Awareness and
achievements as
enviroments saviour of sikkim
Answers
Explanation:
He also mentioned about the consciousness of the Govt. of Sikkim and the citizens of Sikkim state towards environmental conservation .
26 APR 2018 STORY GREEN ECONOMY
How the Indian state of Sikkim is working to end plastic pollution
Pixabay / 26 Apr 2018
The tiny state of Sikkim nestled in the Himalayas in northeastern India has been leading a green revolution of its own kind. Despite being small and isolated, and with its people leading their lives in extremely tough mountainous terrain, Sikkim has emerged as one of India’s environmental leaders.
Sikkim, which in 1998 became the first Indian state to ban disposable plastic bags, is also among the first to target single-use plastic bottles. In 2016, Sikkim took two major decisions. It banned the use of packaged drinking water in government offices and government events. Second, it banned the use of Styrofoam and thermocol disposable plates and cutlery in the entire state in a move to cut down toxic plastic pollution and tackle its ever-increasing garbage problem.
The state government took up these drastic initiatives on the grounds that disposable products which were in vogue in both rural and urban areas were environmentally hazardous, generated a huge quantity of municipal waste and were claiming a lot of space in landfills. And on plastic water bottles, the government held the view that that the rampant usage of packaged drinking water in departmental meetings and functions was adding an unnecessary burden on the dump yards so it banned their use in official functions.
Sikkim is a small and biodiversity-rich area and hence has limited space for garbage dumps. It has already stretched its limit and opting for new landfill sites is neither an easy option nor permissible as it would mean taking over forest land that’s home to endangered wildlife.
It is estimated that with the growing population and rising consumerism, the world’s plastic bottle consumption will increase to half a trillion annually by 2021. Studies have also suggested that some compounds in plastics may threaten human health.
With massive awareness drives and penalties, this ban has been impactful. Sikkim’s resident are now opting for plates made of paper, leaf, bagasse and even areca nut. Government offices have switched to alternatives like filtered water, large reusable dispensers and reusable water bottles for functions and meetings.
However, with the large number of tourists visiting Sikkim, it is challenging to control the use of plastic water bottles. The government is considering banning plastic bottles in the entire state, meaning that tourists would be need to get their drinking water from filters in hotels, restaurants and public spaces.
Sikkim is a state with many firsts when it comes to green policies. It is the first Indian state to aim to be fully organic, which means all the food produced in Sikkim should soon be free of pesticides. It is also India’s first state to ban open defecation. Urinating in public can cost Rs 500 ($7.50). The government made it mandatory to have a sanitary toilet at home to be eligible for any benefits from the government or to contest in village-level elections. This has resulted in the success of the programme which was envisaged years before Swachch Bharat Campaign (Clean India Campaign) was even conceptualized. The state even banned firecrackers in 2014 to contain noise and air pollution.
“What happened was that in one episode in the 1990s, plastic carry bags got washed down due to heavy rainstorm. Drains got blocked, which resulted in huge landslide. Some people died too. This triggered the state government to ban plastic bags,” said Rajendra P Gurung, CEO, Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS), a local NGO that works in Sikkim.