The mountains are calling and they need help

News – Plastic Pollution is increasing in the Mountains, especially Himalayas. 

Mountains are most environmentally sensitive ecosystems, and are being impacted by the adversities of climate change and other environmental hazards such as increasing plastic waste, at a rapid rate. Waste Management in mountains is crucial for their sustainability. 

Sources of Plastic waste –  

1. High tourist footfall. 

1. Plastic used in Packaging 

1. Presence of various manufacturing industries. Example– Pharmaceutical Industry in Himachal. 

1. Household waste 

 This problem requires Multi stakeholder approach as follows – 

1)Administrative level– Following steps can be taken by civil administration for waste management. 

2) Business Level/Corporate responsibility – Success of business relies on a healthy planet, they should strive to reduce the waste and emissions while simultaneously optimizing production measures through a comprehensive action plan. 

3) Community Participation and  Behavioural Change – Littering and not segregating waste at household level are two primary reasons which make waste management much more complex, high tourism footfall in hills makes it much more difficult. There is a need to foster partnerships among local non-profit organizations, trader associations and schools, providing bins at key locations, door to door awareness drives and sector-specific training modules. 

Conclusion–True essence of sustainable development lies in fulfilling present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. We all have an obligation towards one another, our future generations and other species to sustain the planet and make it a better place, which would require a collaborative approach. 

Source– This post is based on the article “The mountains are calling and they need help” published in Live mint on 9th Dec 2021.