HARIYALI PRITHAVI - AN NOBLE CAUSE AGAINST THE EXCESSIVE USE OF PLASTIC

Plastic! Plastic! Plastic!

Here plastic, there plastic.

This worlds revolves around plastic

And makes everything from bottles to elastics.

India to America

Japan or China.

Leads the race of plastic usage

In spite of knowing its disadvantage.

We have to act fast

Otherwise for a longer time this earth won’t last.

Plastic, I guess the word most familiar to us. Right from rags to riches… everyone uses this term. In fact, in the year 2009 the Oxford Dictionary of English rated this word amongst the top 10 most frequently said words. After all it had to be amongst the top used words, because everyone from a rag picker who picks plastic to a rich-mega-billionaire who discards plastic goodies like nothing. Nearly every 4th thing in this world is made up of plastic. Be it credit cards (our plastic money), water bottles, glasses, etc. etc.

We have always wondered- why plastic is used almost in everything? Perhaps because it’s versatile i.e. it can be molded into a vast variety of shapes. The simple answer is that plastics are the material that can provide the things consumers want and need. Plastics have the unique capability to be manufactured to meet very specific functional needs for consumers. So maybe there's another question that's relevant: What do I want? Regardless of how you answer this question, plastics can probably satisfy your needs. You want a plastic plane? Just mould plastic into the wanted shape.

But as we all are aware of the renowned proverb “excess of everything is bad”. The somewhat similar is the ground reality on our planet Earth. Agreed, that plastic has a myriad number of uses. But we should also agree that this overflowing usage of plastic has exceeded beyond permissible limits, so now friends it’s high time we take action against it. If not taken care of now, this “Plasticky Problem” could possibly worsen and further bring its minions into the game of littering. Some symptoms have already started showing its faces. India is already amongst the top 10 litterers of the world. According to a survey our so-called “patriotic” Indians always tend to throw garbage, especially the plastic ones in the open. WOW! What an Idea, Sir Ji!

Unfortunately, my friends if this continues further, I am afraid that India is certainly heading towards its own doom. The future citizens of the country would be propelled into the already “Plastic India”. Ha! Maybe sometimes in future there is a teeniest bit of possibility that there could be a plastic airplane??

But concentrating on the year 2015, there is a lot to be done and many feats to be accomplished. We should start from our own homes, or I should rather say, our own rooms. We should segregate the plastic waste from the biodegradable waste and dump them in various dustbins so they can be disposed properly. While biodegradable waste can be turned into manure, the plastic waste can be recycled for further use. Once a bunch of scientists from University of Geneva, created a plastic jacket just from recycling 43 plastic bottles. But we have to remember to segregate the waste. As I see in my class, garbage being thrown anywhere, this should not be the case. Also a mass sensitization program can be taken up for educating the future citizens of our country i.e. our children. Surprisingly, I found out that a majority of 9th ies were unaware of the demerits of plastic. We have to educate everyone about the constraints in the use of plastics. As for personal level we have to limit our use of plastic. Replace the plastic bags with the paper bags. Use plastic utensils as less as possible. Don’t believe in the fact that if you use disposable utensils you would be saved from the so-called “tedious hard work.” Your this step may cause a step backwards in the path to a Clean India.

And, and I almost forgot… isn’t it a well known fact that a majority of animal deaths take place due to consumption of plastic which leads to choking. Our “GOU MATA” or “THE HOLY COW” is one of the victims. On one side we worship them and on the other we indirectly feed them poison. Our kind Indians provide these cows food, that too in a plastic bag. Shameful, isn’t it? This is for all the “HOLY PEOPLE” reading this, if you give a damn about cows then stop this “PLASTIC THROWING RAMPAGE.” The mechanical plastic waste is to be properly disposed through proper dealers. And please at least for the sake of our mother nature, don’t bring corruption into this. If these steps and adding some more to them, are dutifully followed this would surely be a “milestone achieved” in the Indian Success Story. This “Complete-Plastic-Free-India” would surely be a better one for me. I don’t know about ya’ll?

United we stand, divided we fall

For a movement against Plastic, we all shall call

Not one would stand

Against plastic, would be standing many

But a steely resolve needed

Then only the “evils” of plastic would be firmly eradicated

Souhard Sharma

IX-E

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