Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan may be the brand ambassador of the Union Environment Ministry, which would host the World Environment Day (WED) on June 5 this year, the second time since 2011.
Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said talks are on with the mega star even as he urged people to give up single-use plastic and said the fight against plastic menace did not require big actions, but only minor behavioural changes and adoption of 'Green Good Behaviour'.
Addressing a curtain raiser ahead of WED to be celebrated from June 1 to 5 in Delhi and across the country, the Minister said, 'Beat Plastic Pollution' will be the theme of this year's event which would drive world-wide efforts to discourage use of hazardous plastic.
Highlighting the menace posed by plastic, Harsh Vardhan said that 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day in the country, with 40 per cent of plastic waste being uncollected and 60 million tonnes of solid waste is generated in one year.
"Plastic bottle takes between 450-1000 years to decompose," the minister added.
Following the adage that 'Charity begins from home', the Ministry has taken initiatives to make the Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, headquarters of the Environment Ministry a plastic-free zone. The Ministry has also banned plastics in all protected areas around the country, thus declaring them "plastic free zones".
The minister stated that it is the collective responsibility to do our duty and protect the rights of children of future generations, while adding that the celebrations are not a one-day activity, but a continuous process. He also emphasised that as part of WED celebrations, schools that become plastic-free will be awarded and issued certificates of being 'Green Schools'.