An alarming increase in water and soil pollution due to unlimited use of plastic An alarming increase in water and soil pollution due to unlimited use of plastic

Increasing construction, clearing of forest for projects, increasing use of AC, on one hand is causing damage to nature while on the other hand unlimited use of plastic is increasing water and soil pollution as 1200 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in the state every day.

So how to destroy the plastic waste is a big challenge before the local municipal administration of the state. Lately, the state has to face crisis like unseasonal rains, hailstorms, heatwaves in summers, Mahapuras as the balance of the environment is getting worse.

According to the revised plastic waste management rules issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in August 2021, the use of single-use plastic items has been banned. It also includes decorative plastic and thermocol.

Also, plastic carry bags, glasses, knives, spoons, knives, less than 100 micron thickness plastic or PVC are bound on the banner but these items are used indiscriminately everywhere. According to this notification, production, use, transportation, distribution, wholesale and retail sale and storage of plastic items are prohibited. Yet these things are openly used by citizens.

According to the information provided by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, plastic is one of the major and troublesome components of the solid waste generated every day. Typically, household solid waste contains approximately 5 to 6 percent plastic. Around 23 thousand tonnes of waste is generated every day in various major cities in the state out of which 1 thousand 200 tonnes is plastic waste.

Adverse effect on animal health
Plastics do not decompose and dumping such types of plastic on land causes water pollution and soil pollution. Also animals and fish eat this plastic waste. So their health is adversely affected. The call to avoid the use of plastic has been made by the environment department.