West Bengal's 'Beat the Plastics' Initiative: A Call to Action

Senior West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya urged mothers and their children to curb the use of single-use plastics at a school gathering for World Environment Day. Emphasizing the importance of replacing plastic with biodegradable materials, she stressed that mothers could lead this transformative change.

The minister announced that from Thursday, 5,000 state-run and -aided schools will participate in the 'Beat the Plastics' campaign. Schools will install numerous disposal bins to collect plastic waste, and the school accumulating the most will receive a reward, encouraging active student participation.

Environmental visionary Kalyan Rudra, WBPCB Chairman, highlighted Rabindranath Tagore's early warnings on pollution. He reinforced the urgency of tackling environmental degradation through public awareness and utilising technology, including the 'Paribesh' mobile app, for real-time pollution issue reporting.

(With inputs from agencies.)