Delhi chokes in plastic

This photo shows a drain on the Delhi-Faridabad border choked with plastic waste.

Delhi faces a severe problem of plastic pollution. The metropolis generates over 1,100 tonnes of plastic waste daily. A significant portion of this remains unprocessed and ends up in the city’s already overflowing landfills.

Efforts have been made to tackle the crisis. These include waste-to-energy plants, road construction with plastic, and educational campaigns.

However, roadside vendors continue to use banned items and monitoring remains challenging. 

Plastic is a problem facing not just Delhi but the entire world. As recently as last month, the most recent negotiations towards drafting a Global Plastic Treaty, the second part of the fifth session (INC-5.2) in Geneva, failed to reach a final agreement.