Is Guwahati Ready to Part with SUPs?

The plastic ban seems to be a move in the right direction but availability of alternatives is still debatable

People around the world are heavily dependent on plastic and Assam in no different. It is the norm to be handed a plastic packet for your purchase at the store or the market. But, in the recent past, the rising level of pollution has forced people to rethink the need for plastic and look for better alternatives. In fact, on India’s 73rd Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to make the country free of single-use plastics (SUPs). Earlier that month, at the

United Nations Conference on Desertification, the PM stated, ‘I think the time has come for the world to say goodbye to single-use plastics,’ while repeating his government’s intention to phase out SUP. This has not only brought the cons of using plastics under the spotlight, but has also started a debate on the probable ban. Although the ban seems to be a move in the right direction, availability of alternatives is still debatable.

No More Plastic

There is no doubt that Northeast India will benefit from the ban, if implemented properly. Although considered as the biodiversity hotspot of the country, the region has not been able to avoid plastic pollution. However, communities have come together to tackle the issue of waste and pollution, and many villages across the region have been successful in earning ‘clean’ tags in the past couple of years. But there is a whole lot more to do, especially in Guwahati, one of the most important capital cities in the region.