day began in 1974.
June 5 provides an occasion for responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.
Every action counts, and when multiplied by people across the world, its impact becomes exponential. Over 150 countries are celebrating World Environment Day, particularly for promoting the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals.
During the last three years, the themes of World Environment Day celebrations included – “Seven billion dreams, one planet, consume with care” in 2015 in Rome, Italy, “Zero tolerance for the illegal wildlife trade” in Luanda, Angola, in 2016 and “Connecting people to nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator” in Ottawa, Canada, in 2017.
He says that he has written to Environment Ministers of more than 150 countries to celebrate the day globally and take pledge to cut the use of single-use plastics.
More than 10, 000 missed calls have been received in the “Missed Call Campaign” titled #BeatPlasticPollution. A pledge to beat plastic pollution can be taken by placing a missed call on 1800 137 1999.
The objectives behind the campaigns for environment are to enhance the global visibility of India as a leader in sustainability actions, support the efforts to Clean India ahead of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary in October 2019, expand/consolidate public engagement on India’s environmental agenda, inculcate private sector leadership to address plastic pollution and urge citizens to take a pledge to change their behavior around waste management and highlight India’s leadership in the cause of marine litter and beach cleaning.
5. ISFR 2017 reported an almost 1 per cent increase in forest cover. At the same time trees are being cut indiscriminately. Are there any plans to stop the felling of trees?
As per the latest “India State of Forest Report 2017” published by Forest Survey of India, total forest and tree cover of the country is 8,02,088 square kilometers which is 24.39% of the total geographical area of the country. As per ISFR, 2017, some States/UTs have shown gain in forest cover and some States have shown loss in forest cover. Overall, there is an increase of 8021 square kilometers in forest and tree cover of the country over that of the India State of Forest Report 2015 (updated) which is about 1% of the forest and tree cover of the country.
During the diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes under the FC Act, felling of trees are carried out as required under the concerned project. However, care is taken to ensure that minimum trees are felled. As per the norms, compensatory afforestation is taken up against the diverted forest areas. Illicit felling also take place sometimes in different parts of the country. These are dealt under Indian Forest Act and various State specific acts and rules made there under.
In an arrangement with - Inno HEALTHMagazine
Photo - The Print