I’m writing this from Hyderabad. I see so much waste everyday, almost everywhere – organic & chemical, biodegradable & non-biodegradable, food, etc. We find plastic everywhere – among the bushes, on the trees, under the ground, sometimes in animal stomachs!
So let us look into this serious issue. There will be no answers, just questions to contemplate upon. Because how I see : there is some issue with our thinking & our conditioning that prevent us from consciously arriving at rational decisions.
Our ‘Home’…
Let me ask you a question – You are eating a banana sitting on the couch watching TV. Do you throw away the peel around the house? Okay, you may, but you wouldn’t let it rot there until flies gather around, would you?
Do you see the problem now? Is India not our ‘home’? Does it not give you the homely feel that you get when you’re at home? Why is that? If we don’t like our homes to get dirty, what’s the matter with public places? Why is it that when it comes to public places we just raise our hands and say, “Ah! It’s not my job…” or “We’re paying the municipal corporations, it’s their job! My job as consumer is done.” ?
“Arre woh uska kaam hai, mere haath ko kyun lagna hai keechad?”
This just might be one of the overwhelming effects of excessive competition of the new capitalist era… Maybe not. And now, it is also unfortunately, a stereotypical “manly” thing. There are people who think being arrogant and emotionless is manly – the opposite of what they call, the “pu$#y“. But nonetheless, there are also real arrogant people, subconsciously littering the plastic all over. And the worst part – they pack/seal organic biodegradable food in plastic bags (aluminium cans too).
I mean, if we are proud of many things as a nation, why not be disgusted by real disgusting things and actually take a step toward change? We subconsciously litter waste – we get offended when someone doesn’t stand up while the national anthem is being played ; or just somebody who points out a problem and we even call them an anti-national, traitor, Pakistani… We even pay the tax – The Swacch Bharath tax.
Why the Swacch Bharath campaign is ineffective?
Before the scheme can actually be implemented, we need to have basic knowledge of waste and types of waste. People need to be educated on plastic, why it is non-biodegradable and why is it a problem and other inorganic chemicals that dirty our home. Until people have this basic knowledge, it is undoubtedly ineffective to implement such schemes and even taxing people.
So, let us all try to make a change to the problems that we previously only complain about. There is a fine margin between people who complain and people who actually take a step to find a solution. Let’s cross that margin, take things into our own hands.
The first step would be minimising plastic usage as much as possible and resort to other better means – paper, hemp bags, carrying bags into supermarkets, just all the possible ways… and the classic one we’re all told in school : plant more trees.
The Climate Change is no joke (unless you’re Trump). Please do research on these issues.
My contact e-mail address : srsudhir31@gmail.com