Plastic pollution has now become one of the most pressing environmental issues. Rapidly produced plastic products have begun to engulf the world’s oceans.

In India, the river Yamuna, often called Delhi’s lifeline, is indeed gasping for life. The 22-km stretch along the national capital has virtually no aquatic life owing to the untreated sewage and other industrial waste that is drained into the river.

Greenpeace India volunteers celebrated Environment Day 2018 by organizing a Clean Yamuna drive. The theme being “Beat Plastic Pollution”. The aim was to bring attention to the fact that plastic is a prime catalyst for air and water pollution, and indirectly degrades the living condition of the 58 million lives that are dependent on the river Yamuna.

Likewise, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has found that in Patna city, 100 per cent sewerage network scheme has been taken up in order to impede the sewage that is generated in the city from flowing into the Ganga.

A policy for reusing treated waste water generated from STPs for irrigation purposes during the non-monsoon period has also been adopted by the state.

Such small steps of technical solutions can cause a ripple in the ocean of change and having an impact on the world’s outlook towards it’s dying oceans and the aquatic life that thrives in it.

 

Photo Credits: Greenpeace India/Saagnik Paul