Today we celebrate the World Ocean Day. In the year 1992, in Global forum to have celebrated this day to provide platform to the NGO’s speaking on environmental issues. Almost, over 70% of our Earth is covered by the Ocean that comprises over 95% of the total planet water. Ocean produces 50% of the Plane’s oxygen and it is the major source of protein for the people living on Earth.
The sea has employed millions of people around the world through various means. From mining the ocean resources like pearls, oils and minerals and the supply of seafood Ocean plays an inevitable role in human lives. India also joins the clean Sea Campaign in February 2017, launched by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Let’s all be a part of something great and take a pledge to always keep our Oceans clean.
Our correspondent Akash Nirmal spoke to Jay Shringarpure one of the renowned social activists and environmentalist from Mumbai, here are excerpts of the interview:
What Indians can do to make our ocean clean?
It should start from our home. If we segregate our home dry and wet waste and remove plastic from dry waste, then recycle plastic. It will never reach to the ocean. My team is already working towards the plastic that is already available in and around Ocean. We have started from Dadar beach, going towards Mahim beach and now we are working on 40 beaches in Maharashtra. We are also creating the awareness through Social media, college visits and going door to door to recycle their plastic waste.
What are your suggestions to those who eat food from the stall on the ocean area and throw the waste into the ocean? How to manage that?
In foreign countries, they have herbal connected to their beach. But they know how to manage their waste. BMC should be able to tell the food stall how they can manage their waste and support them. Like in Goa, they also have beaches but their oceans are clean because they know how to manage their waste and not throw in the ocean.
What action government can take against serial offenders?
Indian lacks bio waste management as compared to western countries. For example, in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Dubai, if people are throwing waste in an ocean, they are fined and punished. In India we do not have such strict rules and the deterrence for law, here people take instructions casually. Government need will to deal with such issues with strong laws and vigilance. Meanwhile, people too should understand their asocial responsibility. It is the matter of civic sense.
