India very near to achieve open defecation-free target: Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday said that India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has almost achieved the open defecation free (ODF) target.

"October 2 is very important for 140 crore Indians, as we will be celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. We have constructed more than 10 crore toilets. Our efforts towards freedom from open defecation are worth emulating," he told ANI.

"I hope Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare India open defecation free on 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," he added, while stressing the need for requisite measures to eliminate the single-use of plastic.

Shekhawat said that the major problem with plastic is not its usage but its disposal.

"Plastic is becoming a challenge for us with every passing day. Plastic may not be a problem but its disposal is. India uses less plastic than other countries such as the USA and China but disposing of it is its main challenge. On October 2, an event will be organised in all cities where the volunteers will collect plastic waste and will dispose of it properly," he said.

According to the United Nations, about 47 per cent of the plastic waste generated globally, came from multi-layered packaging waste. Nearly half came from Asia.

It is worth noting that globally, just 9 per cent of the plastic is recycled, about 12 per cent incinerated and 79 per cent ends up in landfills, a report by UNEP 2018 highlighted.

The organisation also found that in India, however, about 60 per cent of plastics get recycled as per estimates but most of it is downcycled, which means polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is not recycled to PET but to a low-value product.