India News | SUP Ban Progressive Step, but Street Vendors Shouldn't Be Harassed, Say Environmentalists
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Environmentalists have welcomed the ban on certain single-use plastic (SUP) items that came into force on Friday, but expressed concerns about its impact on those who are dependent on the plastic industry for their livelihood.
New Delhi, July 1 (PTI) Environmentalists have welcomed the ban on certain single-use plastic (SUP) items that came into force on Friday, but expressed concerns about its impact on those who are dependent on the plastic industry for their livelihood.
Terming the move a "progressive" step, Green activist Bhavreen Kandhari said the government and authorities will have to lead by subsidising the eco-friendly, compostable option and imposing tax on the non-compostable or non-recyclable items.
"The government must start from the manufacturers and corporates, but most importantly, local street vendors and small shopkeepers shouldn't be harassed. The onus should be on the authorities and they have to ensure that the banned products are not available in the first place or Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR) is being taken upon seriously," Bhavreen said.
Speaking about the impact of SUPs ban on small-scale industry, Greenpeace India's Avinash Chanchal said a "transition plan" is needed to support the people who are dependent on the plastic industry for their livelihood.
"While banning the manufacturing of plastic is crucial, the government should also come up with a just transition plan to support the small-scale industry and people who are dependent on the plastic industry for their livelihood," Chanchal told PTI.
He further said that solutions that can help people find alternatives to plastic must also be promoted actively.
"We have to end the business model which relies on disposable products and one-way packaging. The good thing is that our culture and tradition are so rich that we should simply go back to our roots, and embrace the solutions which we have practised for many decades. There are many eco friendly solutions for single use plastic," he said.
He noted that plastic pollution is "poisoning communities and choking the oceans" and said that more than 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated in India everyday, of which 6,000 tonnes remain uncollected and littered.
"Single-use plastic has been detrimental for the environment. It has been choking our soil, impacting wildlife and marine life. The ban on single-use plastic is a good step but it is long due. It is surprising that the imposition of ban is happening now, whereas, it should have been done much before. It will be huge step if we can actually curb the use of all kinds of plastic items," Vijay Dhasmana, an environmentalist who has actively participated in ecological restoration projects told PTI.
Lauding the ban on certain SUPs, Director of the Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Bharati Chaturvedi said the move will lead to new alternatives to plastic and that, will further lead to generate new jobs.
"The items that have been banned were listed and circulated 60 days prior for discussion long time ago and we wanted more things to be included in the list. We know that plastic pollution is a pretty big problem. This move will lead to bringing up new alternatives and that too will lead to creating new jobs," Chaturvedi told PTI, adding that the move will also help contribute in fighting climate emergency.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the city government will issue warning notices to units found violating the ban on 19 SUP items till July 10 and punitive action will be taken thereafter against repeat offenders.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)