The latest notification by the government of Nagaland reviewing and reiterating the Ban on Single Use Plastics in Nagaland is a welcome step forward in the fight against plastic pollution. The menace of plastics and the serious environmental and ecological challenges posed by rampant use of such items is real and the government’s proactive action is laudable. While it remains to be seen just how far the ban on plastics will be effective, it is noteworthy to be mentioned here that the government’s decision to ban the listed single use plastic items is an achievement in itself. Of course, the state government was simply acting in pursuance of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2021 notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India. Nonetheless, be it the union government or the state government, the notification gives the much needed impetus to plastic warriors and conscientious citizens.
Time and again, the government issues various orders and notifications in public interest but more often than not do they tend to fail. The programs may be projected as successful on paper but very often do we see the contrast in reality which are contradictory to what is projected on paper. Further, it is common knowledge that most government functionaries do not serve with dedication. Most only serve to meet their obligations in their places of posting and position. They seem to lack the zeal in discharging their duties. There could be reasons unbeknownst to the common people why they do so but most government official functionaries do not have the will or passion to invest their knowledge, energy, resources or talent in the service of the people other than nominally performing their obligations.
Issues like the menace of plastic pollution require more than a government policy or order to be effectively addressed. On issues like this, the people look up to the government functionaries to own up and provide the leadership apart from performing their formal obligations. The Ban on Single Use Plastics has been there for some years now, which has now been reviewed and reiterated. However, not much progress has been made thus far. This time, with the right kind of leadership, it is expected that the campaign against plastic pollution would be more meaningful.
Promoting and encouraging concerned citizens and advocacy groups can also prove to be instrumental in executing the ban more effectively and yielding the desired results. It is to be noted here that the ban on plastics requires more than a strict implementation of the rule for it to be successful because it entails lifestyle, habits, education and awareness. As per the latest notification, a District Task Force is already in place to monitor the execution of the ban. This time, hopefully, it will not require a civil society organization to dispatch a missive to the authority concerned to flag the issue.