World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 across the world. Its aim is to create awareness among the people about the importance, protection and preservation of the environment. It also aims to raise awareness about critical environmental issues facing the world today. The day commemorates the Stockholm conference on human environment held in 1972. The theme for the World Environment Day 2025 is “Ending Plastic Pollution Globally’’ with the goal of reducing plastic waste. The Republic of South Korea will host the 2025 World Environment Day global celebrations. It will provide a platform for more than 150 countries to come together, formulate sustainable policies and address critical and pressing environmental challenges particularly plastic pollution and marine waste for a sustainable world. Human health always requires clean air, pure water, safe and healthy food, natural disease resistance etc. and these basic things are provided by the healthy environment. These basic things, which support all life on the earth directly affects human life and disturbance of any one of them, affects human lives severely. The quality and healthy environment contributes significantly to all sectors of Jammu and Kashmir. Over the last two decades, the state of Jammu and Kashmir is confronted with pressing environmental problems especially by dumping of single use plastics. The dumping of single-use plastics has a great impact on human health and ecosystems in fragile regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Despite blanket ban on use of polythene and single use of plastics in fragile Jammu and Kashmir, plastics continue to be considerably used in the fragile region of Jammu and Kashmir. The harmful polythene bags and plastics can be found almost everywhere in Jammu and Kashmir and its effects are very disastrous. Weak enforcement and lack of awareness and affordable alternatives are the main reasons for plastic pollution in Jammu and Kashmir. According to studies, more than 400 tons of plastic is produced globally every year and 19 -23 percent end up in water bodies like lakes, rivers and seas. Twelve countries contribute to 60% of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste and the top 5 being China, USA, India, Brazil and Mexico. Plastic is a non-biodegradable substance that threatens our fragile environment by its very cruel nature. Plastic pollution chokes the life of all creatures on mother earth as well as in water bodies. Plastics are slowly polluting and consuming our water bodies, wetlands, forests and soil in Jammu and Kashmir. It alters habitats, natural processes, reducing ecosystems ability to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. According to an estimate, one fifth of the world’s plastic garbage is produced in India and 9.3 to 9.5 million tonnes of plastic waste is annually produced in India. More than 51000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually in Jammu and Kashmir but due to lack of scientific process to collect and segregate plastic at source; plastics are continuously dumped into fresh water bodies, landfills and forest areas in Jammu and Kashmir. According to Environmentalists, polythene bags could take anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years to disintegrate. It is pertinent to mention that most tourist destinations in J & K are without a proper solid waste management system where beautiful parks, fresh water bodies, mountains, forests and glaciers are battling with polythene bags, plastic bottles and chips packets. Ironically, use of polythene bags and plastics has increased manifold in the state and there is hardly any shop in the state where you cannot get polythene bags. Polythene and plastics are composed of many toxic chemicals and have potential to cause significant harm to the fragile environment in the form of air, water, and land pollution. Soil pollution reduces soil fertility, retards plant growth, flowers stop to bloom, decreases agricultural production and prevent the seepage of rainwater into the water table. Water and air pollution are source of many infectious diseases. During summer, piles of discarded polythene bags in streets, markets, open fields, forest, water bodies are emitting foul stinking smell and become breeding grounds for bacteria, housefly, mosquito etc. that cause various infectious diseases to human beings, domestic animals and birds. Micro plastics also reach our food and drinking water posing a serious threat to health. Every year, many cattle die in J&K after eating polythene bags scattered on the mother earth. Dumping of polythene bags and plastics near water bodies and forest sites have resulted in degradation of forests, dying of water sources, weather irregularity, soil erosion, flash floods and reduction of forest productivity. Polythene bags and plastics choke sewer pipes and clog drains resulting in water logging and disruption of the entire drainage system in inhabited or uninhabited areas.
“It is the responsibility of all the stakeholders to ensure better protection and preservation of the environment. By adopting 5Rs – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink, we can significantly minimize our environmental footprint. All NGOs’, civil society, religious leaders, teachers, and students should join hands together to make Jammu and Kashmir cleaner and greener so that next generations do not curse on us for turning the planet into a garbage dump.”
Choking of sewer pipes and clogging of drains become one of the factors of floods in urban areas that Kashmir valley witnessed in September 2014.
Rampant use of polythene and plastics in J&K are adversely affecting our tourist and revenue source water bodies like Dal Lake, Nageen Lake, Mansbal Lake, Jehlum etc. The unabated use of polythene and plastics are finding easy ways into these lakes and springs causing their slow and steady death. Unabated use of polythene and plastics has not only decreased depth of water bodies in Jammu and Kashmir but also has shrunk their area. Thus, many water bodies in the state are on the verge of extinction because of dumping of tonnes of polythene and plastics in them. The aquatic flora and fauna have been also adversely affected and even some flora and fauna species became extinct due to rising polythene and plastic levels in the water bodies. The Jammu and Kashmir government enacted an act called Non Biodegradable Material (Management, Handling and Disposal Act) which came into force from December 2007 in order to ban unabated use of polythene in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the ban, polythene bags are being used continuously at an alarming rate in Jammu and Kashmir due to easy availability in markets. Concerned officials in Jammu and Kashmir have failed to check and stop the sale and use of polythene bags. Tonnes of polythene bags are allowed to enter Jammu and Kashmir at an alarming rate due to unknown reasons. In order to control the rampant use of polythene and plastics in Jammu and Kashmir, various measures are needed on a war footing basis: Education and awareness among people regarding harmful effects of polythene through seminars, campaigns, debates, rallies etc. can bring positive change among the people. Strict implementation of laws, restriction on polythene transportation into the J & K by administration, setting up of plastic recycling facilities, promoting use of organic material bags instead of polythene bags etc. can reduce the plastic pollution. It is the high time for the government to strictly implement the laws pertaining to the ban on polythene and violators of laws to be dealt strictly otherwise, the water bodies, forests, glaciers, mountains, the mother earth will get completely dumped with heaps of polythene that can have very serious consequences on all flora and fauna. The government, civil society, NGO’S and the people need to come forward and fight the menace of unabated plastic use collectively and with firm determination. People need to avoid use of polythene bags and pledge to use biodegradable bags like jute bags, cloth bags etc. Biodegradable and eco-friendly bags are not only cheap but also attractive and light weight that are adding to the fertility of the soil after decomposition within a few months. It is the obligation of all the concerned including the Union Government and State Government to protect and conserve natural resources. The article 48-A of the constitution states that the state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forest, and wildlife of the country. The Article 51-A of the constitution says that it is the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and have compassion for living creatures. If we want to revive our clean and green Jammu and Kashmir existing two decades ago, we need to work sincerely for our bruised and battered environment and time will come very soon when we can again drink fresh water from our water bodies, breathe fresh whiff of air and enjoy mesmerising beauty of scenic landscapes. It is the responsibility of all the stakeholders to ensure better protection and preservation of the environment. By adopting 5Rs – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink, we can significantly minimize our environmental footprint. All NGOs’, civil society, religious leaders, teachers, and students should join hands together to make Jammu and Kashmir cleaner and greener so that next generations do not curse on us for turning the planet into a garbage dump. We all have to change our lifestyle, behavior and own nature rather than polluting the fragile environment. Together we can make a positive impact and create a sustainable and resilient environment for the prosperous Jammu and Kashmir.
(The author is a teacher at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah, Budgam. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Mushtaq Ahmad Wani
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