NID, IBC organise webinar on combating plastic pollution

Srinagar, June 05: A webinar on World Environment Day was jointly organised by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and Indian Buildings Congress (J&K Chapter) on the theme Combating Plastic Pollution on Thursday.
The event was attended by over 100 participants including engineers, officers from the Rural Development Department, members of Indian Buildings Congress, Students and Staff from various Polytechnic Colleges, Degree Colleges, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) Engineering Colleges, including SSM College of Engineering Parihaspora. The Webinar was conducted by Ms. Avipsha Mohanty, Junior Consultant at NIDM. Er. Aamir Ali, Chairman, Indian Buildings Congress (J&K Chapter), welcomed the participants and spoke about the serious threat that plastic poses to fragile ecosystem of air, soil and water. He appreciated the initiatives taken by the Government under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Swachh Bharat Mission, in making Segregations Sheds and Plastic Waste Management Units. He appreciated the sanitation efforts made by the Rural Sanitation Department of J&K during the Shri Amarnath Yatra. Randeep Kumar Rana, Senior Advisor, NIDM, inaugurated the Webinar and stressed on integrating environmental priorities into development planning, especially in ecologically sensitive areas. He highlighted the multifaceted impacts of plastic waste, on ecological balance, livelihoods, health, and food systems and called for convergence with climate resilience planning and capacity building in green skills. Dr. G.N. Qasba, Former Commissioner, SMC and Senior Advisor, IRADe, emphasized the need for strict enforcement of Plastic Waste Management Rules, vendor registration and decentralization. He called for encouraging entrepreneurs and waste workers to convert plastic waste into opportunity. Dr. (Prof.) Ajay Bahl, Head of Emergency Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, spoke in detail about the growing health concerns related to micro-plastics. He stressed the need to shift from a linear model of consumption to a circular economy through strategies like reduction, reuse, and recycling. He also highlighted several national and global initiatives aimed at curbing plastic waste and protecting public health. Raj Kishore Kustwar, Expert from the Directorate of Rural Sanitation, J&K outlined ongoing efforts to set up segregation sheds and plastic waste management units in all Blocks and Villages of J&K. He emphasized on integrating plastic management with MGNREGA and involving Paryavaran Mitrs in villages for enforcing community-driven enforcement of single-use plastic bans. Prof Amir Khan, Head Resilient Infrastructure Division at NIDM, outlined simple and practical steps individuals can take to combat plastic pollution, such as carrying cloth or jute bags while shopping and refusing single-use plastics. Dr. Khan stressed on the importance of community-level awareness and behavioural change for long-term environmental sustainability. An interactive Question and Answer session was also held. Participants were encouraged to become champions of plastic waste reduction in their own capacities and contribute to a cleaner, healthier planet.