Why India is taking the lead for a clean planet

Our obsession with plastic, coupled with over-consumption, the use-and-throw culture, and littering creates a hazardous environment for animals, marine life and human beings, writes Union Environment Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

Before we had plastics, we used bags made of jute and paper and combs of wood . Frugality, recycling and reusing was part of our tradition. The belief that there is more than one life for everything was entrenched in the psyche of Indians.

Somewhere along the path to development, we moved away from our natural way of living. Plastics are now littering our shorelines, clogging some beaches totally. Plastic waste is choking drains in cities, causing them to overflow, making them a breeding ground for diseases. Our oceans and ecosystems are turning into dumping grounds. 

This is not just India’s problem, but a global one. We are all connected through the seas. Plastic packaging has been found floating with icebergs and in the deepest depths of the ocean. Where the ocean currents meet, there are huge floating islands of waste: plastic bags, cutlery, packaging, bottles, drinking straws and more. Some of these items are used momentarily and discarded adding to our waste woes. This has huge adverse effect on sea life.

Read the full article here.