World Environment Day 2023: Embrace ‘Manjappai', The Cloth Bag, Avoid Plastic and Save Environment

Inordertoreduceplasticusage,single-useplasticusageincludingpolythenecarrybagsinparticularatvariouslevels,theIndiangovernmenthasbeentakingstrictmeasuresforyears.Despitetheefforts,theresultswerenoteffectiveinIndia.Manymicroandmacro-levelstudiesclearlyindicatethatsingle-useplasticisthebiggestcontributorwhenitcomestoplasticpollution.

Inaddition,itcreatesaseriousenvironmentalcostthatresultsinsocietalwelfarelosses.Therefore,tocreateawarenessaboutthispollutionissueamongpeople,UNEPselectedthetheme#BeatPlasticPollutionasWorldEnvironmentDay2023theme.Thisyear,5June2023marksthe51stWorldEnvironmentDay.

Indiaisthehostcountry.ItsmeetingwasheldinDelhi.Sincethen,Allthestategovernments,TamilNaduinparticular,takethisissuemoreseriouslythanbefore.

Aspartofthat,theGovernmentofTamilNaduingeneralandtheDepartmentofEnvironment,ClimateChangeandForest,inparticular,hasadoptedafour-prongedstrategyon27November2021tobeatplasticpollutionandrootoutsingle-useplasticsinthisterrain.Ofthem,oneofthestrategiesistocoordinateandinterfacewithstakeholderstodesignandpopularisesustainableeco-friendlyalternatives.Asfarascarrybagisconcerned,itwasdecidedtoaskpeopletouseclothcarrybaginsteadofpolythenecarrybag.

Followingthis,Governmentstarteditsawarenesscampaignon'MeendumManjappai'(againyellowclothbag)on23December2021.Sincethen,theGovernmentisconductingalotofawarenesscampaignsatthedistrictlevelthroughvariousactivities.Nodoubtitisagoodmove.Butthequestioniswhy'MeendumManjappai'(colourclothcarrybag)becauseitconsistsofbleaching,dyeingandprintingactivitiesthatareattributedtoindustrialwaterpollution,whichisalreadyaseriouspollutionproblemcomparedwithothertypesofthepollutionproblemindevelopingcountrieslikeIndia.

Lookingback,peoplewenttotherationshopandgroceryshop,etc.withclothbagsincludingyellowbags.Overaperiodoftime,thereisaseachangeamongpeopleinusingatypeofcarrybagsingroceryshops,etc.purchasebutatthesametime,thereisnochangeamongpeopleinrationshoppurchases.Peoplearestillbringingseveralclothbagstobuyrationmaterialsfromrationshops.

Toreachthemassofpeople,easytoremindandeasytopopularise,theGovernmentisusingtheslogan'MeendumManjappai'.Nodoubtitwillattracttheattentionofeveryone.Ithastravelledoneandhalfyearsinceitstarted.

Followingthis,GovernmentdecidedtosetupManjappaiVendingmachinesinmanypublicplaces.Peoplecangetitatanaffordablecost.Wehavetowelcomeitbutatthesametime,wehavetorethink:Whynotchoose'PlainGadaclothcarrybag' insteadof'Manjappai'?PlainGadaClothcarrybagdoesnotrequirebleaching,dyeingandprintingactivitiesandtherefore,itisgreenandgoodforasustainableliving.

IfManjappai(anycolour)aPlainGadaclothcarrybagisasustainablechoiceforliving,thenwhydoweneedplasticbags?

(ThisarticlehasbeencontributedbyPChandrasekaran,Sr.ProjectAssociate,CareEarthTrust,Chennai.)