Page 62 - Plastics News May 2019

IN THE NEWS

15-member NatGeo team to travel Kerala HC declines to interfere

up Ganga to study plastic pollution in order on plastic carry bags

n all-women team of 15 researchers and engineers will he Kerala High Court has declined to interfere with
Abe part of a National Geographic expedition that will Ta government order mandating that all plastic carry
travel up the Ganga from the Bay of Bengal to its source bags must have labelling with details such as name
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river system. The expedition will be undertaken by boat, of the material, and that no plastic carry bags below
road and rail over four months, of which two months will 40 microns be produced or marketed.The court was
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Association, Kozhikode, challenging the government
order. The association sought a directive to all local
self-government institutions to provide dustbins and
plastic carry bag collection centres in residential
areas. The court said that an interim order issued by
a Division Bench showed that a detailed directive to
prohibit dumping of waste from houses, hospitals, and
hotels in plastic carry bags or in any non-biodegradable
material had been given. The order further prohibited
disposing or dumping waste in plastic carry bags or
be in summer beginning at the end of May and two months
after the monsoon. India has positioned itself as a leader other non-biodegradable material in any public place or
in tackling plastic pollution and National Geographic wants roadside and provided for prosecution of such persons
to provide them with the tools to help continue those found dumping waste by the roadside, the court pointed
out. The order further prohibited disposing or dumping
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the expedition and senior technical advisor at Zoological waste in plastic carry bags or other non-biodegradable
Society of London. Alongwith her, Jenna Jambeck, National material in any public place or roadside and provided
Geographic Fellow and professor at University of Georgia for prosecution of such persons found dumping waste
would be leading the expedition.The Dehradun-based
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expedition. “It will help better understand and document
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composition,” said Koldewey. Every year, 9 million metric
tonnes of plastic is dumped in the world’s water systems,
which ends up in the oceans. In India, plastic contributes
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to the National Centre for Coastal Research. “Most of it
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discarded on land near the mainland. Near Andaman and by the roadside, the court pointed out. The court
Nicobar islands, we found plastic transported by ocean closed the petition, granting the members of the
currents even around uninhabited islands. The highest association the liberty to ventilate their grievances, if
density of plastics is found along the coastlines, which
any, with respect to manufacture of plastic carry bags
LQFUHDVHV GXULQJ ÁRRGV VXJJHVWLQJ DQ LPSRUWDQW UROH RI and disposal of solid waste before the appropriate
the rivers,” said Dr S Srinivasalu, director, Institute of authorities/forums.
Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai.

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