Editorial : 27-06-2018 : Reduce, segregate: On plastic ban

We need substitutes(आदेश/विकल्प) for plastic, incentives(प्रलोभन/उत्तेजना` ) to re-use, and better waste disposal

Maharashtra’s ban on several consumer articles made of plastic, introduced after a three-month notice period to

industry and users, is an extreme(चरम /अत्यन्त) measure(उपाय/मात्रा) . It is naturally disruptive(हानिकारक/तबाह करनेवाला), and Mumbai, famed(प्रसिद्ध) for its resilience(लचीलापन) in the face of urban challenges, is trying to adapt(अनुकूलन/अनुरूप होना) quickly. Today, stemming(प्रतिबंध करना/उत्पन्न होना) the plastic tide is a national imperative(आदेशात्मक/अनिवार्य) . India hosted this year’s World Environment Day and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a high-profile pledge(संकल्प/प्रतिज्ञा), to international acclaim(स्वागत करना/वाह-वाह करना), that it would do away with all single-use plastics by 2022. This goal is not yet backed by an action plan so that State governments and local bodies can be in sync. Worldwide, the problem has got out of hand, with only 9% of about nine billion tonnes of plastic produced getting(प्राप्त करना/पाना) recycled(पुनर्नवीनीकरण). India has an uninspiring record when it comes to handling waste. It has patchy data on volumes, and even less on what it recycles. This lackadaisical(भावुक/नाजुक) approach is at odds with its ambitious(महत्त्वाकांक्षी/उमंगी) goals. Quite simply, if the Centre and the States had got down to dealing with the existing(मौजूदा/वर्तमान) regulations on plastic waste management and municipal solid waste, a ban would not even have become necessary. Specifications(विशेष वर्णन) for the recycling of different types of plastics were issued two decades(दशकों/दशाब्दी) ago by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

To address the global concern that the bulk of India’s plastic waste — estimated(अनुमानित/अंकित मूल्य का)officially at 26,000 tonnes a day — is being dumped in the oceans, there has to be an effort(प्रयास है/श्रम) on a war footing to segregate(अलग करना) it at source. The Urban Development Secretary in each State, who heads the monitoring(निगरानी) committee(समिति ) under the rules, should be mandated(अनिवार्य) to produce a monthly report on how much plastic waste is collected, including details of the types of chemicals involved, and the disposal methods. Such compulsory disclosure(भेद खोलना/उद्घाटन) norms will maintain public pressure on the authorities, including(समेत/सहित) the State Pollution Control Boards. But segregation at source has not taken off, as there is little awareness, (जागरूकता) official support or infrastructure. Even bulk generators such as shopping malls, hotels and offices do not abide (पालन करना)by the law. Priority(प्राथमिकता/प्रधानता) , therefore, should be given to stop the generation of mixed waste, which prevents(प्रतिबंध करना/स्र्कावट डालना) recovery of plastics. Companies covered by extended producer responsibility provisions(प्रावधानों) must be required to take back their waste. In parallel(समानांतर),incentives to reduce(को कम) the use of plastic carry bags, single-use cups, plates and cutlery must be in place. Retailers must be required(अपेक्षित) to switch to paper bags. Potentially(संभावित), carry bag production using cloth can create more jobs than machines using plastic pellets. What needs to be underscored(जांचना/बल देना) is that plastics became popular because they are inexpensive(सस्ती) ,, can be easily produced and offer great convenience(सुविधा). But, as the UN Environment Programme notes, their wild popularity has turned them into a scourge. Consumers will be ready to make the switch, but they need good alternatives(विकल्प.)

Important Vocabulary

1.Substitutes(आदेश/विकल्प)
Synonyms: backup, replacement, stand-in, surrogate, agent
Antonyms: being, entity, permanent

2.Incentives(प्रलोभन/उत्तेजना` )
Synonyms: encouragement, enticement, impetus, motivation, reason
Antonyms: discouragement, hindrance, deterrent, dislike, prevention

3.Resilience(लचीलापन)
Synonyms: flexibility, pliancy, recoil, snap

4.Imperative(आदेशात्मक/अनिवार्य)
Synonyms: compulsory, critical, crucial, essential, immediate
Antonyms: inessential, insignificant, nonessential, optional, trivial

5.Pledge(संकल्प/प्रतिज्ञा)
Synonyms: agreement, assurance, guarantee, oath, promise
Antonyms: breach, break

6.Lackadaisical(भावुक/नाजुक)
Synonyms: apathetic, halfhearted, laid-back, lazy, lethargic
Antonyms: active, energetic, interested, lively, careful

7.Segregate(अलग करना)
Synonyms: disconnect,, divide, insulate, isolate, sequester
Antonyms: attach, connect, couple, join, link

8.Priority(प्राथमिकता/प्रधानता)
Synonyms: arrangement, preference, antecedence, lead, order
Antonyms: inferiority, last, subservience, unimportance

9.Abide (पालन करना)
Synonyms: accept, stand for, tolerate, acknowledge, bear
Antonyms: disallow, avoid, contradict, disagree
discontinue

10.Awareness, (जागरूकता)
Synonyms: alertness, appreciation, attention, consciousness, experience
Antonyms: disregard, ignorance, neglect, misunderstanding, unfamiliarity

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