Saving Brahmaputra
Brahmaputra River in Assam:
Measuring nearly 4000 kilometers (3,848) in length, the mighty Brahmaputra river originates in Tibet and flows throw three countries, are of major source of water in east and north-east India, and culminates in Bangladesh. In Assam, it flows for a length of 640 kilometers, the largest among India’s states. With the increase in urbanisation and industrialisation in the state, Brahmaputra has joined the long list of rivers in India which faces the threat of pollution from industrial and domestic sources.
1. High Urbanisation Becoming Brahmaputra’s Bane: Urban population growth in Assam has been rapid, and the increase has had its toll on urban areas, and adverse effect on the river Brahmaputra. Between 1951 and 2011, the number of urban centres with population of over 1 lakh increased from 12 to 214 in Assam, as per statistics from the Ministry of Urban Development. In the three cities of Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Tezpur through which the river flows, population has increased at an average annual rate of 20 per cent, resulting in more constructions, increase in water consumption and higher generation of waste. Even in rural Assam, as per census 2011, 59.4 per cent of the state’s 63 lakh households were dependent on water from the river, putting a huge strain on it. As urbanisation increased in the state’s three major cities, waste generation also increased highly. Usage of river water increased due to increasing urbanisation and so did waste disposal, putting dual pressure on the river.
The three main cities of Assam through which the river flows have grown tremendously in the last four or five decades, and the impact has been felt directly by the Brahmaputra. This has resulted in a lot of land on the river banks being bought or encroached upon, sewage systems from these homes directly dumping their waste into the river, as well as people disposing of solid waste in the river. The river water quality has since deteriorated.
The example of Dibrugarh, which generates a significant amount of 75 to 80 metric tons of garbage every day, shows how urbanisation has taken a toll on the Brahmaputra. The Municipal Corporation of Dibrugarh, in the absence of a modern scientific landfill dumps its daily waste in an area called Maizan, a few meters away from the river’s bank. In monsoons, garbage from the landfill often flows into the river, polluting its water. In 2014, the Assam Pollution Control Board found out that nearly 700 households in Guwahati alone had drainage lines directly connected to the river, which carried sewage from the households to the river without any treatment. Continuous disposal of untreated sewage has rendered many parts of the Brahmaputra contaminated.
2. Oil Pollution’s Effects on the River: Oil is one of Assam’s primary economic assets. The state produces more than 4,500 metric tons of crude oil every year from its 100 oilfields. Oil spills are common, and over the last 10 years, more than 200 incidents of small to moderate to major oil spills have been reported in the state. Oil processing factories situated near the river banks pose major threat to the river and the state’s pollution control board documents more than 40 incidents of oil spillage from these factories in 2014-15. Oil does not dissolve in water and blocks oxygen, suffocating aquatic life in the process. Oil pollution also significantly polluted groundwater, which seeps into nearby rivers and in Assam’s case; Brahmaputra is the primary victim of such pollution. After waste, oil is Brahmaputra’s worst enemy. Instances of oil spills in the river have increased in the past 10-15 years. Check should be there to check oil spills. State government should bring in a strict law to deal with industries or factories from which oil spills directly into the river.
3. Guwahati: The Prime Culprit: Guwahati’s role in Brahmaputra’s pollution is undeniable and the city has been a constant source of all sorts of pollution, causing the river significant harm. A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study in 2012 found out that the faecal coliform bacteria level in the river water in Guwahati was 3,000 more probable numbers (MPN) per 100 milliliters, much more than the 2,500 that is the usual norm. The bacteriological oxygen demand (BOD) in Brahmaputra in Guwahati was worse than any tributaries. With 400 MPN per 100 ml was worse than Haridwar’s 268 per 100 ml in one of the most polluted areas of the river Ganga. Despite being Assam’s primary economic hub, Guwahati lacks a single stated-owned sewage treatment plant (STP), making matters worse for the river. River cleanup activities, though conducted under the Guwahati civic body’s watch can do little to have any effect on the river as the amount of pollution is unmatchable.
The lack of government owned sewage treatment plants where the sewage can be directed has hurt the river badly. With the increase in population and number of houses, the amount of sewage generated has also increased. The few plants owned by oil corporations and the Forest Ministry are not capable of treating the whole city’s sewage. Sewage treatment plants needs to be setup within the city vicinity so that the sewage can be treated before being disposed into the river.
It’s disgusting. Action must be taken by the government against those who continue to treat the waterways and ocean as dumpsters. Natural/environmental flow of the river has suffered extreme damage because of human interference. The flow which is the acceptable flow regime that is required to maintain a river in the desired environmental state has been lost in the Brahmaputra. Discharge of wastes from cities into it should be stopped. Continuous Inflow of Toxic Wastewater Has Made The river No Better Than A Drain, Say Expert. The continuous inflow of untreated wastewater in the river including the untreated sewage and toxic wastes from industries as well as agriculture runoff is worsening the water quality of the river. It is no less than a dump yard for domestic and industrial effluents which have not only contaminated the river but also the groundwater of nearby regions. Considering the increasing footprints of urbanisation on the river, there is an urgent need of enforcing the existing laws including the waste management acts, in a firmer manner. State Government must stop untreated sewage that seeps into the river. With correct sewage management, the faecal pollution levels could greatly reduce for which the sewage must be treated a few kilometers away from the river and not just near it which will be helpful in keeping clean the groundwater of that area as well.
4. Breathing Life into The River: For Brahmaputra to recover from its state of crisis, the primary requirements are STPs across the three major cities so that flow of direct sewage into the river is checked. While oil spills are an equal threat, the 2006 incident of an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) owned refinery being slapped with a legal notice by the state Pollution Control Board shows that there are legal recourses that can be taken to tackle with the problem of oil pollution. Around 20 refineries are presently installing effluent treatment systems, which show that the oil pollution problem can be tackled, if taken seriously. Installation of STPs however is a costly affair, and has the additional problems of identifying and allotting land. There is yet to be any update from the Assam government on setting up state owned STPs exclusively for treating sewage flowing into the Brahmaputra. The priority for the government of Assam should be to install STPs and keep a regular check on oil refineries. Local bodies have an equally important part to play with reducing waste generation and revamping existing landfills in a scientific manner. The principal source of water in Assam should not be subjected to pollution and neglect because doing so will further push the already ailing Brahmaputra towards decay. The entire country is grappling with the problem of huge buildup of waste and its hazardous impact on the environment, and the situation calls for smart handling of waste, including processing and recycling as per the latest technology.
Periodically checks and action against all defaulting bodies for improper management and treatment of sewage and lack of mechanism to recycle waste should be implemented & levied. Checks should there for all hotels, hospitals which have more than 100 beds, cooperative group housing societies with over 100 flats, markets, shopping malls with built up area of over 10,000 sq. mts, colleges having hostel accommodating more than 100 students in Assam. Maximum possible fines and penalties should be imposed for failing to not complying with the solid waste management rules. State Govt. should install sewage treatment plants (STPs) and anti-pollution devices and should ensure that STPs function properly on a regular basis.
5. Danger with Plastics: - According to a research it is expected that this year the world will consume 5 trillion plastic bags – that is about 1 million bags a minute! To put this fact in perspective, if all the plastic bags consumed are stacked up it would cover an area twice the size of France. Plastic bags take a huge toll on our planet. It is non-biodegradable chokes rivers, oceans, clogs drains, causes floods, pollutes land, soil, water and air. It is observed that plastic carry bags are non-biodegradable, produce toxic gases on burning, causes choking of sewers and drains, reduce soil fertility and pose threat to life of cattle eating plastic waste along with their feed. Out of the ten rivers that drain over 90% of the total plastic debris into the sea globally, there are three flowing through India – the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. While the Indus carries the second highest amount of mismanaged plastic debris to the sea, both Brahmaputra and Ganga together carry the sixth highest. These plastic wastes originate not only from cities but also from villages along these riverine systems. Floating polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, plastic bags and even toys have become a part of the marine environment in recent times. Pitiful photographs of such plastic debris washed ashore on remote shorelines have frequently made headlines. Many beaches around the world are rimmed with mounds of plastic waste. Most of this plastic pollution is attributed to an increase in tourism, shipping and fishing activities. But according to a recent study, a considerable portion of plastic garbage afloat in the open waters originates on land, and is drained into the seas by rivers. Christian Schmidt and Stephan Wagner of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany estimate that 57 of world’s rivers ferry between 0.4 and 40 lakh tones of plastic waste down to the open oceans every year. Just ten of these rivers are responsible for nearly ninety percent of the plastic debris drained into the oceans. Three flow through India: the Indus, the Ganga and Brahmaputra. The study also finds that a combination of large rivers and huge populations along their banks are together responsible for unusually high amounts of untreated plastic waste going into the oceans. “Any action to reduce plastic in these rivers would be highly effective to reduce the total riverine inputs into the oceans,” says Schmidt, the lead author of the study. The study estimates anywhere between 4.7 tones/year and 10 million tones/year of mismanaged plastic waste is generated in individual river catchments around the world. While Yangtze river in China carries the most amount of micro plastic load, the San Gabriel that flows through Los Angeles carries the highest load of macro plastic. Three rivers carrying the most plastic flow through India. Out of the ten rivers that drain over 90% of the total plastic debris into the sea globally, there are three flowing through India – the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. While the Indus carries the second highest amount of mismanaged plastic debris to the sea, both Brahmaputra and Ganga together carry the sixth highest. According to estimates computed in 2016 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), 25,000 tons of plastic are generated every day in the country. Out of this, only 9,000 tones is recycled, the remaining is not even collected for processing. To address this situation, in 2016, Plastic Waste Management Rules were introduced by the MoEF&CC. The rules put the responsibility squarely on the manufacturers of plastic both to manage the waste system as well as to buy back the plastic waste generated. But according to Chitra Mukherjee, Operations Head at Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, “the waste management rules are very good, but the implementation is lacking.” Mukherjee thinks manufacturers should look to make non-toxic alternatives to plastic as stipulated in the Waste Management Rules. Instead, she reckons, “we are recycling waste that was toxic in the first place and putting back materials that are equally toxic, like oxo-biodegradable plastic bags.” These bags shed into smaller pieces overtime and have been known to cause death in aquatic life. PET bottles, polythene bags and food sachets are not the most difficult ones to recycle. “The most difficult to recycle, like shopping bags and industrial packaging material, are the ones responsible for choking rivers, lakes, or landfills,” says Mukherjee. Everyday items made of plastics are not only ubiquitous in cities but have also become commonplace in villages. Siddharth Agarwal of Veditum Foundation has walked the length of Ganga from Gangasagar to Gangotri documenting plastic pollution along the river. Speaking to grocery store owners and villagers, he found plastic has replaced materials like earthenware and tin due to its convenience and durability. Agarwal encountered plastic all along the river, in agricultural fields and in clogged drains, except for the stretch between Kanpur and Haridwar. He documented gutka packets, sachets of everyday consumables and discarded plastic from community events as the most polluting sources in the villages.
A young whale that washed up in the Philippines had died from “gastric shock” after eating 40 kilogram of plastic bags, the media reported on Monday. Marine biologists and volunteers from the D’Bone Collector Museum in Davao city, Mindanao, were shocked to discover the brutal cause of death of the young Cuvier beaked whale, which washed ashore, the Guardian reported. In a statement on its Facebook page , museum officials said they uncovered “40 kilos of plastic bags, including 16 rice sacks, four banana plantation style bags and multiple shopping bags” in the whale’s stomach after conducting an autopsy.
At the United Nations Environment Assembly organised in Nairobi, Kenya, in early December 2017, India along with 193 other nations signed a resolution to reduce marine plastic waste but stopped short of adhering to specific targets in reduction. The UN hopes countries keep their promises otherwise it fears there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.
No person including a shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker or a vegetable vendor shall store, sell, distribute or use plastic carry bags for storing or dispensing edible or non-edible goods within the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporations and Councils and Nagar Panchayats. Under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, a person found using a plastic carry bag should face imprisonment that may extend up to five years or a fine that may extend up to one lakh, will be imposed or both.
The biggest nature treasure, fresh water, critically important for the survival of all living beings. Greatest nature’s gift, constant replenish this by nature’s own cycle, thus we should never be short of water unless humans interfere nature’s own system, causing climate change.
With this letter we would like to request Government of India, Government of Assam to take all the necessary effective actions so that our future generations can lead a better life on the Earth.
From,
Asha Kanta Sharma
made_ash@yahoo.co.in
ashakantasharma@yahoo.com
ashakantasharma@gmail.com
ashakantasharma@zoho.com
Citations:
1. Schmidt, C., Krauth, T., & Wagner, S. (2017). Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea. Environmental Science & Technology 51 (21), 12246-12253. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02368
2.https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/once-assams-lifeline-the-brahmaputra-river-today-is-struggling-with-oil-pollution-and-waste-disposal-which-are-gradually-rendering-it-lifeless-12018/
3.https://india.mongabay.com/2018/01/indus-brahmaputra-and-ganga-among-the-top-10-plastic-waste-carrying-rivers/ more
Measuring nearly 4000 kilometers (3,848) in length, the mighty Brahmaputra river originates in Tibet and flows throw three countries, are of major source of water in east and north-east India, and culminates in Bangladesh. In Assam, it flows for a length of 640 kilometers, the largest among India’s states. With the increase in urbanisation and industrialisation in the state, Brahmaputra has joined the long list of rivers in India which faces the threat of pollution from industrial and domestic sources.
1. High Urbanisation Becoming Brahmaputra’s Bane: Urban population growth in Assam has been rapid, and the increase has had its toll on urban areas, and adverse effect on the river Brahmaputra. Between 1951 and 2011, the number of urban centres with population of over 1 lakh increased from 12 to 214 in Assam, as per statistics from the Ministry of Urban Development. In the three cities of Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Tezpur through which the river flows, population has increased at an average annual rate of 20 per cent, resulting in more constructions, increase in water consumption and higher generation of waste. Even in rural Assam, as per census 2011, 59.4 per cent of the state’s 63 lakh households were dependent on water from the river, putting a huge strain on it. As urbanisation increased in the state’s three major cities, waste generation also increased highly. Usage of river water increased due to increasing urbanisation and so did waste disposal, putting dual pressure on the river.
The three main cities of Assam through which the river flows have grown tremendously in the last four or five decades, and the impact has been felt directly by the Brahmaputra. This has resulted in a lot of land on the river banks being bought or encroached upon, sewage systems from these homes directly dumping their waste into the river, as well as people disposing of solid waste in the river. The river water quality has since deteriorated.
The example of Dibrugarh, which generates a significant amount of 75 to 80 metric tons of garbage every day, shows how urbanisation has taken a toll on the Brahmaputra. The Municipal Corporation of Dibrugarh, in the absence of a modern scientific landfill dumps its daily waste in an area called Maizan, a few meters away from the river’s bank. In monsoons, garbage from the landfill often flows into the river, polluting its water. In 2014, the Assam Pollution Control Board found out that nearly 700 households in Guwahati alone had drainage lines directly connected to the river, which carried sewage from the households to the river without any treatment. Continuous disposal of untreated sewage has rendered many parts of the Brahmaputra contaminated.
2. Oil Pollution’s Effects on the River: Oil is one of Assam’s primary economic assets. The state produces more than 4,500 metric tons of crude oil every year from its 100 oilfields. Oil spills are common, and over the last 10 years, more than 200 incidents of small to moderate to major oil spills have been reported in the state. Oil processing factories situated near the river banks pose major threat to the river and the state’s pollution control board documents more than 40 incidents of oil spillage from these factories in 2014-15. Oil does not dissolve in water and blocks oxygen, suffocating aquatic life in the process. Oil pollution also significantly polluted groundwater, which seeps into nearby rivers and in Assam’s case; Brahmaputra is the primary victim of such pollution. After waste, oil is Brahmaputra’s worst enemy. Instances of oil spills in the river have increased in the past 10-15 years. Check should be there to check oil spills. State government should bring in a strict law to deal with industries or factories from which oil spills directly into the river.
3. Guwahati: The Prime Culprit: Guwahati’s role in Brahmaputra’s pollution is undeniable and the city has been a constant source of all sorts of pollution, causing the river significant harm. A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study in 2012 found out that the faecal coliform bacteria level in the river water in Guwahati was 3,000 more probable numbers (MPN) per 100 milliliters, much more than the 2,500 that is the usual norm. The bacteriological oxygen demand (BOD) in Brahmaputra in Guwahati was worse than any tributaries. With 400 MPN per 100 ml was worse than Haridwar’s 268 per 100 ml in one of the most polluted areas of the river Ganga. Despite being Assam’s primary economic hub, Guwahati lacks a single stated-owned sewage treatment plant (STP), making matters worse for the river. River cleanup activities, though conducted under the Guwahati civic body’s watch can do little to have any effect on the river as the amount of pollution is unmatchable.
The lack of government owned sewage treatment plants where the sewage can be directed has hurt the river badly. With the increase in population and number of houses, the amount of sewage generated has also increased. The few plants owned by oil corporations and the Forest Ministry are not capable of treating the whole city’s sewage. Sewage treatment plants needs to be setup within the city vicinity so that the sewage can be treated before being disposed into the river.
It’s disgusting. Action must be taken by the government against those who continue to treat the waterways and ocean as dumpsters. Natural/environmental flow of the river has suffered extreme damage because of human interference. The flow which is the acceptable flow regime that is required to maintain a river in the desired environmental state has been lost in the Brahmaputra. Discharge of wastes from cities into it should be stopped. Continuous Inflow of Toxic Wastewater Has Made The river No Better Than A Drain, Say Expert. The continuous inflow of untreated wastewater in the river including the untreated sewage and toxic wastes from industries as well as agriculture runoff is worsening the water quality of the river. It is no less than a dump yard for domestic and industrial effluents which have not only contaminated the river but also the groundwater of nearby regions. Considering the increasing footprints of urbanisation on the river, there is an urgent need of enforcing the existing laws including the waste management acts, in a firmer manner. State Government must stop untreated sewage that seeps into the river. With correct sewage management, the faecal pollution levels could greatly reduce for which the sewage must be treated a few kilometers away from the river and not just near it which will be helpful in keeping clean the groundwater of that area as well.
4. Breathing Life into The River: For Brahmaputra to recover from its state of crisis, the primary requirements are STPs across the three major cities so that flow of direct sewage into the river is checked. While oil spills are an equal threat, the 2006 incident of an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) owned refinery being slapped with a legal notice by the state Pollution Control Board shows that there are legal recourses that can be taken to tackle with the problem of oil pollution. Around 20 refineries are presently installing effluent treatment systems, which show that the oil pollution problem can be tackled, if taken seriously. Installation of STPs however is a costly affair, and has the additional problems of identifying and allotting land. There is yet to be any update from the Assam government on setting up state owned STPs exclusively for treating sewage flowing into the Brahmaputra. The priority for the government of Assam should be to install STPs and keep a regular check on oil refineries. Local bodies have an equally important part to play with reducing waste generation and revamping existing landfills in a scientific manner. The principal source of water in Assam should not be subjected to pollution and neglect because doing so will further push the already ailing Brahmaputra towards decay. The entire country is grappling with the problem of huge buildup of waste and its hazardous impact on the environment, and the situation calls for smart handling of waste, including processing and recycling as per the latest technology.
Periodically checks and action against all defaulting bodies for improper management and treatment of sewage and lack of mechanism to recycle waste should be implemented & levied. Checks should there for all hotels, hospitals which have more than 100 beds, cooperative group housing societies with over 100 flats, markets, shopping malls with built up area of over 10,000 sq. mts, colleges having hostel accommodating more than 100 students in Assam. Maximum possible fines and penalties should be imposed for failing to not complying with the solid waste management rules. State Govt. should install sewage treatment plants (STPs) and anti-pollution devices and should ensure that STPs function properly on a regular basis.
5. Danger with Plastics: - According to a research it is expected that this year the world will consume 5 trillion plastic bags – that is about 1 million bags a minute! To put this fact in perspective, if all the plastic bags consumed are stacked up it would cover an area twice the size of France. Plastic bags take a huge toll on our planet. It is non-biodegradable chokes rivers, oceans, clogs drains, causes floods, pollutes land, soil, water and air. It is observed that plastic carry bags are non-biodegradable, produce toxic gases on burning, causes choking of sewers and drains, reduce soil fertility and pose threat to life of cattle eating plastic waste along with their feed. Out of the ten rivers that drain over 90% of the total plastic debris into the sea globally, there are three flowing through India – the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. While the Indus carries the second highest amount of mismanaged plastic debris to the sea, both Brahmaputra and Ganga together carry the sixth highest. These plastic wastes originate not only from cities but also from villages along these riverine systems. Floating polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, plastic bags and even toys have become a part of the marine environment in recent times. Pitiful photographs of such plastic debris washed ashore on remote shorelines have frequently made headlines. Many beaches around the world are rimmed with mounds of plastic waste. Most of this plastic pollution is attributed to an increase in tourism, shipping and fishing activities. But according to a recent study, a considerable portion of plastic garbage afloat in the open waters originates on land, and is drained into the seas by rivers. Christian Schmidt and Stephan Wagner of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany estimate that 57 of world’s rivers ferry between 0.4 and 40 lakh tones of plastic waste down to the open oceans every year. Just ten of these rivers are responsible for nearly ninety percent of the plastic debris drained into the oceans. Three flow through India: the Indus, the Ganga and Brahmaputra. The study also finds that a combination of large rivers and huge populations along their banks are together responsible for unusually high amounts of untreated plastic waste going into the oceans. “Any action to reduce plastic in these rivers would be highly effective to reduce the total riverine inputs into the oceans,” says Schmidt, the lead author of the study. The study estimates anywhere between 4.7 tones/year and 10 million tones/year of mismanaged plastic waste is generated in individual river catchments around the world. While Yangtze river in China carries the most amount of micro plastic load, the San Gabriel that flows through Los Angeles carries the highest load of macro plastic. Three rivers carrying the most plastic flow through India. Out of the ten rivers that drain over 90% of the total plastic debris into the sea globally, there are three flowing through India – the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. While the Indus carries the second highest amount of mismanaged plastic debris to the sea, both Brahmaputra and Ganga together carry the sixth highest. According to estimates computed in 2016 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), 25,000 tons of plastic are generated every day in the country. Out of this, only 9,000 tones is recycled, the remaining is not even collected for processing. To address this situation, in 2016, Plastic Waste Management Rules were introduced by the MoEF&CC. The rules put the responsibility squarely on the manufacturers of plastic both to manage the waste system as well as to buy back the plastic waste generated. But according to Chitra Mukherjee, Operations Head at Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, “the waste management rules are very good, but the implementation is lacking.” Mukherjee thinks manufacturers should look to make non-toxic alternatives to plastic as stipulated in the Waste Management Rules. Instead, she reckons, “we are recycling waste that was toxic in the first place and putting back materials that are equally toxic, like oxo-biodegradable plastic bags.” These bags shed into smaller pieces overtime and have been known to cause death in aquatic life. PET bottles, polythene bags and food sachets are not the most difficult ones to recycle. “The most difficult to recycle, like shopping bags and industrial packaging material, are the ones responsible for choking rivers, lakes, or landfills,” says Mukherjee. Everyday items made of plastics are not only ubiquitous in cities but have also become commonplace in villages. Siddharth Agarwal of Veditum Foundation has walked the length of Ganga from Gangasagar to Gangotri documenting plastic pollution along the river. Speaking to grocery store owners and villagers, he found plastic has replaced materials like earthenware and tin due to its convenience and durability. Agarwal encountered plastic all along the river, in agricultural fields and in clogged drains, except for the stretch between Kanpur and Haridwar. He documented gutka packets, sachets of everyday consumables and discarded plastic from community events as the most polluting sources in the villages.
A young whale that washed up in the Philippines had died from “gastric shock” after eating 40 kilogram of plastic bags, the media reported on Monday. Marine biologists and volunteers from the D’Bone Collector Museum in Davao city, Mindanao, were shocked to discover the brutal cause of death of the young Cuvier beaked whale, which washed ashore, the Guardian reported. In a statement on its Facebook page , museum officials said they uncovered “40 kilos of plastic bags, including 16 rice sacks, four banana plantation style bags and multiple shopping bags” in the whale’s stomach after conducting an autopsy.
At the United Nations Environment Assembly organised in Nairobi, Kenya, in early December 2017, India along with 193 other nations signed a resolution to reduce marine plastic waste but stopped short of adhering to specific targets in reduction. The UN hopes countries keep their promises otherwise it fears there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.
No person including a shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker or a vegetable vendor shall store, sell, distribute or use plastic carry bags for storing or dispensing edible or non-edible goods within the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporations and Councils and Nagar Panchayats. Under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, a person found using a plastic carry bag should face imprisonment that may extend up to five years or a fine that may extend up to one lakh, will be imposed or both.
The biggest nature treasure, fresh water, critically important for the survival of all living beings. Greatest nature’s gift, constant replenish this by nature’s own cycle, thus we should never be short of water unless humans interfere nature’s own system, causing climate change.
With this letter we would like to request Government of India, Government of Assam to take all the necessary effective actions so that our future generations can lead a better life on the Earth.
From,
Asha Kanta Sharma
made_ash@yahoo.co.in
ashakantasharma@yahoo.com
ashakantasharma@gmail.com
ashakantasharma@zoho.com
Citations:
1. Schmidt, C., Krauth, T., & Wagner, S. (2017). Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea. Environmental Science & Technology 51 (21), 12246-12253. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02368
2.https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/once-assams-lifeline-the-brahmaputra-river-today-is-struggling-with-oil-pollution-and-waste-disposal-which-are-gradually-rendering-it-lifeless-12018/
3.https://india.mongabay.com/2018/01/indus-brahmaputra-and-ganga-among-the-top-10-plastic-waste-carrying-rivers/ more
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