Extreme Pollution in Himalayan States
Microplastics:
- They are created when big plastic items that are disposed of incorrectly break down and fragment.
- There has been evidence of microplastic deposition and buildup in rivers, lakes, streams, and the Himalayan ranges.
- When snowmelt releases microplastics into rivers, they can remain trapped in glaciers for extended periods of time.
The effect on the Himalayan ecology:
- In the Indian Himalayan Region, careless plastic dumping is polluting the land and water.
- It is having an effect on biodiversity.
- detrimental effect on the freshwater resources that downstream communities rely on.
- The plastic trash dilemma in the Indian Himalayan Region is a result of rapid and unplanned urbanisation as well as shifting production and consumption habits.
- The situation is getting worse because of the sudden increase in visitor numbers.
Reports:
- The Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation in Dehradun draws attention to the predicament facing Uttarakhand’s municipalities.
- Plastic has overtaken almost all of the mountain states.
- The Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, the Deputy Commissioner Lahaul and Spiti, the Panchayat of Koksar, the MEFCC, and the CPCB received notices from the National Green Tribunal.
- on the disposal of rubbish by visitors and businesses in environmentally sensitive areas.
- Rather than fish from the wetland, larger adjutant storks have been eating on the plastic garbage in the landfill at the Deepor Beel Ramsar site in Assam.
- There has been much coverage of the increasing pollution of Manipur’s rivers, especially the Nambul.
The 2018–21 Himalayan Cleanup:
- carried out by the National Productivity Council of India’s waste and brand audit, as well as the Integrated Mountain Initiative with Zero Waste Himalayas
- It demonstrates the rise of plastic garbage in the Indian Himalayan Region, particularly non-recyclables.
- 72% of waste was non-recyclable plastic, accounting for 7% of trash in the Himalayan Cleanup (2022) waste audit data.
The management of plastic trash in India:
- Plastic Overshoot Day is observed by Environment Action, a Swiss organisation.
- On January 6, 2023, India saw its plastic overshoot day.
- India has one of the highest global mismanaged waste indexes (MWI) at 98.55% (after Mozambique, Kenya, and Nigeria).
- It represents the discrepancy between plastic usage and waste management capability.
- According to a statistical analysis conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) utilising data from CPCBs, India is only recycling 12% of its plastic trash through mechanical recycling.
The legal requirement for waste management:
The regulatory structure:
- The 2016 Solid Waste Management Regulations (SWM)
- The 2016 Regulations for Plastic Waste Management (PWM)
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), effective 2022
- The SWM acknowledges the unique requirements of hilly regions; nevertheless, it does not take these into account when formulating guidelines for local organisations and producers, importers, and brand owners (PIBOs).
- PWM and EPR have failed to acknowledge the unique requirements of the hills.
- Certain State regulations in Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim prohibit the usage of plastics.
- Himachal Pradesh offers a buy-back programme for waste plastic that is single-use and non-recyclable.
- Plastic garbage littering is still a major problem.
- Sikkim boasts a reasonably strong regulatory framework and outlawed the use of packaged mineral water as of January 2022.
- The State is still battling with the problem of handling plastic garbage in the absence of adequate infrastructure.
- Mizoram has taken the lead in regulatory matters; in 2019, the Aizawl Municipal Corporation created by-laws under the PWM.
- Although the results are not yet apparent, Tripura has changed its policies, passed local bylaws, and established a task force at the state level to eradicate single-use plastic.
What actions are necessary?
- The SWM/PWM/EPR collective mandate necessitates waste segregation at the source.
- Any approach to dispose of plastic garbage in a sustainable and scientific manner must first separate the various forms of plastics.
- Local bodies are responsible for waste management under the SWM, PWM, and EPR, from collection to scientific disposal.
- As required by the EPR, they might enlist the assistance of PIBOs in order to set up and operationalize the plastic waste management system.
- Despite being the centre of the nation’s waste management system, local entities have not yet received a corresponding amount of authority devolution.
- Very few local entities have created by-laws to operationalize the mandate, and few States have passed model by-laws.
- When it comes to the Indian Himalayan Region (common in several northeastern States), traditional institutions must be included in the definition of local bodies.
- Funding for these established institutions was provided by the Fifteenth Finance Commission and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
The Way Ahead:
- The Indian Himalayan Region has to be supported and resourced appropriately, taking into account its great biodiversity, ecological sensitivity, and fragility.
- In addition to considering the unique geographic difficulties associated with garbage management in mountains.
- Immediate focus must be given to building the infrastructure required for trash management and empowering local bodies.
- Waste segregation and public participation in this effort, aided by ongoing public education programmes, are essential.
- Targets under the EPR may lose their geographic neutrality if the greater operationalization costs in the mountainous area are properly taken into account.
- For each tonne of plastic waste handled, a PIBO in the Indian Himalayan Region may get an EPR certificate worth more than one acquired elsewhere in the nation.
- It is necessary to close data gaps about the quantity and kind of garbage produced in the Indian Himalayan Region States.
- Infrastructure development, upkeep, and operations might be funded by convergence in already-existing programmes like SBM, the Finance Commission’s awards, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
- Additional funding could be obtained through the Swachh Bharat Kosh Trust, which was established to help direct charitable donations and corporate social responsibility funds to this initiative.
- Numerous cities in the Indian Himalayan Region are chosen under the Smart Cities Initiative and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
- On the issues of scientific waste management and eliminating plastic from cities in the Indian Himalayan Region, they may collaborate.
