Daily plastic waste generation in India : 15,000+ tonnes What can we do about it?

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1 18/09/2017 Monday Prashant Mavani, is an expert in current affairs analysis and holds a MSc in Management from University of Surrey (U.K.). Above all he is a passionate teacher.

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5 Daily plastic waste generation in India : 15,000+ tonnes What can we do about it?

6 Channelling this waste into road-building should be a necessity than an option. It is a cheap input that could pull down road construction costs. Given how many more kilometres India needs to add to its road network, any legitimate reduction in costs is always welcome. As per the World Economic Forum (WEF), India has already built some 21,000 miles of roads using plastic waste. How to? A mix of aggregate (sand and stone chips) and bitumen heated at 165 C and 160 C, respectively, is added to shredded plastic, and the resulting mix is then added to some more hot bitumen. The new material mix is reported to have superior binding.

7 While bitumen usage is cut because of plastic thereby reducing the carbon footprint of road construction plastic roads have certain other advantages like greater durability than asphalt-concrete roads because they don t absorb water, and therefore, exhibit lesser rutting. While the civic authority in Bengaluru has experimented with plastic roads building some 600 km of thoroughfare and roads using plastic blend many other cities in the country are catching on; some are even considering this as a part of their smart-city plan. The Centre even issued a set of guidelines for plastic blending in November 2015 for its flagship rural roads programme, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Plastic roads are quite the rage in the European Union which has taken on massive environmental conservation and pollution mitigation goals too. Meanwhile, monikered the plastic man of India, Professor R Vasudevan of Thiagarajar College of Engineering in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has developed a cement block/stone substitute popularly called plastone that uses granite/stone waste and even industrial slag blended with plastic to create non-porous, water-resistant blocks that are being used to line canals and other flowing water bodies.

8 Ministry of External Affairs External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the annual United Nations General Assembly session in New York beginning today.

9 It was established in 1945 after the World War II During that time 50 countries were its members. Main purpose that time was averting a world war. General Assembly World Parliament 193 countries coming together in New York. To deliberate on the matters of peace and security. Resolutions are passed here to make policies for the world. It is basically about making a better future for the whole world.

10 Mrs Swaraj will address the session on Saturday. Mrs Swaraj will begin her official engagement today with a trilateral meeting with the Foreign Ministers of US and Japan to give momentum to their cooperation. She will also attend a high-level meeting on UN Reforms to be hosted by the US and chaired by its President Donald Trump. India is among the 120 countries who have supported the reform efforts of the UN Secretary General.

11 PMO Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, his government will open museums in different parts of the country to acknowledge contribution of tribals in India's freedom struggle. He made the announcement after laying the foundation stone for one such museum at Sadhu Bet near Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in Narmada district in Gujarat yesterday. Sadhu Bet is a small island on river Narmada where the state government is building Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 182-metre tall statue. Addressing a public meeting at Dabhoi in Vadodara district, after dedicating the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the nation, Mr Modi said many tribals sacrificed a lot while fighting numerous battles for India's independence between 1857 and Shilpit Sinh was a Tribal king and under his flag Lashkaria Amba fought with British in 1842.

12 Ministry of Home Affairs Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asserted that the centre will not resume dialogue with Pakistan unless it takes steps to stop infiltration activity along the borders. Mr Singh said, the first bullet will not come from the Indian side, but it will give a fitting reply if the neighbouring country uses the bullet first. He said, the fact that India is a peace- loving country does not mean that it would keep quiet if peace is disturbed along the borders. The Home Minister said, Centre is resolved to build a new India by 2022 and called upon people to supplement the government s efforts in this regard. Aim is to get rid of poverty, unemployment, corruption, illiteracy, terrorism and naxalism from the country by 2022.

13 Ministry of Defence The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been experiencing heavy rains and resultant rough/very rough seas since 13 Sep 17. It was also intimated that a number of passengers, who had their flights scheduled for the morning of 18 Sep, were stranded and required to be brought to Port Blair. Two ships of the Naval Component, INS Bangaram and INS Battimalv (Fast Attack Craft class) were sailed for the mission despite torrential rains and very rough weather. 24 civilian tourists (10 ladies, 10 men and four children) were embarked on board INS Bangaram at Havelock and ferried to Port Blair. Additionally, 54 Officers from Defence Services Staff College, who are on a visit to the islands and stranded due to cancellation of MAKRUZZ, were also embarked on the ships. Thus a total of 78 stranded personnel were ferried back to Port Blair on the two ships. In the traditional role of support to civil authorities, the tourists were given accommodation inside the ship as the sea state was very bad and were also served with refreshments.

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15 Some of the Caribbean islands, which were devastated by Hurricane Irma, are bracing for a possible second major storm in two weeks. Tropical Storm Maria has been upgraded to a category one hurricane, the lowest on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, by the US National Hurricane Center. The Center said, the Hurricane is headed towards eastern Caribbean with a wind speed of 120 kilometres per hour, and is expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours. Hurricane warnings and watches have been issued at many islands. Hurricane Irma, the category five storm, had hit some of these islands leaving at least 37 people dead.

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17 Questions 1) Name a Carrabien country with which India has a very good Cricket relations. 2) Where do you find 8 and 9 channel in India? 3) Biggest river island of India? 4) In which layer of Atmosphere do we find Ozone shield? 5) What is the theme of 23 rd World Ozone day?

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