India bans disposable plastic in its capital

Delhi takes a step forward towards fighting plastic pollution

Delhi takes a step forward towards fighting plastic pollution

Since January 1st, 2017 the use of all disposable plastics in the whole National Capital Territory (NCT) area of Delhi is prohibited. The law was voted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last December and it applies to single-use plastic items such as produce bags, cutlery and cups.

The decision came partly as a reaction to the Sukhdev Vihar Residents Welfare Association’s demand for the closure of three local dumping sites – Okhla, Gazipur, and Bhalswa – that operate as waste-to-energy plants. They accused the plants of using illegal mass burning technology that creates air pollution. The plants have been ordered to comply with the law and will be fined US $7,300 per subsequent pollution incident. According to NGT, “each of these sites is a depiction of the mess that can be created for environment and health of people of Delhi.” The government has also been asked to include a condition in all tenders for construction work that they will use the waste materials released by the plants for road construction.

This ban is great news for the environment and has the potential to make a big difference, as India is the second most populated country and one of the top plastic polluters in the world, together with four other Asian nations. They are responsible for an estimated 60% of the 8.8 million tons of plastic that end up to the world’s oceans each year. However, the government still has to convince the city’s residents for the benefits of the decision and educate them accordingly, as there are many wishing there had been more time to get used to the idea of such a ban.

Source: Independent

A sign in front of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India

Photo credits: Adam Jones/ Flickr