It is well known that the Central government has taken a decision to ban the single-use plastic. According to this, the usage of single-use plastic is prohibited in our country from July 1, 2022. Efforts have been made to control plastic in the past, but the expected results could not be achieved when it came to implementation. Having said that, do we need someone to tell us the need to stop usage of plastic which has become a huge challenge for our Earth as well as our survival? As responsible citizens, can’t we protect our society from plastic? We have a huge responsibility to provide a healthy land, clean water resources and clean air to our children and future generations. And what one should do to achieve this?
The Central government has taken the latest decision to protect the health of 140 crore Indians in the country. According to the new law, manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of single-use plastic products has been declared as illegal. Plastic straws, thermocol, disposable plastic cups, ear buds, ice cream cups, glasses, sweet boxes, knives, PVC banners, plates, straws, trays, spoons, plastic sticks used for balloons, plastic flags, plastic decorative items, cigarette boxes etc – a total 19 types of single-use plastic items have been banned. International environmentalists are already warning that 1.2 billion tones of plastic goods will be produced by 2060, which will become a global problem.
About 14 million tones of plastic is being used in India every year. Everyone should realise that we do not have a mechanism to safely dispose of discarded plastic waste. Hence, we are now forced to live with this toxic waste for last several years. Experts say that about 60 percent of the 8 billion tones of plastic produced since 1950, has been deposited in soil and water. How long it will take for these to biodegrade is uncertain. Hence, banning the use of single-use plastic is a welcome move.
People who are living in apartments, multi-storied buildings, villa communities and private houses in cities and towns, should take up the responsibility and stop using single-use plastic. For this, the resident welfare societies also should take a special initiative. All the residents should stick to the decision taken against single-use plastic. Otherwise, our streets, canals, ponds, rivers and oceans – all of them will be littered with plastic waste, posing a threat to survival of humankind. Understanding the threat posed to us, every community should take steps in this regard. Every residential welfare society should act strictly regarding the use of single use plastic. In apartments and gated communities, some people try to create obstacles, but they should be ignored. We all know that there is only one Earth to live and there is no other planet for us to survive. We must open our eyes and act wisely to collectively put an end to plastic usage. We should all stand together in this matter.
Is plastic banned in your apartment? Are all the residents of your gated community on the same page regarding the plastic ban? Though a bit difficult, your apartment dwellers don’t use plastic? Are resident welfare societies playing an active role in banning the use of single-use plastic? Send us a brief description of the process you followed along with a photo of your community members. Your details will be published in our paper every week. Send your photos and apartment photos to us at ‘regnews21@gmail.com‘.
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