MUMBAI: Plastic pollution is a global catastrophe that is, unfortunately, man-made. In its effort to becomes a plastic-free country, India has been working on several initiatives to beat plastic pollution. On ‘International Plastic Bag Free Day’, &TV artists speak on how a simple effort to curtail the use of single-use plastic can go a long way in helping plastic waste management. 

(Also read: Gudiya Humari Sabhi Pe Bhari to get a new time slot!)

Tanvi Dogra who plays the role of ‘Swati’ in &TV’s Santoshi Maa Sunaye Vrat Kathayein says, “It is interesting to see how the smaller towns in India have taken the lead in their drive against plastic waste. While the city of Indore rank first as the cleanest city of India, Chhattisgarh comes second, setting an excellent example for other cities to follow. I feel every citizen needs to put in effort towards making India a clean country. My family members and I promote and influence people in our social circles to replace plastic with environmentally friendly options. The problem is that we all know that plastic is toxic and takes anytime between 20 to 1000 years to decompose, but many continue to use plastic for daily use, which can be easily avoided. There are several alternatives available. We have limited the use of single-use plastic at my house and have replaced it with paper plates, metal/glass bottles, cloth bags, etc. and I urge everyone to take a conscious step in this direction for a plastic-free Bharat. 

Kamna Pathak who plays the Dabangg Rajesh in &TV’s Happu Ki Ultan Paltan says, “Being an Indorian, I am immensely proud of what my town Indore has achieved in its effort on plastic waste management. Their determination has reaped visible results, transformed the city entirely and set a perfect example for others to follow. There are a lot of good ways to celebrate the ‘International Plastic Bag Free Day’, and the easiest requires a simple resolution only. If everyone can, just for one day, choose paper over plastic, or carry their cloth/paper bags for grocery and other requirements, it can make a huge difference. Only through such collective efforts, a change can be made.” 

Sarika Bahroliya who plays the role of Gudiya in &TV’s Gudiya Humari Sabhi Pe Bhari says, “To save our environment, we all need to take collective measures to curtain usage of single-use plastics. There are plenty of alternatives available such as cloth and jute bags or even paper bags alongside biodegradable carry bags which are quite affordable. On International Plastic Bag Free Day, let us do our bit and become more environmentally responsible citizens.”

(Also read: Tanvi Dogra climbs 300 steps barefoot for TV show)