'Need to Create Social Awareness on Reducing Single Use of Plastic'

The need of the hour is to create social awareness, particularly amongst the youth, on reducing the single use of plastic and enable its reuse. The menace of plastic cannot be tackled till a win-win situation is created for all the stakeholders involved, and importance of Extended Producer Responsibility in reducing the use of plastic cannot be overemphasized. The organized sector, in particular, has an important role to play in retrieving, recycling and reuse of plastic waste.

These were some of the observations made by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, at the opening session of the global celebrations of World Environment Day 2018, which was hosted by India this year in New Delhi. The theme this year was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution.’

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr. C.K. Mishra, highlighted the need to introspect on what can be done individually, as well as collectively to reduce the use of plastic.

Addressing the gathering, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to India, Mr. Tomasz Kozlowski praised India’s leadership role on environmental issues. Highlighting the concept of ‘Plogging’ (combination of picking up plastic waste and jogging), the EU Ambassador said that this concept is popular in several European nations and can be used to reduce plastic pollution.

Tackling air pollution – peoples involvement needed

Addressing another session on air pollution in Indian cities, Mr. C.K Mishra observed that correct and understandable knowledge, based on accurately measured parameters measured by standardised equipment, is helping build a more nuanced perception, influencing thought processes and demystifying the phenomenology behind pollution and its linkage with health. “This knowledge suggests that there is something not quite sustainable in the way we as a society are conducting ourselves – lifestyle, consumption, and production. The government cannot solve this without a people’s movement,” he said.

Mr. Mishra stressed that issues such as particulate matter, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollution need the positive contribution of people to go together with government’s initiatives. “The success of National Clean Air Programme is critical for our healthy survival,” he said.

Mr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE), averred that due to technological evolution over the past few decades, straw redundancy has resulted in an abundance of crop residue, which farmers find cheapest to burn, causing serious air pollution and impacting the health of citizens.

Quoting statistics to support his argument, he said that the Government has spent Rs. 1,200-crore over two years to address air pollution from crop residue burning. “The Government is offering 80 per cent subsidy on combined technological innovation of straw management system and happy seeder,” Mr. Mohapatra pointed out.

He expressed the view that the straw management system, when attached to a combined harvester, helps cut the straw into small pieces and create a 6” thick bed after being separated from the green. “Straw goes back as mulch, increasing the carbon and nutrient content of soil, leading to retention of moisture and prevention of weeds,” he added.

Mr. Mohapatra suggested that straw may also be used to generate bio-oil, bio-ethanol, compost, or energy in the form of pellets. He underlined that aggregation and supply chain challenges remain a challenge to create these secondary value-chains from waste.