Current Affairs 7 July 2021 – IAS Current Affairs
Current Affairs 7 July 2021 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :
Marine Plastic Pollution In India
Source : Down To Earth
Environment
What is discuss under Marine Plastic Pollution In India ?
- Challenges
- What are the impact of Marine Plastic ?
- What can be done ?
- Plastic Garbage Rules, 2016
Why in News ?
Plastic waste threatening marine life and generating health risks for residents in landfills or the natural environment. There are various challenges to ban plastic in India.
Key Facts
- Coastal regions suffer from the harmful health impacts of plastic pollution and waste brought in by the tides and are
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash inextricably linked to the fishing and tourism industry for their livelihoods.
- Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Annual Report on Implementing the Plastic Garbage Rules, 2016, is the only regular estimate of the quantum of plastic waste generated in India.
- The waste generated in 2018-19 was 3,360,043 tonnes per year.
- Total municipal solid waste generation is between 55 and 65 million tonnes per day.
- At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year all overt the world.
- More plastic materials found near popular tourist destinations and densely populated areas.
- What are the impact of Marine Plastic ?
- Plastic waste kills up to a million seabirds a year.
- Marine species ingest plastic waste and which causes severe injuries and deaths.
- It threatens coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
- Toxins from the plastics have entered the food chain, threatening human health.
- What can be done ?
- Technologies and Innovation for both reducing plastic use and monitoring waste.
- Pricing to be increased
- Designing product, a new alternative especially for single use plastic.
- Multi-stakeholder collaboration including muncipal and community action
- Producer responsibility for collecting and recycling products.
Plastic Garbage Rules, 2016
- These rules shall apply to every waste generator, local body, Gram Panchayat, manufacturer, Importers and producer.
- Rural areas have been brought in ambit of these Rules since plastic has reached to rural areas also. Responsibility for implementation of the rules is given to Gram Panchayat.
- Increase minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and stipulate minimum thickness of 50 micron for plastic sheets also to facilitate collection and recycle of plastic waste.
- Also this aims to promote use of plastic waste for road construction as per Indian Road Congress guidelines for gainful utilization of waste .
- Persons organising events have been made responsible for management of waste generated from these events.
- State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs) will not grant/renew registration of plastic bags, or multi-layered packaging unless the producer proposes the action plan endorsed by the concerned State Development Department.
- Manufacturing and use of non-recyclable multi-layered plastic to be phased in two years.
- Producers to keep a record of their vendors to whom they have supplied raw materials for manufacturing carry bags, plastic sheets, and multi-layered packaging to curb manufacturing of these products in unorganised sector.
- The amended Rules (2018) lay down that the phasing out of Multilayered Plastic (MLP) is now applicable to MLP, which are non-recyclable, or non-energy recoverable, or with no alternate use.
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