Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people of India through his Mann Ki Baat programme to shun single-use plastic and protect the environment. He asked all local bodies, NGOs and the corporate sector to find ways for safe disposal of accumulated plastic waste before Diwali. Modi’s ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ campaign begins on September 11, barely a fortnight from now. In line with Mahatma Gandhi’s 150 birth anniversary, Modi has set a target of October 2 to make India defecation-free and free of single-use plastic. Where does Goa stand?
Goa is one of the few states which are way off the mark in terms of a plastic ban. The State till now had at least half-a-dozen false starts and more vows to shun single-use plastics. The implementation and awareness drives have been largely patchy. Moreover, the government till now has failed to provide a suitable alternative.
Enforcing a single-use plastic ban would mean Goa will have to discard all plastic bags below 50 microns and along with that all other forms of plastics like straws, disposable cutlery, styrofoam and plastic take-away containers, packaged food and beverages, etc. By virtue of being a tourist state, the job of implementing a plastic ban is even tougher in Goa. Plastics are ingrained into day-to-day living in Goa to such an extent that the feeling of a ban is yet to sink in despite the fact that time is ticking.
A national-level study conducted last year by a leading market research company across the metropolitan cities found out that while citizens were aware of the harmful effects of plastics, they still persisted with its use since there were no viable alternatives. And this is going to be Goa’s stumbling block too.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant may be playing to Modi’s tune, but the ground realities in Goa appear very bleak. The Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in the recently concluded Assembly session and has been sent to the Governor for her assent. The bill defines the types of plastics banned and the penalties thereon. But that’s all on paper. Ironically, the financial memorandum of the bill states that there are no monetary implications, indicating there is no change to the existing mechanism.
All said and done, it all boils down to providing viable alternatives. The high-density plastic bags or the jute variants come for a price. Last year the CCP-enforced ban in Panaji ended up as a farce with authorities unknowingly distributing polypropylene bags assuming they were made of cloth. Goa doesn’t have a facility to test alternatives with an eco-friendly appearance. And secondly, the Goa State Pollution Control Board is not equipped with man and machinery to carry out enforcement.
Plastics cannot be off the shelves overnight by enforcing the law. A phase-out process should have begun long back. The seriousness in pursuing the ban is missing and it appears that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is going through the motions only to appease the Central leadership.
