The more things change, the more they stay the same. The saying holds true in the case of plastic pollution for Supriya Sahu, an IAS officer. As a collector in early 2000, she successfully led a campaign for plastic-free Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu. Today, more than two decades later, she is again leading the charge against plastic pollution in the entire state. In an interview with Rajiv Tikoo, she talks about what motivated her then, particularly in the absence of laws, and what keeps her going today with the help of technological innovations that can serve as examples for adoption by other states. Edited excerpts:
When you, as a collector, successfully led a campaign for plastic-free Nilgiris in early 2000, you were probably ahead of the times. What was the trigger?
Disturbing visuals of the post-mortem of cattle and elephants, establishing the bitter fact that animals were feeding on plastic, were the prime triggers for the campaign. With water bodies being choked with plastic, the situation was such that I could almost visualise a scenario of death by plastic, and it hit me very hard. It got me thinking about the future of our beautiful district and we decided to act on it.
We were indeed ahead of the times. We neither had any plastic ban notifications, nor any guidelines for reference. We realised that to do something we had to bring together local communities, especially Panchayats and municipalities. Back then it was easier to convince Gram Sabhas as well as municipalities to pass resolutions to ban plastics.
What were the major issues then and how did you address these?
The major threats were plastic bags, plates and disposable cups and we targeted these three items specifically, and then figured out solutions for an alternatives for the banned plastic items.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Automation is Redefining Efficiency and Precision in Jewellery Manufacturing'
Increasing brand consciousness and awareness among consumers is helping expand the organised jewellery retail industry. MP Ahammed, chairman of Malabar Group, discusses prominent trends in the jewellery industry
BATTLE TO WIN THE AI RACE
In Supremacy, Parmy Olson tells the astonishing and behind-the-scenes story of the battle between the world’s two leading artificial intelligence firms, OpenAl and DeepMind and the continuing rivalry of its founders Sam Altman and Demis Hassabis respectively
A LEADER WHO EMPOWERS
Anshul Arzare, MD and CEO of YES SECURITIES, wants to ensure a workplace where employees not only contribute to the company's vision but also feel content
EV Unplugged
Electric vehicles are crucial to India’s climate change plan. But reliance on China for imports and technology constraints remain hurdles the sector needs to overcome
Every Lamborghini Owner is a Brand Ambassador
Regional director of Automobili Lamborghini, Francesco Scardaoni, talks to Prachi Khanna about the brand’s approach to fostering a sense of community among its vehicle owners. Edited excerpts
NO ZEST FOR ZED
A government initiative to green MSMEs is not finding enough takers
SMALL PLANTS, BIG TROUBLE
Climate-triggered stress is placing an unprecedented burden on small businesses. But a lack of access to climate aid hinders the sector's ability to adopt greener methods
'We Think About the Rider More Than Any Other Company
Rapido co-founder Aravind Sanka talks to Neeraj Thakur and Deepsekhar Choudhury about how flexibility and fair pay helped his company disrupt the Ola-Uber duopoly. Edited excerpts
LABOUR PANGS
Rising cost of living in a fast-growing economy is making workers restless
'Hustle is No Virtue'
It has become fashionable to talk about the verb “hustle” these days, especially in professional settings.