India and German sign agreement for clean marine environment

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Deutche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) signed the agreement on ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’. Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, MoHUA, said that 2021 marks the 63 years of cooperation between the two countries.

The attendees of the event include Kamran Rizwi, Additional Secretary, MoHUA; Dr Regina Dube, Director General, BMU; Dr Julie Reviere, Country Director, GIZ India and others. It was a virtual event which also saw the state representatives from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also the implementing cities of Knpur, Kochi and Port Blair.

Marine litter is danger for the ecosystem and it adversely affects the fishery and tourism industries across the world. It also affects the public health and increases the risk of micro plastic and its presence in the food chain. It is estimated that 15 to 20 per cent of the plastic worldwide is entering the riverine ecosystem and thereafter to the oceans. Of the total amount of plastic, 90 per cent of it is contributed by 10 most polluted rivers of the world of which two are from India namely Ganga and Brahmaputra.

This projects will support the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban with special focus on preventing the marine litters entering the rivers and water bodies at source. Cities will need the implementation of improved collection, segregation and marketing of the plastic waste.