HYDERABAD: Reverberating the United Nation's awakening name to ditch plastic, Telangana, along with rest of India, on Tuesday marked World Environment Day with 'beat the plastic air pollution' as its theme.
However, with the city sitting on heaps of plastic waste, community and government efforts to 'beat the plastic air pollution' appear ironic. From plastic bottles on the roadsides to polythene bags choking drains, from food wrappers to hold bags, the menace continues.
As consistent with government figures, Hyderabad generates 450 to 500 tonnes of plastic day-to-day. Bags of not up to 50 microns have been banned in the town in June 2016. But the ban has now not translated into the kind of success as was desired. There is a blatant violation due to poor consciousness.
"Such initiatives to mark World Environment Day are superficial. Even as the government claims to be making efforts for dealing with the plastic waste, the ground reality is different.
"It is due to insufficient policing that plastic waste is eating up our lakes and different water bodies," stated Lubna Sarwath, co-convener of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL).
Experts say a key reason why for failure of the ban has been the booming plastic business. In addition, value effectiveness, easy availability, reasonable production and sturdiness are the key reasons for the failure of plastic bag ban.
"Apart from plastic bags, PET bottles and food wrappers additionally give a contribution to air pollution. A lot of people are still oblivious to the dangers of plastic waste to the environment," said Sampada Nakhare, a solid waste management volunteer, adding "We stay seeing use of PET bottles at GHMC conferences and different government conferences. When the government itself is ignorant in regards to the plastic usage how can it make the public discourage its use?"
However, with the city sitting on heaps of plastic waste, community and government efforts to 'beat the plastic air pollution' appear ironic. From plastic bottles on the roadsides to polythene bags choking drains, from food wrappers to hold bags, the menace continues.
As consistent with government figures, Hyderabad generates 450 to 500 tonnes of plastic day-to-day. Bags of not up to 50 microns have been banned in the town in June 2016. But the ban has now not translated into the kind of success as was desired. There is a blatant violation due to poor consciousness.
"Such initiatives to mark World Environment Day are superficial. Even as the government claims to be making efforts for dealing with the plastic waste, the ground reality is different.
"It is due to insufficient policing that plastic waste is eating up our lakes and different water bodies," stated Lubna Sarwath, co-convener of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL).
Experts say a key reason why for failure of the ban has been the booming plastic business. In addition, value effectiveness, easy availability, reasonable production and sturdiness are the key reasons for the failure of plastic bag ban.
"Apart from plastic bags, PET bottles and food wrappers additionally give a contribution to air pollution. A lot of people are still oblivious to the dangers of plastic waste to the environment," said Sampada Nakhare, a solid waste management volunteer, adding "We stay seeing use of PET bottles at GHMC conferences and different government conferences. When the government itself is ignorant in regards to the plastic usage how can it make the public discourage its use?"
Plastic-free Hyd has to be citizens' movement
![Plastic-free Hyd has to be citizens' movement]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
June 06, 2018
Rating:
