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World Environment Day 2018 Special

Research · April 2018

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.12374.29765

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ISSN 2455 - 8575 Volume 5 – Issue 2 April – June 2018

J&K ENVIS NEWSLETTER

State of Environment & its Related Issues in J&K

ENVIRONMENT DAY SPECIAL

5 th
June 2018

A PLATFORM FOR ACTION: World Environment Day is the UN's most important
day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our
environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for
public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.

THE PEOPLE'S DAY: Above all, World Environment Day is the "people's day" for
doing something to take care of the Earth. That "something" can be focused locally,
nationally or globally; it can be a solo action or involve a crowd. Everyone is free to
choose.

THE THEME: Each World Environment Day is organized around a theme that focuses
attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2018 is
“BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION”.

THE HOST: Every World Environment Day has a different global host country, where
the official celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the
environmental challenges it faces and supports the effort to address them. This year's
host is INDIA.

J&K ENVIS Hub

DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT AND REMOTE SENSING
Government of Jammu and Kashmir
S.D.A. Colony, Bemina, Srinagar-190006
Paryawarn Bhawan, Gladeni, Narwal, Jammu -180010
 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated 5th June every year. Run by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), it is aimed to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature
and the planet Earth. It has been one of the great annual events for years and is being celebrated worldwide aiming
to protect the unique and life nurturing Nature.

History
World Environment Day has been started celebrating as an annual event on every 5th of June since 1973 in order
to raise the global awareness about the importance of the healthy and green environment in the human lives. It is
also addressed to solve the environmental issues by implementing positive environmental actions as well as to make
awareness among the common public worldwide, that everyone is responsible for saving his environment and only
collaborative actions among all the levels of society shall bring about the change.
World Environment Day was first established to be celebrated every year by running effective campaigns led by the
United Nations General Assembly and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It was first time
celebrated in 1973 with the particular theme “Only one Earth”. Since 1974, the celebration campaign of the world
environment day is hosted in different cities of the world.

Why World Environment Day is celebrated

World environment day annual celebration campaign was started to address the huge environmental issues like
wastage and losses of food, deforestation, increasing global warming and so many. Every year celebration is planned
according to the particular theme and slogan of the year to bring effectiveness in the campaign all through the world.
It is celebrated to successfully get carbon neutrality, focusing on the forest management, reducing greenhouse effects,
promoting bio-fuels production by planting on degraded lands, use of hydro-power to enhance electricity
production, encourage common public to use solar water heaters, energy production through solar sources,
developing new drainage systems, promoting coral reefs and mangroves restoration in order to get prevented from
flooding and erosion including other ways of environmental preservation.
Some of the objectives of the world environment day campaign are mentioned below:
 Encourage common people from different society and communities to actively participate in the celebration as
well as become an active agent in developing environmental safety measures.
 Let them know that community people are very essential to inhibit negative changes towards the environmental
issues.
 Encourage people to make their nearby surroundings safe and clean to enjoy safer, cleaner and more prosperous
future.

This Year’s World Environment Day Theme and Slogan

“BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION”, the theme for World Environment 2018, urges governments, industry,
communities, and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the
production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human
health. World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, the single largest celebration of our
environment each year, which takes place on June 5 and is celebrated by thousands of communities worldwide. Since
it began in 1972, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated across the
globe. Most of all, World Environment Day is a day of everyone around the world to take ownership of their
environment and to actively engage in the protection of our earth. The Slogan for this year’s theme is “If You Can’t
Reuse It, Refuse It.
 KNOW THE THEMES OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAYS
 2018 is “Beat Plastic Pollution”
 2017 was “Connecting People to Nature”
 2016 was “Zero tolerance for the illegal trade in wildlife”
 2015 was “One World, One Environment”.
 2014 was “Small Island Developing States” and “Raise your voice, not the sea level”.
 2013 was “Think. Eat. Save.” And slogan was “Reduce Your Foodprint”.
 2012 was “Green Economy: Does it include you?”.
 2011 was “Forests: Nature at your Service”.
 2010 was “Many Species. One Planet. One Future”.
 2009 was “Your Planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate Change”.
 2008 was “CO2, Kick the Habit – Towards a Low Carbon Economy”.
 2007 was “Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?”.
 2006 was “Deserts and Desertification” and slogan was “Don’t Desert Drylands!.”
 2005 was “Green Cities” and slogan was “Plan for the Planet!”.
 2004 was “Wanted! Seas and Oceans” and slogan was “Dead or Alive?”.
 2003 was “Water” and slogan was “Two Billion People are Dying for It!”.
 2002 was “Give Earth a Chance”.
 2001 was “Connect with the World Wide Web of Life”.
 2000 was “The Environment Millennium” and slogan was “Time to Act”.
 1999 was “Our Earth – Our Future” and slogan was “Just Save It!”.
 1998 was “For Life on Earth and slogan was “Save Our Seas”.
 1997 was “For Life on Earth”.
 1996 was “Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home”.
 1995 was “We the Peoples: United for the Global Environment”.
 1994 was “One Earth One Family”.
 1993 was “Poverty and the Environment and slogan was “Breaking the Vicious Circle”.
 1992 was “Only One Earth, Care and Share”.
 1991 was “Climate Change. Need for Global Partnership”.
 1990 was “Children and the Environment”.
 1989 was “Global Warming; Global Warning”.
 1988 was “When People Put the Environment First, Development Will Last”.
 1987 was “Environment and Shelter: More Than A Roof”.
 1986 was “A Tree for Peace”.
 1985 was “Youth: Population and the Environment”.
 1984 was “Desertification”.
 1983 was “Managing and Disposing Hazardous Waste: Acid Rain and Energy”.
 1982 was “Ten Years after Stockholm (Renewal of Environmental Concerns)”.
 1981 was “Ground Water; Toxic Chemicals in Human Food Chains”.
 1980 was “A New Challenge for the New Decade: Development without Destruction”.
 1979 was “Development without Destruction”.
 1978 was “Development without Destruction”.
 1977 was “Ozone Layer Environmental Concern; Lands Loss and Soil Degradation”.
 1976 was “Water: Vital Resource for Life”.
 1975 was “Human Settlements”.
 1974 was “Only one Earth during Expo ’74”.
 1973 was “Only one Earth”.

"Without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity. We all have a role to play
in protecting our only home: we can use less plastics, drive less, waste less food and teach each other
to care." — Secretary-General, António Guterres
FACTS & FIGURES
Whopping
Amount of
about 91% of
Global Plastic
Isn't Recycled

Source: CPCB
 PLASTIC POLLUTION
 Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags
 Each year, at least 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a full garbage
truck every minute.
 In the last decade, we produced more plastic than in the whole last century.
 50 percent of the plastic we use is single-use or disposable
 We buy 1 million plastic bottles every minute
 Plastic makes up 10% of all the waste we generate.

The continuous growth in the amount of solid waste

that humans produce, and the very slow rate at which
that waste degrades, are together leading to a gradual
increase in the amount litter found at sea, on the
seafloor and along coastlines around the world. Human
activities on land are the biggest sources of marine
pollution. These include the dumping of waste along
coastlines, littering on beaches, and the breaking down
of ships. Floods and other storm-related events flush
this waste into the sea, where it sinks or is carried away
by currents. The major sea-based sources of marine
pollution include discarded fishing gear, shipping
activities, and legal and illegal dumping. All of this
pollution causes serious economic losses. Coastal communities are facing increased expenditures on
beach cleaning, public health and waste disposal. The shipping industry is impacted by higher costs
associated with fouled propellers, damaged engines, and managing waste in harbours. The fishing
industry damaged gear and reduced and contaminated catch. Marine pollution also causes biodiversity
loss and hampers ecosystem functions and services. Discarded fishing gear can entangle and kill marine
life and smother wildlife habitats. Pesticides and other toxins adhere to tiny particles of discarded plastics
(microplastics), which can be accidentally ingested by small aquatic life. Once ingested, the toxins
biomagnify as they move up the food chain, accumulating in birds, sea life and possibly humans.
India delighted to host World Environment Day: PM Modi
ANI | Updated: May 27, 2018 13:48 IST
New Delhi [India] May 27(ANI): Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Sunday expressed his happiness over India officially
hosting this year's World Environme nt Day.
Addressing the nation on the 44th edition of 'Mann Ki Baat',
the Prime Minister said, "On the 5th of June, our nation will
officially host the World Environment Day Celebrations. This is a
very important achievement for India and also a recognition of
India's growing leadership in the direction of tackling climate
change."
The Prime Minister spoke about this year's theme- 'Beat Plastic
Pollution' and appealed to the citizens to not use low-grade
polythenes, plastics and try to curb the negative impact of plastic
pollution on the environment, wildlife and health.
He also urged people to set a target of achieving record plantation
of trees with the onset of the rainy season and maintain the saplings till they grow.
Speaking about the dust storms that had engulfed the country earlier this month, the Prime Minister said
that 'the calamities are basically the result of the change in weather patterns.'
India and United Nations signed a document in February this year, declaring India as the Global Host
of World Environment Day, 2018.(ANI)

Govt of J&K Sanctions Anti-Polythene Check Post at Lakhanpur

STATE TIMES NEWS: May 24, 2018
SRINAGAR: Taking strong note of wanton use of polythene and its uncontrolled import into the
State, Forest Minister, Rajiv Jasrotia, today issued directions for renaming Lakhanpur Forest
Checkpost as Anti Polythene Checkpost, with the purpose of checking and controlling the entry
of polythene into the State. The Check Post shall
be manned and monitored by Forest Territorial,
Pollution Control Board, and Forest Protection
Force. Th e Check Post shall have the staff headed
by the Range Officer Forest (Territorial)
Lakhanpur under the overall supervision of
Divisional Forest Officer Lakhanpur.

The team shall work as Rapid Action Force and

shall take all the necessary steps to check
polythene related matters.

Meanwhile, the Government also ordered that the

anti-pollution check post-Lakhanpur shall also
check smuggling of willow and minor forest
produce.
 Roads Made of Plastic Waste in
India? Yes! Meet the Professor
Who Pioneered the Technique.

by Aparna Menon
A Government order in November
2015 has made it mandatory for all road
developers in the country to use waste
plastic, along with bituminous mixes,
for road construction. This is to help
overcome the growing problem of
plastic waste disposal in India. The
technology for this was developed by
the ‘Plastic Man’ of India, Prof
Rajagopalan Vasudevan, Professor of
Chemistry at Thiagarajar College of
Engineering, Madurai.
Laboratory results of mixing waste plastic with heated bitumen and coating the mixture over stone
proved positive. He implemented the use of plastic waste on a road constructed inside the premises of
his college in 2002. “To date, this stretch of road is still going strong,” he says. In 2006, the Thiagarajar
College of Engineering received the patent for this technology. The plastic waste items that can be used
for road construction are various items like plastic carry bags, plastic cups, plastic packaging for potato
chips, biscuits, chocolates, etc.
The entire process is very simple. The plastic waste material is first shredded to a particular size using a
shredding machine. The aggregate mix is heated at 165°c and transferred to the mixing chamber, and the
bitumen is heated to 160°c to result in good binding. It is important to monitor the temperature during
heating.
The shredded plastic waste is then added to the aggregate. It gets coated uniformly over the aggregate
within 30 to 60 seconds, giving an oily look. The plastic waste coated aggregate is mixed with hot bitumen
and the resulting mix is used for road construction. The road laying temperature is between 110°c to
120°c. The roller used has a capacity of 8 tons. “The advantages of using waste plastics for road
construction are many. The process is easy and does not need any new machinery. For every kilo of
stone, 50 gms of bitumen is used and 1/10th of this is plastic waste; this reduces the amount of bitumen
being used. Plastic increases the aggregate impact value and improves the quality of flexible
pavements. Wear and tear of the roads has decreased to a large extent,” explains the proud Plastic Man
of India. This road construction process is extremely eco-friendly, with no toxic gases being released.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM DEVELOPES FUEL FROM PLASTIC

Avoid Fast Food. Dine In
 WASTE MINIMISATION RESULTS IN SAVINGS
India’s urban population of 429 million citizens produce a whopping 62 million tonnes of garbage every
year. Out of this, 5.6 million tonnes is the plastic waste, 0.17 million tonnes is the biomedical waste, 7.90
million tonnes is hazardous waste and 15 lakh tonnes is e-waste. A staggering figure of forty-three million
tonnes of Solid Waste is collected annually, out of which only 11.9 million, that is 22-28% is treated, while
about 31 million tonnes of waste is left untreated and dumped at the landfill sites.
This waste, at an average cost of `.1,000 per tonne, is approximately `.10.7 cr per day.

MSW- A GROWING CHALLENGE

 India produced 1.43 lakh MT of MSW during 2014-15 (Manual on SWM, 2016)
 Per capita waste generation is approx. 0.11 kilogram (kg)/capita/day.
 Of the total MSW, approximately 1.17 lakh MT (80%) was collected, while only 0.32 lakh MT (22%) was
processed or treated.
 Waste generation rate in Indian cities ranges between 200 - 870 grams/day, depending upon the region’s
lifestyle and the size of the city. The average per capita waste generation in India is 370 grams/day.
 The per capita waste generation is increasing by about 1.3% per year in India
 MSW generation in J&K has been estimated to be app. 1634.5 TPD for 2015-16.
 Management becomes a challenge in the absence of proper segregation, collection and processing

IMPORTANT NGT DIRECTIONS DATED 22ND DECEMBER, 2016

 There shall be complete prohibition on open burning of waste on lands, including at landfill sites. For
each such incident, defaulter shall be liable to pay environmental compensation of ` 5,000 in case of
simple burning, while ` 25,000/- in case of bulk waste burning. Environmental compensation shall be
recovered as arrears of land revenue by competent authority in accordance with law.
 The State Government to ensure ban on short life PVC and chlorinated plastics before six months from
date of pronouncement of this judgement.
DECENTRALIZED WASTE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE IN
KOCHI BY COCHIN MUNICIPAL CORPORATION FOR
APARTMENTS ON TRIAL BASIS.
Besides enforcing a full ban on plastic carry bags, Government of Kerala issued an order in 2012 making it
the Himachal Pradesh State Government has also mandatory for all apartments, through the building
enforced a ban on non-biodegradable packaging for associations or firms, to manage waste within the
25 kinds of edible foodstuff, forcing perishable food apartment complexes using different technologies for
manufacturers to adopt biodegradable packaging. composting and for sale of recyclable material.
 Hazardous burning of waste
Burning of waste has become a common practice

Risk to Livestock

Human Health Hazard

Unscientific dumping of waste in Wetlands Unscientific dumping of waste at Tourist Resorts

Achan Waste Dumping Site – Hazard for environment Choking of Waterways

Students showcase models for reusing plastic waste at SKICC
SRINAGAR: Students from thirty schools showcased models on utilizing litter for production activities like
power generation, construction of plastic roads at a solid waste management event organized by Eco Peace
Resource Management Foundation at SKICC in Srinagar, supported by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
The students also participated in a painting competition on the theme ‘How beauty of Kashmir is destroyed by
solid waste.’ Here is the glimpse of the event which was aimed at inculcating a pattern of thinking meant among
children to have in them sustained habit for cleaning the environment.
“The purpose of getting them together is to bring in them an idea of solid waste management since early
childhood. The models exhibit how solid waste can be effectively used by practical examples. We believe doing
these activities since childhood remains attached to them for life,” Taham Mubashir, the co-founder of Eco
Peace Resource Management Foundation told Kashmir Reader. “We will continue work on them in future too
to enhance their capacity building,”
Among the methods demonstrated was generation of electricity and fertilizer from litter. prepared by Kamil
Muzaffar and Aadiv Rath, class 9 students of Burnhall School. Their class fellows, Abeet Paul and Haider Jeelani,
displayed a model for using plastic in road laying along with a chemical bitumen.
Scholars, Al Huda, Lawyerence Vidya Bavan, Woodland, Oasis, St Paul, Spring Field were among the
participants.

STUDENT EXHIBITS AT SKICC

Microplastics: the most widespread and persistent hazards of plastic
A QUICK LOOK INTO THE MICROPLASTICS
• Microplastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic, solid, water insoluble, high polymer plastic particles of
a size range below 5 mm.
• They are both used as a raw material for a number of products and produced from degradation of
any plastic product.
• Their small size allows them to pass through wastewater treatment plants and reach the oceans
through surface waterbodies and rivers.
• Microplastics are non-biodegradable and persistent in marine and freshwater.
Nanoplastics: Plastic particles generally of size below 1μm are called nanoplastics. They pose higher
risk to the environment because of their reduced size which is 1000 times smaller than an algal cell.
WHY MICROPLASTICS ARE OF MUCH BIGGER RISK?
• Microplastics undergo various processes of physical, enzymatic and microbial degradation in nature,
but do not get completely broken down.
• About 5 to 14 million tons of plastic waste enter into the ocean every year. Average annual global
release of primary microplastics into the ocean is estimated to be around 1.5 million tons.
• Microplastics can absorb extremely harmful hydrophobic organic pollutants.
• Removal of microplastics from aquatic environment is extremely difficult as that could lead to the
elimination of all plankton size organisms.
• Microplastics exist in air as airborne pollutants originating from the plastic textile fiber production.
MICROPLASTIC IN DRINKING WATER
Analysis of 259 bottled drinking water of 11 different brands, from 19 locations in nine countries found
an average of 325 plastic particles for every litre of water being sold. In one bottle, concentrations were
as high as 10,000 plastic pieces per litre of water. Of the 259 bottles tested, only 17 were free of plastics,
according to the study. There are no regulatory limits on the levels of microplastics in bottled water.
IMPACTS OF MICROPLASTICS
Environment: Considered as global pollutants, microplastics pollute the water environment; change the
ecosystem, affects biodiversity by reducing species diversity and act as vectors for spreading toxic
chemical additives.
Wildlife: Microplastics are ingested by zooplanktons, like, daphnia, as well as several other higher aquatic
species and bio-accumulates in the food chain. Ingestion of microplastics causes digestive tract blockage
and stomach lining damage leading to starvation of the organism, digestion impairment and reduced and
delayed reproductive ability, resulting into a lifespan reduction.
Socio-economic: severely affected by marine plastic pollution owing to the reduced fish population,
loss of income from tourism, damage to coastal agriculture, etc. Direct socio-economic impacts of
microplastics need to be researched in depth.
Human health: Humans can be exposed to microplastics either directly through contaminated water
and cosmetics or indirectly from seafood consumption. It can lead to bacterial infections in the gum,
skin or injure the cornea by sticking in the eye. Microbeads in facial products can cause tiny skin rips and
further infection. Suspended microplastics
in the air can be directly inhaled and
affect the lungs. Occurrence of
microplastic across food-chain ensures
their presence in human food increasing
the direct exposure of associated toxic
chemicals to humans which again come
with their own sets of fateful impacts.
 Promote waste management

by adopting R Principle, i.e.,

REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE
RENT
REPAIR
REFUSE
RECLAIM
REFERENCES: The material, information, photographs contained in this newsletter have been collected from internet and other
literature/resources and are acknowledged.

ENVIS TEAM Contact Us

Om Prakash Sharma, IFS J&K ENVIS HUB
Director Department of Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing,
Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir
Majid Farooq
ENVIS Coordinator Summer (May to Oct)
Bemina, S.D.A. Housing Colony, Srinagar - 190018
Gowhar Meraj, Programme Officer Phone: 0194-2494585
Winter (Nov to Apr)
Amreena Yousuf, Information Officer
Paryavaran Complex, Gladeni Narwal, Jammu - 180006
Phone: 0191-2474553
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