- Title: India plastic ban brings cheer to many, despair to some
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 2019) (REUTERS) GARBAGE DUMPING AREA VEHICLES MOVING ON THE FLYOVERS AMID HEAT HAZE/ LANDFILL WOMAN SITTING AMIDST GARBAGE DUMP/ WILD BOAR WALKING ON LANDFILL WOMEN SITTING IN GARBAGE DUMP AND SORTING THE GARBAGE VEHICLES MOVING ON ROAD SIGNBOARD READING (English and Hindi): 'BAWANA INDUSTRIAL AREA' LABOURERS SITTING IN A TRUCK MAN WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS OF A PLASTIC FACTORY INTERIOR OF A PLASTIC FACTORY DISPOSABLE PLASTIC CUPS LINED UP ON A MACHINE BUNDLE OF RAW PLASTIC DISPOSABLE PLASTIC CUPS DISPOSABLE PLASTIC CUPS IN THE MACHINE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) A LABOURER, WORKING IN A DISPOSABLE PLASTIC CUPS MAKING FACTORY, BIJENDRA SINGH, SAYING: "We are in a lot of trouble. Ever since I heard (Prime Minister's announcement), I am disturbed, thinking what will I do now? I have already lived more than half my life... Now what will I do in the future? I still hope that the government might make some sort of an announcement to restart the factories and I come to the factory every day with this hope. There is no work for one month. I have to pay for the school fees of my children and other expenses of my family and it is a serious trouble for us." ANOTHER GARBAGE DUMPING AREA CLOSE OF GARBAGE PLASTIC WRAPPERS AND BAGS IN THE GARBAGE RAGPICKER WALKING IN THE DUMPING AREA AMID THE HEAT HAZE HANDS OF RAGPICKERS SORTING THE GARBAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROGRAMME MANAGER, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE, CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT, SWATI SINGH SAMBYAL, SAYING: "The biggest issue presently is that the waste management is not sorted. We are hardly able to get segregated wet and dry waste. It's only if you get very clean streams that you can send them for recycling. Even on the industrial front, we don't know if there are alternatives to multi-layered packaging worldwide...they should be given ideally some time for transition. So, a ban ideally, is not basically a solution in its entreaty." MEMBERS OF NARELA INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX WELFARE ASSOCIATION (PLASTIC MANUFACTURING FACTORY OWNERS), HOLDING DISCUSSIONS BOARD READING (English): 'NARELA INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX WELFARE ASSOCIATION' HANDS OF A MAN (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MEMBER OF A PLASTIC MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION IN NEW DELHI, SUNIL JAIN, SAYING: "There is already so much of unemployment under this government. Now what does the government want? People have taken loans from the bank and have set-up the factories with machines worth crores (tens of millions). Everyone will be unemployed and there will be panic." LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 2019) (REUTERS) AN INDIAN STREET SNACK STALL HANDS OF A VENDOR POURING FLAVOURED WATER IN A PLASTIC PACKET VENDOR TYING THE PLASTIC PACKET CONTAINING THE WATER WITH A RUBBER BAND CLOSE OF VENDOR TYING THE PLASTIC PACKET CONTAINING FLAVOURED WATER WITH A RUBBER BAND DISPOSABLE PLATES, GLOVES AND A PACKETS OF PLASTIC BAGS TWO PLASTIC PACKETS CONTAINING FLAVOURED WATER EXTERIOR OF A SHOP WITH PLASTIC DISPOSABLE ITEMS DISPOSABLE PLASTIC CUPS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) LUDHIANA RESIDENT, PRAMOD KUMAR, SAYING: "The step that the Modi government has taken to improve the environmental pollution taking place due to these plastic packets is very good. We should support this (step) to stop environmental pollution." RAGPICKER SORTING OUT GARBAGE HANDS OF RAGPICKER SORTING GARBAGE VARIOUS OF RAGPICKER SORTING THE DUMP
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 07:15
- Keywords: ban garbage disposable plastic glasses raw plastic single use plastic Ludhiana New Delhi India snacks counter plastic factory
- Location: NEW DELHI, LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA
- City: NEW DELHI, LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Pollution,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYUKY87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With India set to impose a nationwide ban on several single use plastics ranging from bags, cups and straws on Wednesday (October 2), many are cheering the environment friendly move while some, quintessentially those belonging to the plastic industry, are living in the fear of loss of employment.
In an Independence Day speech on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people and government agencies to "take the first big step" on October 2 towards freeing India of single-use plastic.
However, what is being termed as India's most sweeping measure yet to stamp out single-use plastics from cities and villages that rank among the world's most polluted, has left many distressed - especially the small time plastic manufacturers and street snack sellers who say the ban would deal a death blow to their business.
"There is no work from one month. I have to pay for the school fees of my children and other expenses of my family and it is a lot of trouble for us," said Bijendra Singhk, a worker employed in a disposable plastic cup making factory.
Disposable plastic cup is one of the six items proposed to be banned.
The ban is likely to be imposed on plastic bags, cups, small bottles, straws and some types of sachets.
However, environmentalists say the government should not rush to ban before lining up the alternatives. They say managing waste and finding alternatives with environmental, social, and economic feasibility should be the first step toward curbing plastic pollution.
Globally, concerns are growing about plastic pollution, with particular focus on the oceans, where nearly 50% of single-use plastic products end up, killing marine life and entering the human food chain, studies show.
India lacks an organized system for management of plastic waste, leading to widespread littering across its towns and cities.
The ban on the first six items of single-use plastics will clip 5% to 10% from India's annual consumption of about 14 million tonnes of plastic, the first official said.
Penalties for violations of the ban will probably take effect after an initial six-month period to allow people time to adopt alternatives, officials said.
(Production: Bhushan Kumar, Pradeep Bhatia, Sunil Kataria) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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