Chizokho Vero
Kohima | September 22
With public voices demanding measures to save the planet ever increasing globally, school students in Nagaland have expressed deep concern over plastic waste through the platform of the Swachhta Pakhwada competition organized by Samagra Shiksha Nagaland here recently.
Thejavino Sophi, the prize winning essay competition on ‘Plastic waste free India’ during the Swachhta Pakhwada competition, expressed concern that the environment is being greatly affected due to pollution of air, water and eco-system, along with forest destruction, factory wastes, traffic and modern infrastructural developments.
“Of all these threats, plastic waste stands predominant,” Sophi a class X student of St. Bosco School Khonoma stated, adding that plastic wastes are harmful and eco-unfriendly because of its non biodegradability.
“Excessive use of plastic causes earth pollution, landslides, unprecedented floods and cause the fertile land to a barren land,” Sophi penned in the prize winning essay. “The Government of India should start banning the use of plastic and disposal of plastics,” she opined.
“We can and we must substitute the use of plastic bags with paper, jute and cotton which are easily degradable by mature,” she viewed, adding: “We must use eco-friendly materials and degradable substances in order to make India a plastic waste free and a better country,”
Sophi also cited some steps taken by Khonoma Village in the form of sanitation drives every month by students from Class III to X, ban on use of plastic bottles and one time use plastic bags, ban on hunting and poaching of wild animals, and ban on felling of trees for business.
“If all the people in the country can live a more thoughtful life in a nature friendly way especially by practicing environment conservation policies, use less plastic materials so as not to produce wastes that will make our country a plastic waste free country,” Sophi observed.
Yunglong of Public School Dzüvürü, Kohima meanwhile insisted: “Let us all help each other in making the world free from plastic waste and make our Mother Earth clean from plastic waste.”
Medonguno of Government High School Kigwema stressed on the need for every individual to follow the four principles- reuse, reduce, recycle, refuse. “If we refuse to use plastics we will have a bright future and protect our beautiful environment,” she maintained.
Along the same vein, Nourhevikho of Government High School Sechü Zubza in his essay urged the citizens to always use a container while going for parties or outings.
“It is high time we should reduce plastic waste and contribute ourselves in bringing it down,” he suggested.
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