Environmentalist raise concern about increasing plastic waste in urban areas

1
2
3
P
atna: With the state progressing on the path of economic development, rapid urbanisation, marked by population growth, has also given rise to a serious environmental concern.
While air and water pollution are nowhere to go, environmentalists, ahead of World Environment Day, observed on June 5, have raised concern about an increase in plastic waste at an alarming rate in the state.
Bihar State Pollution Control Board's former chairman Ashok Kumar Ghosh said India's per capita plastic consumption has grown to approximately 11kg per year, and this is expected to rise further with increasing industrialisation and consumerism.
This year's theme 'Beat the plastic pollution' assumes significance with environmentalists raising concern about urban areas, where the demand for single-use plastics has risen drastically, notwithstanding the govt ban on its use.
If current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic industry could account for 20% of the world's total oil consumption as according to Ghosh, more than 99% of plastics are produced from chemicals derived from oil, natural gas and coal — all non-renewable resources.
He said plastic generally degrades in about 500 to 1,000 years, though we may never know its actual degradation time, as this material has been in use only since the last century. Plastic discarded in soil or water bodies physically break to form microplastics and nanoplastics, depending on their size. They enter food chain and finally in human body, leading to many health issues, including cancer.
During its manufacture, many hazardous chemicals are emitted that can lead to several other dreadful diseases in humans as well as animals.
Ethylene oxide, xylene and benzene are some of the chemical toxins present in plastic, which can have hazardous effects on environment.
Patna University geology teacher and former chairman of State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Atul Aditya Pandey, said that the menace of plastic has now reached even to the depth of ocean basin. There are reports of microorganisms being adversely affected by the micro plastics.
"Nowadays even cow milk is found to contain microplastics. Human health is directly affected by the ever increasing use of plastics. A firm administrative control on production and distribution of plastics and mass awareness campaign can only beat the plastic pollution," he said.
Environmentalist Mehta Nagendra Singh said that India's waste management infrastructure has not evolved to handle the growing volume of plastic waste.
An estimated 77% of the waste generated in Indian cities is dumped into open landfills without being treated. Only 60% of the plastic waste generated is recycled, and this is often done inefficiently in the informal sector, he said.
To check the use of plastics, Singh suggested that people should be motivated to start using paper or cloth bags for shopping and other purposes as much as possible. Use of omnipresent plastic bottles for drinking water must be discouraged at public meetings or markets, he added.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

D-Street braces for 'risk-off' selloff

MUMBAI: Investors on the edge after an escalation in the West Asia conflict with most Dalal Street players expecting the Sensex to open lower on Monday. They also expect crude oil prices to spike, which in turn would put pressure on the rupee. On Sunday, after the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran and the latter resolved to close the Strait of Hormuz through which about 20% of the world's crude oil and natural gas pass, market players said oil prices could spike soon. On Friday, as Dalal Street investors ignored the geopolitical tensions between Iran and Israel, the sensex recorded a four-digit points gain to close at 82,408 points. And Nifty on the NSE gained 319 points to close at 25,112 points. Globally, Brent was trading at above the $77/barrel level while WTI crude was around the $75 level. Both were trading at near their four-month high levels. Despite the global headwinds, India's economic fundamentals on the other hand could act as a balancing act to those negative factors, Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund MD Nilesh Shah said. "Indian equity and rates market is like a man having average temperature with one leg in cold water and the other in hot water. Domestic factors support current valuation for long term investors expecting moderate returns. (However) global factors from (the US president Donald) Trump's policies to oil price/supply are boiling hot," he said. Shah said that investors need to keep a watch on the availability of oil as well as the price. "We have enough forex reserves to manage higher oil prices in double digits. (However) oil prices crossing triple digit or restricted supply will have an adverse impact on the market." Shah added that investors should use any market correction as an opportunity to accumulate while traders should remain on a cautious mode. The geopolitical uncertainty could also push up prices of gold as investors move to 'risk off' mode, meaning they sell risky assets like equities and move to haven assets like gold and govt bonds, market players said. A section of the market players believes that in case Iran doesn't react aggressively to the US's move to bomb its three nuclear sites, the markets may soon recover after a negative opening in Monday's early trade. One trader even pointed out that TA 35, the main stock market benchmark in Israel, was up more than 1% in Sunday's trading session, indicating investors in Israel had ignored the geopolitical tensions. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now

Business Standard

an hour ago

• Business Standard

GSI team to visit Zambia to map and explore copper blocks this week

A five-member team of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL) will visit Zambia this week to map and explore copper blocks, a top official said. This is part of India's national critical minerals mission (NCMM), which aims to extend support to Indian public and private sector companies for mapping and exploration of critical mineral assets in resource-rich countries. Critical minerals are essential for clean energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy storage systems. India heavily depends on these imports to meet its domestic needs for lithium, cobalt, and nickel. The demand for these minerals is estimated to more than double by 2030. 'A few days ago, we finalised our Zambia visit. A team of five geologists, including one from MECL, has left for Zambia for mapping and taking the exploration to the next level. The focus is on their copper at this moment, but we will see what else we can find once we are there,' GSI director general Asit Saha told Business Standard in New Delhi. 'The block size is around 9,000 square km. We will be working over a period of three years. It is a reconnaissance visit to set up logistics on ground and the area will be finalised later,' he added. The Zambian government agreed to give 9,000 square km to India for exploration of cobalt and copper, mines Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao had said at a press conference in February. India is exploring mining of critical minerals in Zambia, Congo and Australia, Rao said. It aims to secure raw materials such as lithium under the NCMM. In January, India launched the NCMM to establish a robust framework for self-reliance in the critical minerals sector. Under this mission, the GSI has been tasked with conducting 1,200 exploration projects from 2024-25 to 2030-31. However, the GSI head said that the number of exploration projects will be more than 1200. The Kolkata-headquartered GSI had said in January that it charted an extensive roadmap for the 2025-26 field season with around 1,065 scientific programmes. They include 402 mineral development projects and a 16 per cent jump in the number of critical mineral initiatives. The government approved ₹163 billion ($1.88 billion) to develop the critical minerals sector. All these started with lithium in Jammu and Kashmir. The government, in February 2023, found its first lithium deposits there with estimated reserves of 5.9 million tonnes. It failed to get any bids to auction mining rights in the state. In November 2022, India identified 30 critical minerals, including lithium, as critical for its energy transition efforts and to meet the growing demand from industries and the infrastructure sector.

Business Standard

2 hours ago

• Business Standard

Iran MPs approve Hormuz closure, US warns of oil, trade disruption

Iran's Parliament, known as the Majlis, has approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to a report by state media outlet PressTV on Sunday, 22 June 2025. The report cites senior lawmaker Esmaeil Kowsari. Kowsari, a member of the Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said lawmakers had reached an agreement to close the strait in response to US actions and the lack of an international response. Kowsari said, 'The Parliament has come to the conclusion that it should close the Hormuz Strait, but the final decision lies with the Supreme National Security Council.' The Strait of Hormuz, situated at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, is one of the world's most important trade routes, especially for oil imports. It is estimated that around 20 per cent of the global oil supply — about 17 to 18 million barrels per day — passes through the strait. It is also a major route for the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), particularly from Qatar. Reacting to Iran's decision, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the move 'economic suicide'. Speaking to Fox News, Rubio said, 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil.' Rubio further added, 'If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours.' Importantly, the strait is the only maritime route connecting the Persian Gulf to open seas. It is used by major oil-producing countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE. The media report from PressTV also warns that any interruption in the Strait of Hormuz could cause global oil prices to surge and undermine international energy security. Citing experts, the report warned that a major disruption in the strait could halt operations at multinational companies within days due to fuel shortages. India, which imports about 80 per cent of its oil, is likely to feel the impact of any disruption in the strait. The route is also critical for ships travelling to and from Indian ports. According to a report by The Hindu on 13 June, any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could lead to a 40–50 per cent rise in shipping costs and delays of up to 15–20 days.