India lacks an organised system for management of plastic waste, leading to widespread littering across its towns and cities.
India
is set to impose a nationwide ban
on plastic bags, cups and straws on October 2, officials said, in
its most sweeping measure yet to stamp out single-use plastics from
cities and villages that rank among the world's most polluted.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, who is leading efforts to scrap such plastics
by 2022, is set to launch the campaign with a ban on as many as six
items on October 2, the birth anniversary of independence leader
Mahatma Gandhi, two officials said.
These
include plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain
types of sachets, said the officials, who asked not to be identified,
in line with government policy.
"The
ban will be comprehensive and will cover manufacturing, usage and
import of such items," one official said.
India's
environment and housing ministries, the two main ministries leading
the drive, did not respond to emails from Reuters to seek comment.
In
an Independence Day speech on August 15, Modi had urged people and
government agencies to "take the first big step" on October
2 towards freeing India of single-use plastic.
Concerns
are growing worldwide about plastic
pollution, with a particular focus on the oceans, where nearly
50% of single-use plastic products end up, killing marine life and
entering the human food chain, studies show.
The
European Union plans to ban single-use plastic items such as straws,
forks, knives and cotton buds by 2021.
China's
commercial hub of Shanghai is gradually reining in use of single-use
plastics in catering, and its island province of Hainan has already
vowed to completely eliminate single-use plastic by 2025.
India
lacks an organised system for management of plastic waste, leading to
widespread littering across its towns and cities.
Business Standard
No comments:
Post a Comment