For greener future, need to work together, be accountable: Experts

Chennai: There’s no better time than now, as we start over after the pandemic, to set right years of ecological degradation and environmental destruction. Keeping up with the theme for UN Decade of ecological restoration, The Times of India, in association with Nippon Paints India and SSVM Institutions, organised a webinar on World Environment Day with a panel of experts discussing ways in which this goal could be achieved.

"Post the pandemic, the quantum of medical waste generated, and the ways to treat it, are likely to emerge the immediate biggest causes of concern," said Arun Krishnamurthy, founder, Environmentalist Foundation of India. "While saving lives and protecting frontline workers will be of utmost priority, we must be careful that toxic waste generation and poor disposal don’t land us in bigger danger. The amount of non-biodegradable trash generation in every household increased by 18%-22% in the past 16 months due to packed goods and package material being procured," he said.

Arun also said the hardship of the pandemic could inspire steps towards effective sanitation and waste management, much like how the GCC helped restore 268 water bodies in the city, while recovering from the 2015 floods.

The panelists also spoke about how the pandemic has demonstrated that long-standing consumption and lifestyle patterns could be altered, and lead to positive changes in the form of reduced carbon dioxide emissions. But they also pointed out how with the reopening of cities, these changes could be fleeting and stressed on the need for long-term transformation.

"In India as we don't pay our sewage and garbage bills, the government has few options to dispose of them and they land up in our sensitive ecosystems," said Niyati Sareen, project director, Water and Education, Hinduja Foundation. "People must be held accountable."

Mahesh Anand, president, Decoratives, Nippon Paint India said one of the ways big companies could bring about change was by adopting smaller MSMEs and ensuring they followed the rules. "As all our products are GreenPro certified, we take the effort to educate our suppliers of raw material, to make their products GreenPro certified as well. This is one way the manufacturing industry can ensure its processes leave minimal footprint," he said.