SSB GD Series : Though Polythene is hazardous but still not banned in India

Introduced in the late 1970’s in America the polythene bags got immediately popular among the masses. The bags served a variety of purpose and were seen as means to ease out day to day lives of people. The concept gained popularity worldwide only to prove out as a cancer for the planet.

Journey of a Plastic Bag

Plastic as we all know are used in our day-to-day lives. The use of polythene has increased drastically; starting from pen to food everything comes wrapped in plastic. Things are put up in fancy plastic bags which people are happy to take home with. The bag lies in house for a couple of days and is then either utilized for household purposes lie holding trash or is thrown out. Either way it ends up in the Garbage. But the interesting bid starts from there. After a plastic bag is dumped into garbage, it can’t be burned like other things. Burning it not only produces harmful gases, which affect both the environment and the person burning it, but also affects the very solid on which it is burned. A single polythene bag when burned emits carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), sulphur dioxide etc. These gases pollute our environment though in negligible content, they add to the greenhouse affect and endanger our environment. Imagine if one polythene bag can such harm, what if all of them are burned at once. 

The problem doesn’t end here, when stale food kept in these polythene bags is thrown in garbage, cows eat up the food along with polythene. It doesn’t matter where we live, metro cities, towns or villages the problem is same everywhere. Animals like cows that end up eating these plastic bags pay the price for it. Their stomach gets full of plastic, plastic, which doesn’t decay and causes excruciating pain to these animals. All this is because of the irresponsible behavior we have towards nature. Let alone alcohol and tobacco the same plastic reaches inside our bodies through dairy products causing fatal harm to us.

The story doesn’t end here, when these plastic bags reaches the drainage system they clog them, water starts getting accumulated which gives a chance for other water borne diseases to evolve and spread. Every year uncountable polythene bags are thrown in water bodies. Lakes, ponds, rivers are the first choice of people who can’t find a dustbin to dump their household waste, More plastic is found in these water bodies then could ever be found in dumping grounds. What we need to understand is that this continuous dumping of plastic in water is not poisoning water but is affecting the marine life as well.

In my opinion it’s not the government alone which can clean these water bodies. Even if we somehow manage to clean our rivers in the distant future the continuous dumping of plastic bags in water bodies will neutralize the efforts in no time. Change has to come from within. From within the people. Society needs to understand that by polluting the very place they live in won’t bear them any fruit. It won’t make living any better for them. It has to be stopped and stopped now.

When we all know how dangerous using plastic bags is why is the case against banning of plastic bags is still pending in High Court? Isn’t India polluted enough that we can’t stop plastic bag manufacturers from making it all the more worse for us? Seeing a man or woman dumping plastic bag in a water body might appear normal to someone, and most people might turn a blind eye to it while others would just comment but won’t actually do anything, but standing up against this wrong which is done to the mankind is what the present scenario. People must need to understand that they are poisoning the very environment they live in. As a measure they should not only boycott sage of plastic bags but should encourage usage of paper bags more and more.  Government has to be strict about it and must impose heavy fine on people who pollute the country without thinking twice. As a final word I’ll humbly request It’s our country, let us not pollute it. 

About the Author: Shekhar Tanwar is a computer science engineer who is working with a renowned MNC and is a die heart defense aspirant. Guitar is his passion and he is very firm believer of physical fitness. This article is a way to help defense aspirants to present his critical views on the topic, on the forum so that collective exchange of thoughts can take place.