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प्रतिबंधित एकल-उपयोग वाली प्लास्टिक वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं: सीएसई

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने बुधवार को कहा कि एक जुलाई से प्रतिबंधित की जा रहीं एकल-उपयोग वाली प्लास्टिक (एसयूपी) वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं है क्योंकि इसमें बहु-परत पैकेजिंग को शामिल नहीं किया गया है जो प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण संबंधी एक वास्तविक खतरा है। केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्रालय ने अगस्त 2021 में एक अधिसूचना में एसयूपी वस्तुओं को "प्लास्टिक की वस्तुओं के रूप में परिभाषित किया था, जिनका निपटान या पुनर्चक्रण करने से पहले एक ही उद्देश्य के लिए एक बार उपयोग किया जाना होता है।’’ अधिसूचना में चयनित एसयूपी वस्तुओं को चरणबद्ध तरीके से समाप्त करने की योजना भी सामने रखी गई थी। एक जुलाई से लागू होने वाले प्रतिबंध में प्लास्टिक कैरी बैग (75 माइक्रोन से कम मोटाई, दिसंबर 2022 में 120 माइक्रोन तक संशोधित), ईयरबड्स, प्लास्टिक क्रॉकरी आइटम (चम्मच, प्लेट, ग्लास), स्ट्रॉ, जैसी वस्तुएं और कुछ प्रकार की प्लास्टिक पैकेजिंग सामग्री शामिल है। सीएसई की ठोस कचरा प्रबंधन इकाई के कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक सिद्धार्थ सिंह ने कहा कि प्रतिबंध के साथ मुख्य चिंताओं में से एक यह तथ्य है कि प्रतिबंधित वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं है। सूची में बहु-परत पैकेजिंग (एमएलपी) शामिल नहीं है। सीएसई के अनुसंधानकर्ताओं ने कहा कि एमएलपी का इस्तेमाल चिप्स से लेकर शैंपू और गुटखा पाउच तक लगभग सभी तेजी से चलने वाली उपभोक्ता वस्तुओं में किया जाता है। सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने कहा, "जब प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण की बात आती है तो यह (एमएलपी) वास्तविक खतरा है, क्योंकि इन वस्तुओं को एकत्र करना लगभग असंभव है और संसाधित करना बिलकुल असंभव है।" उन्होंने कहा, "इस पैकेजिंग सामग्री के साथ केवल यही किया जा सकता है कि इसे भस्म करने के लिए सीमेंट संयंत्रों को भेजा जाए।" सरकार का कहना है कि सभी पैकेजिंग सामग्री को विस्तारित उत्पादक जिम्मेदारी (ईपीआर) अधिसूचना के हिस्से के रूप में शामिल किया गया है। इसके तहत जो कंपनियां इस सामग्री का निर्माण या उपभोग करती हैं, उन्हें इसे वापस लेकर पुनर्प्रसंस्करण के लिए भेजने की आवश्यकता होती है और इस बारे में कंपनियों के लिए वार्षिक लक्ष्य तय किया गया है कि कितना संग्रह किया जाना है। नारायण ने कहा कि यह कागज पर अच्छा लगता है, लेकिन जिस तरह से ईपीआर तैयार किया गया है या उसे लागू किया जा रहा है, उसमें बड़ी समस्याएं हैं। उन्होंने कहा, “उदाहरण के लिए, इस प्लास्टिक सामग्री की मात्रा या कंपनी द्वारा उत्पन्न कचरे के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है। यह न केवल स्व-घोषणा पर आधारित है, बल्कि इसकी सटीकता का आकलन करने के लिए सार्वजनिक रूप से कुछ भी उपलब्ध नहीं है। इसका मतलब है कि प्रत्येक कंपनी के लिए जो लक्ष्य निर्धारित किया गया है, वह व्यर्थ है।”

प्लास्टिक बैन की डेडलाइन को पास आता देख परेशान है उद्योग, सरकारी आदेश में रिसाइकिल वस्तुएं भी शामिल

प्लास्टिक निर्माण क्षेत्र में लगे उद्योगों ने सरकार से अनुरोध किया है कि प्लास्टिक पर व्यापक प्रतिबंध लागू करने की बजाय, सरकार ऐसे खास बिंदुओं की जानकारी दें जिससे प्लास्टिक वेस्ट की रिसाइकिलिंग आसान हो जाए. सिंगल-यूज प्लास्टिक पर प्रतिबंध शुक्रवार से शुरू हो जाएगा. जैसे-जैसे घड़ी की सुइयां 1 जुलाई से शुरू होने वाले प्लास्टिक बैन के नजदीक आती जा रही है, भारतीय प्लास्टिक उद्योग खुद को बेबस खड़ा पा रहा है. वो इस बात की तरफ इशारा करते हैं कि महामारी के दौरान निर्माताओं ने कोविड की रोकथाम के लिए जरूरी माने जाने वाली पीपीई किट और अन्य सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक वस्तुओं की मांग को पूरा करने के लिए सरकार के साथ कदम से कदम मिलाकर काम किया था, लेकिन आज उन्हें रातों रात अपराधी बना दिया गया. सरकार ने उनके साथ अनुचित व्यवहार किया है. शुक्रवार से भारत में सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक से बनी वस्तुओं के निर्माण, आयात, स्टॉकिंग, वितरण, बिक्री और उपयोग पर प्रतिबंध लग जाएगा. ये प्लास्टिक एक बार इस्तेमाल कर फेंक दी जाती है और कूड़े के बड़े ढेर के लिए जिम्मेदार है. सरकार ने फास्ट-मूविंग कंज्यूमर गुड्स (एफएमसीजी) कंपनियों समेत कई अलग-अलग हितधारकों के अनुरोधों के बावजूद समय सीमा बढ़ाने से इनकार कर दिया है. प्रतिबंधित की जाने वाली वस्तुओं में प्लास्टिक के प्लेट, कप और गिलास, और कटलरी जैसे कांटे, चम्मच, चाकू, पुआल, ट्रे और स्टिरर शामिल हैं. ईयरबड्स, गुब्बारे, झंडे, कैंडी और आइसक्रीम के लिए प्लास्टिक की छड़ें, और सजावट के लिए थर्माकोल, रैपिंग या पैकिंग फिल्म, प्लास्टिक के इनविटेशन कार्ड, सिगरेट के पैकेट और 100 माइक्रोन से कम के पीवीसी बैनर की भी अनुमति नहीं होगी. केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (CPCB) के अनुसार, भारत में लगभग 683 इकाइयां हैं जो हर साल लगभग 2.4 लाख टन सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक का निर्माण करती हैं. उद्योग के प्रतिनिधि सरकार से सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक उत्पादों पर प्रतिबंध लगाए जाने की समय-सीमा को बढ़ाए जाने की मांग कर रहे हैं. इसके साथ ही उन्होंने कई उत्पादों पर प्रतिबंध लगाने के सरकार के कदम पर भी सवाल उठाया है, जिनके बारे में उनका दावा है कि उन्हें रिसाइकिल किया जा सकता है. थर्मोफॉर्मर्स एंड एलाइड इंडस्ट्रीज एसोसिएशन (TAIA) के अनुसार, उद्योग का टर्नओवर 10,000 करोड़ रुपये है और इसमें सीधे तौर पर 2 लाख लोग काम कर रहे हैं. उनके अनुसार, यह प्रतिबंध रातोंरात 5,000 करोड़ रुपये की संपत्ति को बेकार कर देगा. उन्होंने कहा कि इस प्रतिबंध से रीसाइक्लिंग उद्योग पर भी असर पड़ेगा, जो अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से 4.5 लाख लोगों की रोजी-रोटी से जुड़ा है. पॉलीप्रोपाइलीन से बनी ट्रे, ग्लास और कटलरी जैसे सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक की वस्तुओं को रैग पिकर्स कूड़े से उठाकर और रीसायकलर्स को बेचते हैं, जो उनका इस्तेमाल प्लास्टिक शीट बनाने में करते है और फिर उनसे टूथब्रश और अन्य कठोर प्लास्टिक उत्पादों के ब्रिसल्स बनाए जाते हैं. दिप्रिंट ने ईमेल के जरिए पर्यावरण मंत्रालय से टिप्पणी लेने की कोशिश की थी, लेकिन इस रिपोर्ट के प्रकाशित होने तक कोई प्रतिक्रिया नहीं मिली. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के विशेषज्ञों ने प्रतिबंध को ‘लिमिटेड’ बताया है, लेकिन साथ ही ये भी कहा कि प्लास्टिक के खतरे को नियंत्रित करने की दिशा में यह ‘एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम’ है. उन्होंने इस तथ्य पर उद्योग की चिंताओं का समर्थन किया कि प्रतिबंध मल्टी-लेयर्ड पैकेजिंग को कवर नहीं करता है, जिसका इस्तेमाल ‘चिप्स से लेकर शैंपू और गुटखा पाउच तक लगभग सभी उपभोक्ता सामानों में धड़ल्ले से किया जाता है.’ ‘मल्टी-लेयर प्लास्टिक से नुकसान ज्यादा’ TAIA के अनुसार, मल्टी-लेयर्ड प्लास्टिक या मल्टी-लेयर्ड पैकेजिंग (MLP), प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण का एक बड़ा कारण हैं. लेकिन सरकार ने एमएलपी को चरणबद्ध तरीके से खत्म करने के लिए अपने निर्माताओं को दो साल का समय दिया है. टीएआईए के संयुक्त सचिव अंकुर नागपाल ने कहा, ‘ये उत्पाद वजन में हल्के होते हैं और इन्हें रीसायकल करना ज्यादा मुश्किल है. ये लैंडफिल के ढेर को बढ़ाने और महासागरों को प्रदूषित करने का काम करते है.’ मल्टी-लेयर्ड प्लास्टिक का निपटारा करने के लिए, इनका इस्तेमाल सड़क निर्माण और ईंधन उत्पादन जैसे उद्देश्यों के लिए किया जाता है. सीपीसीबी विभिन्न एजेंसियों को सड़क निर्माण के लिए बेकार प्लास्टिक का इस्तेमाल करने के लिए प्रेरित कर रहा है. इस उद्योग से जुड़े खिलाड़ियों का कहना है कि कम रिटर्न के कारण कचरा बीनने वाले ऐसे वेस्ट प्लास्टिक उत्पादों को इकट्ठा करने से बचते हैं. इस वजह से नगर पालिका एजेंसियों पर एमएलपी अलगाव की जिम्मेदारी डाल देता है. टीएआईए पूर्वी क्षेत्र के संयुक्त सचिव प्रेम कुमार ने कहा, ‘ हमने पाया कि बिहार में सरकार सड़कों के निर्माण के लक्ष्य को पूरा करने के लिए आवश्यक प्लास्टिक की खरीद तक नहीं कर पा रही थी. ऐसा इसलिए क्योंकि नगर निगम प्लास्टिक कचरे को इकट्ठा करने और अलग करने जैसे जरूरी काम को अंजाम नहीं दे पा रहा था.’ लोकसभा में एक सरकारी जवाब के अनुसार, भारत ने 2019-2020 में 34.69 लाख टन प्रति वर्ष (टीपीए) प्लास्टिक कचरे का उत्पादन किया. जिसमें से लगभग 15.8 लाख टीपीए प्लास्टिक कचरे को रिसाइकिल किया गया और 1.67 लाख टीपीए को सीमेंट भट्टों में को- प्रोसेस्ड किया गया. 29 जून को जारी एक बयान में सीएसई प्रमुख सुनीता नारायण ने भारत में प्लास्टिक कचरे से निपटने के लिए तीन-आयामी रणनीति की वकालत की थी. उन्होंने कहा, ‘सबसे पहले उत्पादित और इस्तेमाल की जाने वाली सभी प्लास्टिक को निपटान के लिए इकट्ठा किया जाना चाहिए. दूसरे, वेस्ट प्लास्टिक को रिसायकल्ड करना या फिर जला दिया जाना चाहिए ताकि यह लैंडफिल तक न पहुंचे या फिर हमारे जलाशयों में जाकर इकट्ठा न हो.’ वह आगे कहती हैं, ‘तीसरा, इसका रीयूज या निपटान कुछ इस तरह से किया जाना चाहिए कि वह पर्यावरण के अनुकूल हो और इससे अधिक प्रदूषण या स्वास्थ्य संबंधी खतरे पैदा न हों. लेकिन सबसे जरूरी बात यह है कि जिन प्लास्टिक वस्तुओं को इकट्ठा करना या उनका रिसाइकिल करना मुश्किल है, उन्हें उपयोग से बाहर कर देना जाना चाहिए. यह वह जगह है जहां मौजूदा प्रतिबंध, हालांकि सीमित है, लेकिन फिट बैठते हैं’ कोई ‘व्यवहार्य’ विकल्प नहीं TAIA के प्रतिनिधियों का कहना है कि प्लास्टिक काफी आम है और इसका अब तक कोई अन्य व्यवहार्य विकल्प नहीं हैं. नागपाल ने कहा, ‘बायोडिग्रेडेबल प्लास्टिक काफी महंगी हैं. सड़क किनारे समान बेचने वाले के लिए इसे इस्तेमाल में लाना आसान नहीं है. इससे उसकी लागत काफी बढ़ जाएगी. इसके अलावा उस प्लास्टिक में गर्म खाना और पेय पदार्थ नहीं परोसा जा सकता है.’ उन्होंने कहा, ‘कागज से बना समान पर्यावरण पर और अधिक बोझ डालते हैं. और वैसे भी इन्हें जूस या पेय उत्पादों के लिए इस्तेमाल नहीं किया जा सकता है. अधिकांश पेपर कप की मजबूती के लिए प्लास्टिक का उपयोग किया जाता है. इस वजह ये इसका कचरा नॉन-रीसाइकिलेबल हो जाता है और माइक्रोप्लास्टिक प्रदूषण को बढ़ा देता है.’ एसोसिएशन ने दावा किया कि भले ही प्रधानमंत्री ने 2019 में सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक पर प्रतिबंध लगाने के भारत की मंशा को जाहिर किया हो लेकिन इसके कोई स्पष्ट दिशानिर्देश नहीं हैं. कुमार ने कहा, ‘सरकार के साथ शुरुआती विचार-विमर्श के दौरान हमें बताया गया था कि रिसाइकिल करने योग्य उत्पादों पर प्रतिबंध नहीं लगाया जाएगा. अगर सरकार उन पर प्रतिबंध लगाने की योजना बना रही थी, तो उन्होंने इस तरह के विस्तार को मंजूरी क्यों दी? जब हम गेल या ओएनजीसी से कच्चे माल के लिए भारी ऑर्डर दे रहे थे तो हमें क्यों नहीं रोका गया?’ नागपाल ने कहा कि वे चाहते हैं कि ‘सरकार हमें बताए कि हमें क्या उत्पादन करना चाहिए कि जिस पर वह प्रतिबंध नहीं लगाएगी.’ टीएआईए के राष्ट्रीय सचिव भावेश भोजानी ने कहा, ‘हमारी रोजगार के साधनों को बंद करने के बजाय, हम सरकार से उन ऐसे खास बिंदुओं की जानकारी देने के लिए कह रहे हैं जिससे प्लास्टिक वेस्ट की रिसाइकिलिंग आसान हो जाए.’ वह आगे कहते हैं, ‘हम सरकार के साथ हैं और सहयोग करने के इच्छुक हैं.’ एसोसिएशन ने सुझाव दिया है कि सरकार 210 मिली से कम क्षमता वाले और 5 ग्राम से कम वजन वाले प्लास्टिक कप के उत्पादन को प्रतिबंधित करे. इसमें कहा गया है कि प्लेट और ट्रे की मोटाई 150 माइक्रोन से कम या वजन 5 ग्राम से कम नहीं होना चाहिए. भोजानी ने कहा कि अगर उत्पाद भारी हैं, तो कचरा बीनने वालों के लिए उन्हें इकट्ठा करने और उन्हें रीसायकल करने वालों को बेचने के लिए अधिक प्रोत्साहन मिलता है. उन्होंने कहा कि उद्योग फोमड प्लास्टिक पर प्रतिबंध लगाने के सरकार के फैसले का समर्थन करते हैं.

सीएसई ने लगाया आरोप, कहा- प्रतिबंधित एकल-उपयोग वाली प्लास्टिक वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने बुधवार को कहा कि एक जुलाई से प्रतिबंधित की जा रहीं एकल-उपयोग वाली प्लास्टिक (Single use Plastic) वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं है क्योंकि इसमें बहु-परत पैकेजिंग को शामिल नहीं किया गया है जो प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण संबंधी एक सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने बुधवार को कहा कि एक जुलाई से प्रतिबंधित की जा रहीं एकल-उपयोग वाली प्लास्टिक (एसयूपी (Single use Plastic)) वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं है क्योंकि इसमें बहु-परत पैकेजिंग को शामिल नहीं किया गया है जो प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण संबंधी एक वास्तविक खतरा है. केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्रालय (Ministry of Environment) ने अगस्त 2021 में एक अधिसूचना में एसयूपी वस्तुओं को ‘प्लास्टिक की वस्तुओं के रूप में परिभाषित किया था, जिनका निपटान या पुनर्चक्रण करने से पहले एक ही उद्देश्य के लिए एक बार उपयोग किया जाना होता है.’ अधिसूचना में चयनित एसयूपी वस्तुओं को चरणबद्ध तरीके से समाप्त करने की योजना भी सामने रखी गई थी. एक जुलाई से लागू होने वाले प्रतिबंध में प्लास्टिक कैरी बैग (75 माइक्रोन से कम मोटाई, दिसंबर 2022 में 120 माइक्रोन तक संशोधित), ईयरबड्स, प्लास्टिक क्रॉकरी आइटम (चम्मच, प्लेट, ग्लास), स्ट्रॉ, जैसी वस्तुएं और कुछ प्रकार की प्लास्टिक पैकेजिंग सामग्री शामिल है. सीएसई की ठोस कचरा प्रबंधन इकाई के कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक सिद्धार्थ सिंह ने कहा कि प्रतिबंध के साथ मुख्य चिंताओं में से एक यह तथ्य है कि प्रतिबंधित वस्तुओं की सूची व्यापक नहीं है. सूची में बहु-परत पैकेजिंग (एमएलपी) शामिल नहीं है. सीएसई के अनुसंधानकर्ताओं ने कहा कि एमएलपी का इस्तेमाल चिप्स से लेकर शैंपू और गुटखा पाउच तक लगभग सभी तेजी से चलने वाली उपभोक्ता वस्तुओं में किया जाता है. प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण वास्तविक खतरा है: सुनीता नारायण सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने कहा, ‘जब प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण की बात आती है तो यह (एमएलपी) वास्तविक खतरा है, क्योंकि इन वस्तुओं को एकत्र करना लगभग असंभव है और संसाधित करना बिलकुल असंभव है.’ उन्होंने कहा, ‘इस पैकेजिंग सामग्री के साथ केवल यही किया जा सकता है कि इसे भस्म करने के लिए सीमेंट संयंत्रों को भेजा जाए.’ सरकार का कहना है कि सभी पैकेजिंग सामग्री को विस्तारित उत्पादक जिम्मेदारी (ईपीआर) अधिसूचना के हिस्से के रूप में शामिल किया गया है. सटीकता का आकलन करने के लिए सार्वजनिक रूप से कुछ भी उपलब्ध नहीं इसके तहत जो कंपनियां इस सामग्री का निर्माण या उपभोग करती हैं, उन्हें इसे वापस लेकर पुनर्प्रसंस्करण के लिए भेजने की आवश्यकता होती है और इस बारे में कंपनियों के लिए वार्षिक लक्ष्य तय किया गया है कि कितना संग्रह किया जाना है. नारायण ने कहा कि यह कागज पर अच्छा लगता है, लेकिन जिस तरह से ईपीआर तैयार किया गया है या उसे लागू किया जा रहा है, उसमें बड़ी समस्याएं हैं. उन्होंने कहा, ‘उदाहरण के लिए, इस प्लास्टिक सामग्री की मात्रा या कंपनी द्वारा उत्पन्न कचरे के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है. यह न केवल स्व-घोषणा पर आधारित है, बल्कि इसकी सटीकता का आकलन करने के लिए सार्वजनिक रूप से कुछ भी उपलब्ध नहीं है. इसका मतलब है कि प्रत्येक कंपनी के लिए जो लक्ष्य निर्धारित किया गया है, वह व्यर्थ है.’

Single use plastic ban: Implementation is a big problem, says CSE

Narain said, “Implementation of the ban will be the key.The ban on plastic carry bags, for instance, is not novel. As many as 25 states and Union territories have already banned them, as per the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board. While states say it is difficult to regulate this item based on plastic thickness, it is clear that the enforcement is inadequate.” As India bans single-use plastic from 1 July, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) while welcoming the step has shown concern over its implementation. Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE said: “Even as we believe that this ban is too limited, we have to admit that it is a critical step towards controlling the menace. We do not need to be warned about the problem. We live it every day. Our cities are littered with non-biodegradable plastic material, and it is greatly adding to environmental stress and degradation.” However, Narain added, “Implementation of the ban will be the key. The ban on plastic carry bags, for instance, is not novel. As many as 25 states and Union territories have already banned them, as per the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board. While states say it is difficult to regulate this item based on plastic thickness, it is clear that the enforcement is inadequate.” “One of the main concerns with the ban is the fact that the list of banned items is not comprehensive,” says Siddhartha Singh, programme manager, Solid Waste Management unit, CSE. For one, the list does not include multi-layered packaging (MLP). CSE researchers point out that MLP is used in almost all fast-moving consumer goods, from chips to shampoos to gutka pouches. Says Narain: “This is the real menace when it comes to plastic contamination, because these items are almost impossible to collect and absolutely impossible to process. The only thing that can be done with this packaging material is to send it to cement plants for incineration.” The government says that all packaging material has been included as part of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) notification. Under this, the companies that manufacture or consume this material are required to take it back and send it for reprocessing – in fact, annual targets have been fixed for companies on how much is to be recollected. Narain points out that while this “sounds good on paper, there are huge problems in the way EPR has been designed or is being implemented. For instance, there is no information on the quantity of this plastic material or the waste the company generates. Not only is it based on self-declaration, but there is nothing available in the public domain to assess its accuracy. This means the target that has been set for each company is meaningless”. She said that the way ahead is to ensure that plastic items are recycled or disposed of safely. “For this, we need a three-pronged strategy. Firstly, all the plastic produced and used should be collected for disposal. Secondly, the waste plastic must be recycled or incinerated; it should not reach landfills or choke our waterbodies,” she said. The environmentalist further said, “Thirdly, the reuse or disposal has to be in a manner that is environmentally friendly and does not end up creating more pollution or health hazards. But most importantly, those plastic items that are difficult to collect or recycle should be eliminated from use. This is where the current ban, however limited, fits in.” In an August 2021 notification, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) had defined single-use plastic commodities as “plastic items intended to be used once for the same purpose before being disposed of or recycled”. The notification had also put forward a plan for phasing out 21 selected single-use items. The ban that comes into effect this year will cover all these items, which include plastic carry bags (less than 75 micron in thickness, to be revised to 120 micron in December 2022), earbuds, plastic crockery items (spoons, plates, glasses etc), straws, and certain kinds of plastic packaging material.

Banned single-use plastic items not comprehensive; multi-layer packaging real menace: CSE

The ban that comes into effect from July 1 covers items such as plastic carry bags (less than 75 micron in thickness, to be revised to 120 micron in December 2022), earbuds, plastic crockery items (spoons, plates, glasses), straws, and certain kinds of plastic packaging material. The list of single-use plastic (SUP) items being banned from July 1 is not comprehensive as it excludes multi-layer packaging which is the real menace when it comes to plastic contamination, green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. In an August 2021 notification, the Union environment ministry had defined SUP commodities as “plastic items intended to be used once for the same purpose before being disposed of or recycled”. The notification had also put forward a plan for phasing out selected SUP items. The ban that comes into effect from July 1 covers items such as plastic carry bags (less than 75 micron in thickness, to be revised to 120 micron in December 2022), earbuds, plastic crockery items (spoons, plates, glasses), straws, and certain kinds of plastic packaging material. One of the main concerns with the ban is the fact that the list of banned items is not comprehensive, said Siddharth Singh, programme manager, Solid Waste Management unit, CSE. For one, the list does not include multi-layered packaging (MLP). CSE researchers pointed out that MLP is used in almost all fast-moving consumer goods, from chips to shampoos to gutka pouches. CSE director general Sunita Narain said, “This (MLP) is the real menace when it comes to plastic contamination, because these items are almost impossible to collect and absolutely impossible to process.'' ''The only thing that can be done with this packaging material is to send it to cement plants for incineration,” she said. The government says that all packaging material has been included as part of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) notification. Under this, the companies that manufacture or consume this material are required to take it back and send it for reprocessing and annual targets have been fixed for companies on how much is to be recollected. Narain said while this sounds good on paper, there are huge problems in the way EPR has been designed or is being implemented. “For instance, there is no information on the quantity of this plastic material or the waste the company generates. Not only is it based on self-declaration, but there is nothing available in the public domain to assess its accuracy. This means the target that has been set for each company is meaningless,” she said. “Worse, under EPR, companies are required to recycle or reprocess the material they collect only by 2024. The question, then, is what is happening to the plastic waste that is being collected -- is it being stored or dumped?” Narain said. One of the plastic items to be banned is plastic straws and giant FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies are claiming that these are an inherent part of the product packaging and have a low littering propensity. These companies are seeking an extension of six to twelve months on the ban. However, CSE researchers rubbished the claim, and pointed out that the industry has already received an extension of six months, with the deadline moved from January 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022.

India bans single-use plastic from July 1; violators can be penalised

The next time you visit the markets in India, you may not find plastic cups, straws, cutlery, earbuds and thermocol as the country-wide ban on single-use plastics, which have been a threat to the planet and ecosystem for decades, comes into effect from July 1. The Indian environment ministry issued a notification to ban single-use plastics below 100 microns in August 2021 to be implemented from July 1, 2022. Plastics are huge contributors to climate change. 130 million metric tonnes of plastic were discarded globally in 2019. In its fight against the climate crisis, India has decided to put a blanket ban on not just manufacturing, but sale, purchase, import, distribution, stocking and any kind of usage of single-use plastics (SUPs), including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene. Plastics take forever to break down and emit toxic greenhouse gases. With India's bold step, all products made of single-use plastic including plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plates, cups and glasses, earbuds, thermocol items, wrapping films around sweet boxes, invitation/greeting cards and cigarette boxes, will be off the shelves from Friday. Also, plastic carry bags under 100 microns of thickness will be banned from July 1, 2022, while those up to 120 microns will be banned by the end of the year. While several restaurants and people have consciously broken up with single-use plastic, markets still have a huge stock of such products to do away with. The organized sector though seems prepared to deal with the ban and switch to alternatives. However, it is the unorganized sector and small shop owners who seem hassled and unprepared, especially regarding the cost of alternatives to single-use plastics. Some small restaurant owners expressed concern that the cost of alternatives was costing almost double that plastic. "The move to ban plastic is good but we need cheaper alternatives. We were using plastic containers to deliver food items but now with the ban coming into effect, the only alternative we know is paper containers. But they are very expensive. One plastic box 250 ml capacity costs us Rs 6 while the same in paper costs us Rs 11-12," said a restaurateur who did not wish to be identified. Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that enough time has been given already to get to rid of single-use plastic. The ban was first announced by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2021. Though environment experts termed it as a critical step by India towards controlling the plastic menace, they also felt that the ban on plastic carry bags is not novel. As many as 25 Indian states and Union territories have already banned them, as per the latest report of the country's pollution watchdog Central Pollution Control Board. "While states say it is difficult to regulate this item based on plastic thickness, it is clear that the enforcement is inadequate," said Indian think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Another pollution expert said that it was a welcome move by India which would reduce plastic waste generation in the country. "We welcome the ban on single use plastic items by India and hope that this would be enforced on ground by the regulatory/monitoring bodies and supported by citizens. The ban will help reduce plastic waste generation in the country," said Ashish Jain, Director, Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA). But what happens if you don't abide by the ban in India? It may attract stringent provisions under the Environment Protection Act, which entail a jail term of up to 5 years and fine up to Rs one lakh. However, India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that the power to take punitive action rests with urban local bodies and the state pollution control boards. Penalties may vary from state to state. For example, in India's national capital, the municipal corporations could levy a fine ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000. Yadav said that the Indian government does not want to create a panic among citizens and wants to encourage the practice of choosing alternatives to plastics, some of which are already available. "We want people's participation and cooperation in this movement to eliminate the plastic menace. We don't want this to be done out of fear," Yadav said. Apart from India, several other nations have pledged to eliminate single-use plastic. Canada recently announced that it will ban the manufacture and import of SUPs by the end of this year. Bangladesh became the first country in 2008 to ban thin plastic waste while New Zealand banned plastic bags in 2019, and China announced plastic ban in 2020. Several states in the United States have banned it too.

All Noida villages to have tap water by end of next year, says irrigation dept

Noida: The irrigation department has recently surveyed and found that over 90 villages in Noida do not have tap water connection and residents are forced to use groundwater for their daily needs Noida: The irrigation department has recently surveyed and found that over 90 villages in Noida do not have tap water connection and residents are forced to use groundwater for their daily needs. The district administration is in the process of building storage tanks and getting tap water connection to these villages within this year. Of the 90 villages surveyed, 12 were transferred to the authorities (Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway), while 78 remained with the district administration. During the survey conducted over the past two months, it was found that government or community land was available in 68 villages. “We are now at different stages of identifying land in the villages, preparing a detailed project report, constructing water tankers and providing tap water connections. Most of the households have submersible pumps and extract much more water than required. With tap water connection, we will be able to reduce water wastage substantially and will be able to prevent the groundwater levels from receding further,” said Suhas LY, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar. A detailed project report (DPR) has been made for providing tap water connection in each of these villages and is being sent for approval to the State Water Sanitation Mission (SWSM) under the Namami Gange Programme. Officials said that the DPR for 48 villages have already been sent and 37 of these have also been approved. “We have started constructing water storage tankers and laying tap water pipelines in some of the villages. We have also started testing the water flow in five villages where 3,500 tap water connections have been given so far. The aim is to ensure that the entire work for these 48 villages is complete by the end of this year and all villages in the district have tap water before the end of next year,” said Bharat Bhushan, executive engineer, irrigation department. The five villages where testing is going on are Nagla Chamru, Chakrasenpur, Khangora, Ballabhnagar and Milakh Karimabad. Most of these villages without tap water connection are in Dadri block. The total cost of the project in the 48 villages for which DPR has been prepared is about ₹115 crore. It will benefit 18,000 households with a total population of around 113,000 people, sources said. The 30 villages for which DPR is yet to be prepared include 12,000 households with a population of around 70,000. According to the Central Ground Water Authority, Gautam Budh Nagar is among the most ‘water-stressed’ districts in the state. A report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on the state of water in Uttar Pradesh in 2021 also mentions the district being highly over-exploited. In the last five years, the average pre-monsoon groundwater level in Noida increased from 9.95 metres in 2016 to 25.28 metres in 2020 — a change of 154%. For Greater Noida, the average groundwater level dropped from 6.66 metres to 12.75 metres during the same period — a change of 91.41%. Officials said that having tap water connection is a step towards checking the rapidly falling groundwater table in the district.

Mission Sustainability Conclave | Mobius Foundation

Mobius Foundation in partnership with Zee Network and WION launched a one-year-long public awareness initiative called ‘Mission Sustainability – Population v/s Planet’. This unique campaign commenced with a two-hour-long “ Thought Leadership Conclave” with eminent dignitaries and experts including Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, and Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI AAYOG. The Campaign focused on the impact of overpopulation on issues such as Climate Change, Bio-Diversity, and Natural Resources, Energy Crisis, Air Population, Job and Housing, Water Pollution, Depletion of Non- Renewable Resources, Education, and Empowerment, Waste Generation, Education, Over Consumption patterns, etc. The programme was titled “MISSION SUSTAINABILITY- POPULATION VS. PLANET” for the English audience on WION Channel and संभलना ज़रूरी है – जनसंख्या बनाम प्रकृति” for Hindi and regional audience on Zee News and it’s regional network. The successful closing of the campaign was marked with an on-ground event “MISSION SUSTAINABILITY CONCLAVE”. The conclave was an amalgamation of stakeholders and dignitaries from across the field of ‘Environmental Sustainability’. The event was divided in to two robust panel sessions “India’s Road Map to Sustainability” and “ Way Forward” along with an exclusive one-on-one fireside chat with the Chairman of Mobius Foundation, Mr. Pradip Burman. Sudhir Choudhary, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, WION delivered the opening remarks. Rajendra Singh, Water Man of India addressed the conclave with a special message emphasising that ”Indian traditional system has sustainable knowledge. We must make use of it to build a better and sustainable future for our children Firstly ‘Indian indigenous knowledge system’ should be revived and secondly ‘population growth should be controlled’”. Sessions 1 “India’s Road Map to Sustainability”, shed light on India’s efforts towards population stabilisation and family planning initiatives. Panelists in the session were Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment, and Dr. Ram Boojh, CEO, Mobius Foundation. Dr. Ram Boojh, CEO Mobius Foundation said that “We must bring down our population to a sustainable level for Mobius Foundation is contributing through its project ‘Aakar’ in 4 districts of Uttar Pradesh” Session 2 “ The Way Forward” brought out focused areas where we as an individual can contribute in population control and also ways Government can take initiatives towards family planning. The panelists in the session were Kartikeya Sarabhai, Director, Center for Environment Education, Shyamala Mani, Senior Advisor, Public Health Foundation of India, and Shruti Sinha, Manager, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group. The session highlighted that we cannot step out of urban lifestyle but what we can do is understand that urbanization or benefits of urbanization don’t have to be in contradiction to being environmentally friendly or climate-conscious. So, very simply put, what we need to change is our consumption patterns, our economy, and our consumption culture, and the way we look at consumption in a whole. Moreover, Climate change is not an elite issue. It’s very much connected to frontline communities, livelihoods, incomes and lives Kartikeya Sarabhai during the session emphasized and said “India is one of the very few countries, which has recognized the importance of bringing “Environmental Education” at the primary level of the educational system”. He also said “Indian culture has always been rich in tradition, that is climate-friendly. We have always chosen environment-friendly cultural practices and rituals, our attitude towards the environment has been different and we must redeem this and we can still be one of the fastest-growing economies”. During one on one exclusive fireside chat, Mr. Pradip Burman, Chairman Mobius Foundation, and an environmental crusader had to say that “I totally agree that while the government can do a lot, we as individuals can do small things contributing to big change. Being water-wise, composting and recycling, waste segregation will make a large impact”. During the event “ Mission Sustainability- Population Vs Planet” a Campaign Report was also launched by the eminent dignitaries present at the occasion. Conclave marked its closure with the closing remarks by Palki Sharma Upadhyay, Executive Editor, WION followed by scrumptious lunch. About the Mobius Foundation: The Mobius Foundation is a non-profit organisation, committed to supporting sustainability, empowering technologies, strengthening systems, encouraging healthy behaviour and focusing on education. The Foundation intends to create sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities to break longstanding practices that are detrimental to human existence. The Mobius Foundation has been working in India since 2015, collaborating with a diverse range of civil society partners and NGO partners to contribute to achieving a sustainable India.

Delhi’s environment dept chalks out draft action plan on climate change

A draft of Delhi’s new state action plan on climate change has been prepared and is to be presented before a steering committee chaired by the Chief Secretary before it is made public for comments, according to officials in the Environment Department. It will then be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for approval. The process of consulting different departments to put the plan together began in January this year, and the draft was prepared by the Environment Department with GIZ providing technical assistance, according to a senior official in the department. Stakeholder consultations for Delhi’s previous climate action plan lasted for as long as seven years – from 2011 to 2018 – and the plan was finalized in 2019. The plan later expired, since it was meant to be for a decade, and the projections in it were also made for a decade, the official added. The new plan will include temperature and rainfall data, and based on projections, will chalk out adaptation and mitigation strategies, the official said. The projections made in the plan will be till 2030. The common framework for state-level climate action plans chalked out in 2010 at a national consultation workshop calls for vulnerability assessments for various sectors and groups. It recommends the assessment of the “physical and economic impact” on vulnerable sectors. The previous plan, for instance, identified health, energy, water resources, urban planning (infrastructure, waste management and land use), transport, and agriculture, forest and biodiversity, as sectors that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. “The new plan will have clearer linkages between the vulnerabilities assessed and the action,” the official said, pointing out that the previous plan was a more general one that looked at what was already happening in the city. “The revised action plans need to be more ‘actionable’. Much of the time, the plans are usually platitudes… what’s happening, what is the risk involved in the future, and the action part is still a little weak and vague. In Delhi, such plans will need a focus on clean energy transition in transportation, and technologies for emission control. We will have to develop systems to respond to the crisis that arises during heatwaves, even of infrastructure, electricity, water supply, ”said Avikal Somvanshi, senior program manager, Urban Lab, Center for Science and Environment.

Green Revolution 2.0: Saying No to Plastic is Fantastic, Finding Options Isn't, Say Industries Ahead of Single-Use Ban

While most industries have already replaced some of the single-use plastic items such as cutlery and ice-cream sticks, it is the shortage of paper straws that has given them a big jolt Preparations are underway on war-footing as India readies itself for a ban on notified single-use plastic items. While directions have already been issued to all states to curb the supply of banned items, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has also asked petrochemical industries to stop the supply of plastic raw materials to those engaged in the production of the banned items, starting July 1. Amid tight domestic supply of raw materials, industries are scurrying for imports to ensure their supply chain continues unhindered. “We are gearing up to handle the situation,” Mother Dairy MD Manish Bandlish tells News18. “The challenge is that we do not have any local vendor who could help us meet this demand. So like most other companies, we are also compelled to import paper straws, a critical item, at much higher costs. We have already placed the orders, but there are logistical constraints as the same supplier is providing straws to multiple players.” Advertisement While most industries have already replaced some of the single-use plastic items such as cutlery and ice-cream sticks, it is the shortage of paper straws that has given them a big jolt. Mother Diary alone consumes over 20 million (2 crore) straws per annum. It is among the several enterprises which has written to the government authorities, including the CPCB, to defer the ban by six months to at least a year. “We are yet to get any response. We can just wait and see. But we will try to manage the best we can,” he adds. NO STANDARDISATION In the quest for sustainable and viable alternatives, another challenge that the industry is facing is the lack of standardisation. Industry rues that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is yet to finalise quality standards for alternatives, their bio-degradability, the process for manufacturing as well as handling of the waste of alternatives such as biopolymers/bioplastics. “The usual process for testing the compostability of alternate molecules takes at least six months, and it is yet to be done. There are no standards or quality checks in place for many of these alternatives, without which no industry can use them as the quantity it needs is huge,” rues Dr Praveen Aggarwal, CEO of industry body Action Alliance for Recycling Beverage Cartons (AARC), which has also sought an additional time of 18 months. For the packaging industry, the challenge is also to search for a direct alternative to locally available BOPP films (polypropylene) used extensively for packaging products as it prevents moisture and can hold weight better than a cellophane sheet. The notified list of banned items also includes packaging/wrapping plastic films for sweet boxes, cigarette packets and invitation cards. TOUGH TRANSITION For small and micro industries, the transition to paper sticks for cotton ear buds is also riddled with difficulties. In the absence of local vendors, the MSME units which have so far imported paper from countries like Finland & Sweden lament that it is putting a financial burden on them. Confectionery giants like Perfetti Van Melle India known for candies and lollipops is importing its paper sticks from Europe. According to industry representatives, roughly Rs 3.50-crore machinery for manufacturing paper stick has already been imported mostly by medium and large enterprises, and at least Rs 2-crore machines are expected to reach by September. The pandemic-induced restrictions over the last one year further delayed the process. “Some units that have tried to purchase and import the new machinery ended up with a roadblock after China put a ban,” Vinod Kumar, president of India SME Forum tells News18. “Unlike the bigger companies, the smaller units cannot afford to import machinery and alternative items/raw materials at a scale to meet the demand.” Advertisement Although some units are in the process of converting/calibrating the higher-end machines to run biodegradable sticks for making cotton buds, Kumar says, many machines cannot be modified. “A staggered ban till January 2023 will give us time to stabilise, and find options for the lowest cost source while remaining competitive,” he implores the government. The search for alternatives has led stakeholders to explore products made up of compostable/biodegradable plastic, biopolymers, bamboo, paper to even steel. But unlike plastic which offers durability, convenience and unique advantage of insulating products from air-borne germs, the other alternatives have not inspired much confidence. Wood/bamboo can splinter and is susceptible to mildew growth as it can absorb moisture, while paper gets soggy before a drink is finished. “The industry is not against the ban, but just how it is being implemented. While it is up to the industry to figure out the alternatives, there is also a question of availability of raw material, especially for MSMEs which the government need to handhold to make the change,” says Sandip Chhetri, CEO at TradeIndia.com. TIME TO MANAGE According to All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association director-general Deepak Ballani, the focus should also be on stepping up action on proper management of plastic waste, which he terms as the bigger challenge than flow of SUP items. “We also want Clean India and are ready to transition. But why not focus on the root of the problem – plastic waste. We need to improve waste segregation at source level, and amp up our recycling infrastructure,” he says. As the industry scrambles to procure the alternatives in enough quantities, while still hoping for at least a year’s deferment to the ban, experts highlight that it must shift its attention to other ideas to tide over the current challenge – one of which could be re-designing product packaging. “The best way to get rid of the plastic waste is to perhaps move towards a different product design, which can eliminate the need for that item. All these SUP items were identified on the basis of their “low utility”, so it is not very difficult for the industry to innovate and experiment with some design changes. If it works, it can help them tide over the problem of dependency on imports,” suggests Siddharth Singh, Programme Manager (environmental governance and waste management) at Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. “It is certain that the world will eventually move to plastic-free alternatives in coming years, and we will have no choice but to adapt, so why not begin now?”

After Brutal Heatwave, Himachal's Apple Farmers Say Over 30% of Crop Damaged

In spite of the fruit being a vital part of the state's economy, no government has attempted to take up large-scale irrigation efforts to help growers. Chandigarh: Dimple Panjta, an apple grower from Rohru in Shimla district is distressed ahead of harvesting season. He tells The Wire that he never saw the hills of Himachal as warm and in need of rainfall as now. For Panjita, more than the discomfort, was the direct consequence this had on the apple crop. “Approximately 30% of the crop is already damaged in my orchard,” he says. By ‘damaged’, Panjita explains, he means that the fruit has cracked and has stopped growing in size. A cracked apple. Photo: Vivek Gupta/The Wire “Premature dropping of the fruit is another common problem. Spots on the fruit are also visible,” he adds. Cracked and rusted apples, categorised as ‘Grade B’ and ‘Grade C’, are not sold in the main market. A healthy crop fetches its farmers Rs 60-70 a kilogram. But these apples are sold at no more than Rs 5-10 per kilogram. The economic cost of this is enormous. An apple grower from Shimla, Kunal Chauhan, tells The Wire that the worst is not over yet because 90% of the apple crop in the Himachal is rain-fed. The current apple season was the worst in terms of rainfall and the situation has not improved in the month of June. “By the time harvesting begins next month from July 15, there may be more damage,” he adds Met data presents a dismal picture The weather in the months of March, April and May – when the apple crop is in various stages of physiological growth – was unfriendly to the crop. As per a Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment report, which was based on the analysis of Met office data, there were 21 heatwave days in Himachal between March and April this year, the third highest after Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. In May, the state had four heatwave days. On the other hand, there was record breaking rainfall deficiency. As per data obtained from the Himachal Pradesh Met department, the state witnessed huge 95% and 90% deficient rainfall in the months of March and April. According to HP Met director Surender Paul, this was the worst rainfall season since 2002. Paul tells The Wire that rainfall has since improved but continues to be below normal. For instance, the state recorded 23% deficient rainfall in the month of May, the worst since 2018. The current month of June (from June 1 to June 22) is again 37% rainfall deficient. In areas like Kinnaur, known for its good quality apples, rainfall deficiency is as high as 60%, official data says. Acute temperature ‘altered crop’ Explaining how the heatwave has affected the apple crop, Dr S.K. Bhardwaj, head of Environmental Sciences at Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Solan told The Wire that every crop has its physiological development stage, which is called phenology in technical terms. Bhardwaj says the acute rise in temperature in Himachal this time has altered the apple crop’s physiological growth. Premature blooming of flowers on apple plants in the month of March – which otherwise bloom in phases over several weeks starting March – was followed by severe drought conditions, which worsened the situation in terms of flower drops. Then there was a spell of hailstorm. “All these weather-induced events must have affected the development of fruit,” he adds. Not just seasonal damage The apple is grown in Himachal at an elevation of 3,000 feet to 10,000 feet. Ashit Singha, an apple grower from Kotgarh in Shimla district, tells The Wire that the orchards below 6,000 feet suffered more. But it is not just the heat and elevation, he says. “Every year, apple growers replace their old orchards with new plants, which take years to bear fruits. As per feedback from the ground, 70-80% new plantations could not survive this heatwave,” he says. Even old plants were left at risk of a fungal disease called ‘Canker’, which can even result in the death of the plant, he adds. Dimple Rajta of Rohru says while the apple crop has a huge role to play in the state’s economy – “annual apple business from the state is more than Rs 3000-4000 crore” – there was never a large-scale effort to develop irrigation for the apple crop. He says that 90% of the apple crop is rainfed. “A decade ago, there was a scheme by the state to create irrigation sources via rainwater harvesting. The government made water tanks in apple belts too. But the scheme was not properly implemented. It was a pure waste of public money,” he adds. Panjta said that there was never a proper crop insurance scheme for apple growers that could mitigate their losses in times like these. ‘Rs 50-crore damage’ R.K. Pruthi, director of the HP horticulture department shared data with The Wire which has revealed the loss of Rs 50 crore to the apple crop this year due to drought and hailstorm. While the department’s initial crop production estimate matched last year’s production of 6 lakh metric tonnes, a fair picture will emerge once the advance crop estimates are released next month, said sources. Meanwhile, experts point out that the time has come to find the right solutions to mitigate the changing climatic conditions in hilly areas. Dr S.K. Bhardwaj told The Wire that there are studies which clearly show that some of the traditional apple varieties which had sustained the apple economy for three to four decades are not getting the right kind of climate conditions to flourish now. “There are two ways to deal with it. First, farmers must go for crop diversification. Second, the ageing orchards must be replaced with those apple varieties that can adapt to the changing climate,” he adds

With single-use plastic banned from July 1, how will things change for Indians

While launching many green initiatives in April, Bhupender Yadav, union environment minister had said, “Plastic has become one of the most pressing environmental issues that we are facing today. India is generating about 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually and the per capita plastic waste generation has almost doubled over the last five years.” With the government having decided to implement a ban on single-use plastic from July 1, let us look at the problem of plastic pollution, the alternatives and what else can be done to curb the problem. What is banned? Plastic sticks for ear buds, balloons, candies etc, and polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration Plastic plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays, stirrers Packing/ wrapping films for sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets Plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns The alternatives Instead of thermocol: Recycled and corrugated paper, honeycomb paper, paper mache Instead of plastic sticks: Wooden sticks for ice creams wooden sticks, paper sticks for lollies and cake pops, threads for balloons, washable earbuds or the ones with wooden sticks Instead of plastic tableware and cutlery: Plates, glasses, bowls made of paper, corn husk, bamboo, areca leaves, wheat etc, clay cups, edible cutlery, steel plates, metal bottles etc Instead of PVC banners: Banners made of polyethylene recyclable materials can be an option Plastic ban 22 Need to understand and implement a circular economy, say activists Afroz Shah, lawyer-turned-environmentalist, says that plastic isn’t the problem, plastic pollution is. However, he adds that unnecessary, single-use plastic must go. “Pollution is in the human mindset. People need to be trained to handle waste. The circular economy, which is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products, can be considered to reduce waste. This comes in three stages: pre-litter (designing the packaging in such a way so that nature can handle it), litter (deciding before buying a product whether it will create a waste) and post litter (once thrown away, figuring out ways as to how to get it back). Both the producers as well as the citizens have roles to play here. To make a law is a good step but the implementation of the law will be the crucial factor,” says Afroz. "People need to be trained for a behavioural change, making sure they do not generate excess garbage and know about sustainable and eco-friendly choices. This needs to be done by all concerned parties, including plastic manufacturers, citizens, and the government," adds Afroz. Pradeep Sangwan, the founder of Healing Himalayas, an organisation that campaigns to clear plastic waste from the foothills of the Himalayas, adds, “The concept that sustainable living is just for the rich needs to be broken. Biodegradable products need to be made easily available and at pocket-friendly prices. Circular economy runs smoothly in rural areas. It needs to be implemented in bigger cities as well.” Fines Using or littering the banned products will invite a spot fine of Rs 500 for individuals and households, and Rs 5000 for institutional waste generators. Shocking facts! As per a report by earthday.org, humans use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per minute in total and about 500 billion plastic cups every year. Roughly, half of our global annual plastic production is destined for single-use products. As per study of data from the Central Pollution Control Board by the Centre for Science and Environment, 25940 tonnes of plastic waste is generated daily in India. As per the 2021 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) report by oceanconservancy.org, the single-use plastic straws and stirrers collected over 35 years from marine bodies would stretch the entire length of the Himalayas. Plastic ban 33 Top 10 things found during the global ocean cleanup in 2020 Cigarette butts: 964,521 Plastic beverage bottles: 627,014 Food wrappers: 573,534 Other trash: 519,438 Bottle caps: 409,855 Grocery bags: 272,399 Straws, stirrers: 224,170 Take out/away containers: 222,289 Beverage cans: 162,750 Glass beverage bottles: 146,255 What the makers for the plastic alternatives have to say Dipen Mehta, director of a Bengaluru-based company that makes polyethylene recyclable materials for banners, says: "We believe eco-friendly banners are here to stay. They are not just safe for nature, but very sturdy too. The sustainable products don’t affect the price much since the material cost for signages is hardly 10% of the total cost." "With the ban, there will be an increase in demand for biodegradable products, especially because the commercial establishments are actively seeking sustainable, disposable cutlery," says Arindam Dasgupta, founder of an Assam-based company that makes biodegradable tableware and cutlery using areca seeds and leaves. "But the capacity to increase the supply is limited as of now. Across India, a lot of people are trying to produce sustainable, disposable tableware, but to meet the requirements, would take a couple of years," he adds.

Single-use plastic ban: What changes from July 1

Gurugram: From July 1, it’ll be illegal for anyone in the country to manufacture, import, stock, distribute or sell 19 single-use plastic (SUP) items. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, come into effect. This means, no plastic sticks in ice-creams, no disposable plates and cups and spoons, no boxes of sweets wrapped with thin plastic sheets, no thermocol for decoration, no PVC banners thinner than 100 microns, and so on. plass 1 Though the ban is the first step to phase out plastics, it’s nowhere near enough since industries and corporations that use plastic the most are largely unaffected by the ban. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), plastic packaging that is not covered under the ban and is abundantly used to sell processed food items contributes to 60% of the waste generated. Data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the world produces over 300 million metric tonnes (MT) of plastic every year. Of this, 14 million MT ends up in the ocean. India generates 3.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, or around 9,500 MT daily, and the country’s waste generation has doubled over the past five years. Delhi-based NGO Toxic Links says the capital generates 2,30,525 tonnes per annum (TPA) of plastic waste. According to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, 5% of the plastic waste in Gurgaon and Faridabad is SUPs. What are SUPs and how are these harmful? As the name suggests, SUPs are items that are disposed of after one use. These products can be categorised under three kinds of plastics – multi-layered, low value and hard plastic. Anything between a straw and a syringe is an SUP. Because of easy access, experts say it isn’t realistic to recycle all of these. “SUPs promote an unthinking use and disposal of plastics. Secondly, about 50-80% plastic waste in India is handled by the informal sector that is poorly trained in sorting plastics for recycling,” said Ravi Agarwal, founder director of Toxics Link. Over time, plastics break down into insoluble microplastics. They deposit as toxins – into seas and oceans, in the environment, and in human and animal bodies. Since these are carcinogenic, extreme exposure to them raises the bar for risks involved in allowing these to pollute freely. What are the alternatives for SUPs? Some of the alternatives are stainless steel, glass, platinum silicone, beeswax-coated cloth, natural fibre cloth, wood, bamboo, ceramics, paper, cardboard. Other options are to develop biodegradable plastics made from starch, cellulose and poly-lactic acid. “India already has a market for bioplastics with several manufacturing plants at Bengaluru and Chennai,” Agarwal said. In 2019, an expert committee formed by the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers was tasked with identifying the SUPs based on utility and environmental impact. The panel zeroed in on those products with the least utility and highest environmental impact. The 19 items, most of which are produced by small and medium plastic manufacturers, fell in this range. How will the ban be imposed? Pollution board officials told TOI that they have been preparing for the ban since February. “We’ve directed all plastic manufacturers, e-commerce firms, leading SUP sellers and users, gutka and pan masala manufacturers and state pollution control boards to enforce the rules. We have been organising workshops to enoucrage the use of alternatives. This will help the small and medium-sized enterprises to transition. For citizens, we are organising awareness drives,” said B Vinod Babu, nodal officer, waste management, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). “Our teams will carry out inspections to check if the ban is followed,” said P Raghavendra Rao, chairman of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), added. Anyone flouting the norms can be penalised under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, with the possibility of being jailed up to five years or/and fined up to Rs 1 lakh. What are the limits of the ban? First, experts say, the ban doesn’t cover the largest SUP users. Around 60% of the plastic waste in India comes from packaging – PET bottles, food packets, cosmetics and toiletries. Less than a third of plastic waste is recycled, with most of it being piled in landfills or scattered on roadsides, drains and vacant plots in cities and villages. “Ear buds are the only item in the banned list that aren’t made by small industries. Plastic packaging waste, inscrutably, is not listed for being phased out. It was proposed to be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way, but only 30% of the plastic waste is recycled and the rest ends up in landfill sites,” said Atin Biswas, programme director, municipal solid waste, CSE. A representative of a leading FMCG company told TOI it has been taking initiatives to recycle, repurpose, and search for alternatives. “These are small steps, but in the right direction,” the executive said. Scientists also pointed out that there need to be alternatives to replace plastic that has inundated economies. “Plastic bans world over created more confusion, never really reduced pollution. Careless disposal of used plastic should be penalised more sternly and authorities should emphasise segregation of waste at the source,” said NB Nair, retired scientific officer, environmental assessment division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai. Where are we headed? The CPCB says the demand for plastic is only going to inflate and production is likely to be 589 million MT by 2050. Experts believe the goal must be to taper production. “One can't solve the issue of plastic by talking about waste management. We have to stop making certain kinds of plastic. We also need to look at imports and recognise its damages. It is estimated that 48% - 86% seabirds and marine mammals have plastics in their body. The plastic present in electronic waste is also likely to contain lead and cadmium. This damages the ecosystem and causes health issues as well as it enters our food chain,” Dr Shyamala K Mani, senior advisor at the Centre For Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India and a former professor at the National Institute of Urban Affairs.

Experts Argue Against Commercial Seeds in Africa

The argument against the policy-backed use of seeds generated in laboratories for farming in Africa is getting more strident, as experts contend that these industrial seeds have not and are not improving farm yields over the traditional age-old seeds used by generations in Africa. This was the fulcrum of discussions at a recent virtual roundtable of experts and journalists at the Second Africa Network Media Cafe, jointly organised by Centre for Science and Environment, Down To Earth India, and Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA), Kenya. The experts, who discussed the ‘State of Africa’s Seed Business’, were Timothy A Wise, Senior Advisor, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, USA- On the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and what it has meant for the continent and its farmers; Susan Nakacwa, Africa Programme, GRAIN, Kampala, Uganda – On the traditional farmer seed systems of Africa and their future; and Daniel Aghan, Secretary, MESHA, Nairobi, Kenya – On his perspectives on the subject, as one who works on and writes on agricultural issues and concerns in Africa. Richard Mahapatra, Managing Editor, Down To Earth, New Delhi, India, who presented “Seed Shift: The Down To Earth Investigation”, a report of investigation of the seed challenge in some African countries, also discussed the dire impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine and its ripple effect on the wheat and grains market around the world, particularly in Africa where starvation stares most of its population in the face. Wheat and other grains are traditionally steeple foods in most of Africa. Mahapatra stated that Africa has potential to feed the planet for at least 200 years, but that Africa is a net importer of food and Africa’s food sector is getting more attention presently. A recent study by DownToEarth magazine published by the CSE, a think tank in New Delhi, India, shows that in the last 5 years, 20 countries have rolled out seed policies/laws. Fifty two of the 56 countries on the continent have formalised or adopted or just about to do so, in the seed sector. The cover story of DTE is based on reports from three African countries and the research was done in Delhi. “No other continent is witnessing this kind of development in the seed sector,” Mahapatra said. The campaign is a continent-wide “seed trade harmonisation”. This is a fight between “the 80” and “the 20” systems or the farmer seed system and the industrial seed sector. He said all these laws and policies cater to the industrial sector and stated that polarisation was taking place, undoubtedly, with the farmers and the industrial seed sector squaring for a fight over the standardisation of seeds and for which crops. They want to have only one way of managing the seed business, which would eventually lead to the cultivation of smaller portions of land but have high yields because of the hybrid seeds and the introduction of other inputs like fertilizers. However, these new laws/policies will legitimise the industrial seed sector and criminalise the traditional seed utilisation systems. Speaking on his research findings titled, ‘False Promises, the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)’, Timothy A. Wise, a Senior Adviser with Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), Minapolis, U.S.A, discussed efforts to expose AGRA’s impact on the seed sector in Africa, as well as its overall impact on food security in Africa. Wise conducted an assessment, in 2020, of the 15 year-old initiative that has swallowed millions of dollars, after he found out there was no comprehensive evaluation of this initiative. Also, a recent donor-sponsored evaluation shows it is failing farmers in Africa, he said. AGRA, founded in 2006 to ostensibly assist farmers in Africa, mainly has funding from the Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, as well as from donors such as USAID. Additional support for their ambitious goals came from African governments that are providing about a billion dollars for seeds and fertilizers. Now, they are instituting laws and policies that criminalise African seeds and asking farmers to call their age-old seeds grains and not seeds. Susan Nakatwua of GREEN is concerned about the suggestion that the traditional seed system that is prevalent in Africa is regarded as an informal seed system and is unrecognised in the agricultural process because they are deemed unfit to bring about development in agriculture. Another aspect examined was information flow about seeds in Africa. “A major hindrance to seed trade in Africa is inadequate information flow. We have too much information that we do not need, and we need too much information that we do not have,” Aghan Daniel stated in his presentation titled, ‘African seed sector: Key issues to note’. According to Aghan, “African farmers need quality seeds. And Africa needs to increase its share of the global seed trade. The current contribution of less than 2 per cent only presents an opportunity.” He stated that Africa is a minor player in the global seed trade (contributes only 2%), and approximately 80% of the farmers in the region save seeds for replantation. The seed is one of the most basic and important agricultural inputs. It forms the third-largest inputs market after agrochemicals and farm machinery, globally. “The global seed market is expected to grow at a rate of 6.8% by 2021 to USD73 billion. Uptake of high yielding varieties and hybrids is as low as 8% in some countries,” he said. The African seed market, he said, “is segmented into seed type (non-GM/hybrid seeds, GM seeds, and varietal seeds) and crop type (grains and cereals, oilseeds, vegetables, and other crop types). By geography, the market is segmented into South Africa and Rest of Africa. “But now we are talking about gene editing, where genome editing (also called gene editing) is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism’s DNA. These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or altered at particular locations in the genome.” Discussing challenges caused by lack of PVP laws in Africa, Aghan said the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act provides patent-like rights to Breeders, Developers and Owners of plant varieties, stating that few countries have signed it.

Delhi Govt issues notification to penalise vehicle owners found without pollution certificate

Beware while driving your vehicle without a valid pollution under control certificate (PUCC), the Delhi Government has issued a notification stating to penalize vehicle owners including disqualification of their driving licence for three months if found without PUCC, in a move to control pollution in the national capital. In a public notice, the Transport department said it will issue challans to those vehicles whose PUCC has expired. The challan will be issued under section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which states that failure to possess PUCC may lead to imprisonment up to three months or fine up to Rs 10000 or both. "They will also be disqualified to hold their licence for three months," it read. The notice said that all those registered vehicle owners whose vehicles are more than a year old from the date of registration should get their vehicles checked and obtain a valid PUCC to avoid a fine. The Government is also looking to set up automated systems, such as RFID (used in FASTags), to check PUCs to avoid long queues at pumps and minimise the scope for fake documents. Air pollution levels in Delhi touch hazardous levels every winter, and while they are driven initially by fumes from stubble fires in neighbouring states, vehicles are among the key sources of pollution at a local level. An analysis released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in November last year found that vehicles were the biggest contributor to local sources of particulate pollution in Delhi, with their real-time share touching more than 50% during the early phase of winter, between October 24 and November 8, 2021.

Heat, pollution hurt health of outdoor workers in city: Study

The lung function tests conducted during the study revealed that the majority of respondents (39% sweepers, 33% vehicle drivers and 27% street vendors) had limited lung function. Prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures and high pollution severely impacts people’s health in the national capital, a study led by scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati has found. People who have to work outdoors for long periods in Delhi complained of health complications, including breathing difficulties or acute lung function impairment, irregular heartbeat and chest discomfort, back, shoulder, and joint pains, eye redness and irritation, skin rashes, headaches, and overall weakness, said the study — Health impact assessment of Delhi’s outdoor workers exposed to air pollution and extreme weather events: an integrated epidemiology approach — released on Saturday. “Over the years, air pollution in Delhi has become a significant concern. The city’s geographical location renders it particularly vulnerable to air pollution events such as smog, as well as harsh weather conditions in both summer and winter,” said co-author Suresh Jain, professor at IIT Tirupati. “Outdoor workers are among the hardest hit in such scenarios.” Other authors of the study included Vaishnavi Barthwal, Ayushi Babuta and Chubamenla Jamir from TERI School of Advanced Studies, Dr Arun Kumar Sharma from the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University, and Dr Anant Mohan from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Researchers surveyed 283 people for the study, which included auto-rickshaw drivers, street vendors and sweepers, who have to spend the most part of their day outdoors and are constantly exposed to pollution, Jain said. The study also took into account the impact of factors such as age and smoking on lung impairment among the participants so that the actual impacts of high pollution and extreme weather conditions can be analysed better. As much as 47% of the auto-rickshaw drivers, 47% of street vendors and 48% of sweepers reported major health impacts of prolonged exposure to outdoor pollution levels, the study found. Auto-rickshaw drivers reported the highest incidence of vision related symptoms such as redness of the eye (44%) and eye irritation (36%), while most street vendors reported headaches (43%). This could be attributed to constant exposure to vehicular pollution, the researchers said. The lung function tests conducted during the study revealed that the majority of respondents (39% sweepers, 33% vehicle drivers and 27% street vendors) had limited lung function. Sweepers had a higher rate of lung impairment than the other occupational groups due to the nature of their work, which involved frequent exposure to dust and particulate matter, Jain explained. “Dust inhalation during sweeping caused immediate lung function impairment and raised the risk of pulmonary disease progression. The risk increased as the period of exposure increased,” he said. The findings of the study are important because Delhi is known to record high pollution levels, which worsens during the winter time when the air quality index in the national capital peaks several times higher than the healthy limit. Toxic air pollution in Delhi cuts people’s lives short by roughly 10 years, making it India’s biggest threat to human health, according to the latest Air Quality Life Index report released in June 2022. Child and maternal malnutrition, in comparison, reduces average life expectancy by 1.8 years, while smoking reduces life expectancy by 1.5 years. Health conditions of outdoor workers were also found to deteriorate because of extreme temperatures in both summer and winter, the IIT study found. The majority of these symptoms were common among vendors (75% reported headache and giddiness, 36% rapid heartbeat, and 20% experienced fainting spells), followed by sweepers (60% had headaches, 34% had palpitations and 15% experienced fainting spells), and auto-rickshaw drivers (54% experienced headaches, 27% reported rapid heartbeats and 5% complained of fainting spells). “We concluded that while personal habits and influencing variables such as age, smoking, tobacco use, pre-existing health disorders, and a lack of usage of acceptable safety measures might raise these workers’ sensitivity to occupational health risks, lack of proper mitigation measures and policies, long working hours, and varying work locations exacerbate their exposure to air pollution and harsh conditions,” said Jain. Outdoor workers and people who were forced to spend long hours outside were at a greater risk of health problems owing to constant exposure to extreme weather conditions and high temperatures, other experts concurred. “Poor people are definitely more vulnerable to the impacts of high pollution and extreme temperatures. The more your body is exposed to the toxic pollutants and very high or low temperatures, the sooner it will start showing visible health problems,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group. “That is why we keep stressing that government strategies should focus on the most vulnerable.”