The ban on polythene in the State will be enforced strictly from July 31 onward. A State level task force will also be formed to direct work on various aspects related to this issue, said the Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. He was speaking at a programme organised to mark World Environment Day jointly by the Forest Department, Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) and Gati foundation here on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that though the ban on polythene was still in force in the State, its enforcement was not being carried out effectively at present. From July 31, the enforcement of the ban on polythene will be stepped up. A week prior to this, various programmes like walks, runs and seminars should be held to raise public awareness on this issue. Further, Rawat said that a state-level task force will also be formed in the near future for this purpose. Stressing on the importance of river revival and water conservation, he said that the state government had started work on revival of the Rispana river in Dehradun and Kosi river in Almora. He exhorted the public to become involved by refraining from the use of polythene and doing their bit for revival of rivers and water conservation.
Earlier, while addressing the gathering, the principal chief conservator of forests Jai Raj said that too much dependence on the Government machinery is not good. Referring to the theme of this year’s World Environment Day- ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, he said that the government alone cannot ensure this if the public remains apathetic. Stating that there are already various laws and regulations for mitigating plastic pollution and other problems, he stressed on the need for stepping up enforcement of the laws for achieving the desired results. Uttarakhand or at least Dehradun can become free of polythene in two months if law are strictly enforced and if the public does its bit in this regard, he added.
Expressing his views on the occasion the UEPPCB member secretary SP Subudhi said that since its invention in 1907, plastic had become a problem within 111 years due to the uncontrolled manner in which it is used by the people. He stressed that plastic and polythene were also useful in many aspects of life but it was their indiscriminate use which was causing the problem. Regarding plastic waste, he cited a study conducted by the UEPPCB in 2017 which had established that about 500 tonnes of plastic waste is generated per day in the State. Further, there are 36 plastic manufacturing units and 22 recycling units in the State. However, the recycling units need to source plastic waste from outside the State at times due to the lack of waste segregation in Uttarakhand. The board is communicating with prominent manufacturers of food items packaged in plastic in order to get the companies to do their bit in ensuring the desired disposal of such waste, he added.
Subject expert Vipin Kumar expressed concern at the proportion of plastic waste especially on the Char Dham Yatra circuit.
He said that eco system service fee should be charged by the state from prominent companies manufacturing products packaged in plastic so that the money thus collected can be put to use for facilitating the desired level of plastic waste disposal.
He also stressed on the role of rag pickers in segregation of biodegradable and plastic waste for facilitating recycling. Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) scientist Sanat Kumar informed about chemical recycling of plastic waste which can be pursued to make petrol, diesel or chemical for use in industry.
Anoop Nautiyal of Gati Foundation also expressed his views on the occasion.