Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most urgent environmental challenges in the last few decades. It is most noticeable in countries where trash disposal facilities are either ineffective or unavailable in the worst-case scenario. Nowadays, natural resources used in production have been supplanted by plastic. And this usage of plastic, combined with our inability to develop suitable plastic disposable mechanisms, has led to increased plastic pollution. This article will discuss how serious India’s problem with plastic disposables is.
India generates 3.5 million tonnes of plastic garbage per year. In the previous five years, the production of plastic waste has increased, according to Bhupender Yadav, the Union Environment Minister of India. In India, 40% of the plastic debris that is produced each day is not collected and is instead thrown in open places, endangering both the lives of people and stray animals that frequently consume the disposed of plastic.
It was necessary to put an immediate but effective stop to this significant rise in plastic waste. In 2021, the government announced that as of July 1, 2022, all SUP (single-use plastic) goods with low usefulness and high wasting possibility are prohibited from being manufactured, imported, stocked, distributed, sold, and used.
The Union Environment Minister told the press that orders had been sent at the federal, state, and municipal levels to stop the delivery of the commodities in concern. The control rooms would be established to keep an eye on and guarantee that the prohibition was followed nationally and in each individual state. As per the Environment Protection Act of 1986, anyone convicted in violation of the prohibition may face up to five years in jail, a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or perhaps both.
The SPCB (State Pollution Control Board) has the authority to demand environmental damage compensation from offenders. Municipal rules against plastic garbage also exist, along with their legal provisions. A platform for SUP Monitoring Activities has also been established. However, widespread campaigning and understanding are also crucial. General people must be aware of the potentially dangerous effects of disposing of plastic garbage. In addition, the plastics sector requires technical upgrades for recycling processes and responsible waste management.
By Khushi Bisht