‘SUFFOCATING MASK’ TO HIGHLIGHT PERILS OF PLASTIC

LUCKNOW: To draw the people’s attention to the perils of single-use plastic, Lucknow youth and environmental activists will cover their faces with plastic bags depicting a ‘suffocating mask’ on World Environment Day on Tuesday. The ‘mask’ will read ‘Stop Plastic Suffocation’.

This year’s Environment Day theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution” and the activists have decided to urge governments, the industry and communities to explore sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic.

These activists, from different age groups, will gather at Janeshwar Mishra Park and 1090 Women Powerline Crossing for the awareness rally from 7 am to 8 am. Spiritual leader Sadhguru, founder of Isha Foundation, has initiated the ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ campaign, in association with United Nation Environment (UNE). The foundation has joined hands with UNE for World Environment Day celebrations in over 250 locations worldwide. Foundation volunteers will also undertake ‘clean-up drives’ at these locations and also seek ban on single-use plastic. ‘Rally for Rivers’, started by Sadhguru, to revitalize severely depleting rivers of India, became one of the world’s largest environmental campaigns that saw the participation of over 162 million people.

The ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ campaign will run pan India and an attempt will be made to completely ban single use plastic. Prasoon Pandey (22), an activist, claimed, “On an average, we use 500 billion plastics bags every year, which eventually ends up in the oceans.” A final year B Tech student from Amity University, Pandey said, “Today I refused to take plastic straw and spoon, the vendor was elated and immediately stopped offering them, giving them only to those who needed them.”