Witness magazine-India's first magazine on legal and corporate affairs...PLASTIC BAN

Kanupriya Malhotra

Guest Editor

Witness Magazine

 

Dear Madam,

 

The menace of plastic is welknown, but it is getting difficult to remove the menace. There is only one reason why plastic bags are still in circulation, because the alternatives like paper bags are not as handy and durable as a plastic bag.

If you can come out with an alternative that is better than a plastic bag , than why not our public will accept it. Before enforcing a ban, you have to first provide an alternative that is cheap and durable . India is a cost conscious country. So the concepts prevailing abroad will not be applicable here. So we cant blindly follow the western concepts here (Which is the normal attitude of our govt.).

 

So, what to do?

 

1. Run a public awerness campaign vigorously

2. Find out a better, cheap and durable  alternative to the plastic bag .

3. Teaching People to segregate their solid waste at home itself by separating plastics from the bio degradable solid waste (Food Waste).This aspect is more important than trying to ban plastic bags . Lets us try to do something that is achievable.

 

 

Saleem Asraf Syed Imdaadullah,
M.E.(Env. Engg.)
Mobile: 9899300371
New Delhi, India
CROSSED ONE LAC VISITOR MARK : TECHNICAL BLOG : LOTS OF INFO ON WATER TREATMENT
www.saleemindia.blogspot.com

 

 

 

www.vermisindia.blogspot.com

 

 

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Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 6:17 PM

Subject: Seeking opinion on Plastic Ban

Sir,

 

I am writing to you on behalf of Witness magazine-India's first magazine on legal and corporate affairs.

 

We are seeking opinions on the following issue in around 300-350 words.  

 

Issue: We, the people of India, believe in fighting our rights to the hilt. However, when the same rights take the shape of laws, do we care to be instrumental in its implementation?

 

Various laws have remained merely on papers and find no place in actual practice. Have we become skeptics, who crib and criticise the government for each and every lapse on its part, but fail to check our own deficiency? Is public apathy hampering the implementation of laws?

 

For instance, smoking in public places is banned but we notice people smoking openly in public places without any resistance. List of such lawlessness is countless: talking on mobile while driving, dowry in marriages, child labour, jumping red light signals are but a few examples.

 

Are not as the citizens of the world's largest democracy, there is a responsibility on our shoulder to set an example by abiding laws without being enforced by the law enforcement agencies? Have we become immune to all the wrong doings that have been taking place right in front of us? Is it due to the human tendency of not acting without a stick? Is it an attitude that if others are doing an illegal act without getting caught, then why not us or if others are not resisting an illegal act from happening then why should we? Is it public indifference or administrative failure?

 

Since you are specialising in environmental activities, if you can give your opinion on the ban on plastic bans being flouted on a very wide scale and the suggestions to make it really work, we will incorporate it in our magazine.

 

Thanking you.

 

Regards,

 

Kanupriya Malhotra

Guest Editor

Witness Magazine