Hello,

Last month, representatives of 192 countries met in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss plastic pollution. Specifically a committee under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme negotiated the terms of a global treaty that will aim to tackle the problem of plastic pollution. The United Nations aims to finalise the treaty by the end of this year.
India, as it has done in previous rounds of the negotiations, expressed reluctance to sign on to some of the more ambitious steps proposed to address the problem, such as controlling the production of primary plastic polymers.
India’s position on these matters has left observers disappointed. Not least because its own citizens suffer immense harm from the pollution caused by the manufacture of plastic, as Vaishnavi Rathore found reporting from villages in Panipat adjacent to an Indian Oil refinery which produces plastic.

“It was fascinating to follow the story, from watching the live webcasts of the treaty negotiations happening in Canada, to then following the issue straight down to the ground in Panipat,” Rathore said. “It laid bare the gaps between treaty negotiations and local impacts.”

You can read the story here.

How India’s weak international stand on plastic pollution harms Indians

In negotiations, India has failed to support comprehensive solutions to the problem. Its own citizens suffer the worst health consequences of plastic pollution.

scroll.in

And to support more such in-depth and investigative reporting, do consider signing up to be a member of Scroll.

Scroll Membership

Support Free & Independent Journalism

scroll.in

Ajay Krishnan
Senior Editor