I remember when I was young, my Amma would fetch
groceries from Tharagupet once in a month. Those groceries were packed in cones made of old newspaper. Every grocery shop had a guy who was to do the “Patnna” (the old newspaper
rolled in the form of a cone) and the groceries packet was secured by tying it with “Sutli Dhara” (Jute Twine). In those times they were not so conscious about environment, as they never breached the code of harmonious living. Now with loads of information on the environment and its hazard we are least
bothered to look for means to protect.
All of a sudden, one day, we chose plastics carry
bags. It did not take long to shift from the old newspaper “patnna” to plastic bags.
The convenience was to be blamed. It is not only the urban belt but in the rural
areas too we see them littered everywhere. These plastics come in all forms sachets,
tubes, packets, polythene, etc. It is everywhere on the roads, in the field, floating
in the lakes, every lane and every neighbourhood almost every landscape is
littered with shining plastic. We are now unaware of what has to be done with
them. They have become invincible and remain the same as they are not
degradable. They are turning the fertile soil into toxic land; blocking the rain water streams
and drainage flooding the metropolis during rains.
Plastic packets are consumed with the leftover food
by the animals which eat them. Added to this we have packed water bottles and plates
and cups which land up on the street. They are littered everywhere my entire
country is become a grand garbage dump of plastic. We are producing tons of plastic
and they have nowhere to go but to adore our landscapes. With this rate of
producing plastic soon it may be difficult to find a place free from plastic
litter.
At our homes gone are those days when we would have wooden
or steel chairs for the guests to sit on. We have replaced them with plastic
chairs, yes for aesthetic look. According to me, if I sit on a plastic chair I
feel slippery and they create weird sounds when I move. I have a friend who has
an eatery here in Bengaluru, earlier the joint was serving in steel plates
but now they are using plastic plates and plastic spoons. When I questioned my
friend about it, he says it is working out cheap and he does not have to
bother on the helpers to clean the plates nor has he got to spend on the
dishwasher detergents and water supply bills.
We consider ourselves fortunate to have savoured the
fruits of modern technology, without having to undergo any pain to
gain it. Technology has been always imposed on us gradually we inherit it, and than we assume that without it we cannot live. Technology is not the only answer to better our comfort levels, it has its own by-products which could be unpleasant too. Also sometimes
the advantages of modern technology depend on how we use it. To be in a
position to use it appropriately, we need to be a mature country.
Plastic is the result of modern technology and is
very useful. Equally enough they pose a great threat to our environment. It
requires maturity to handle it and dispose it. While we have inherited these
fruits, we haven’t got a chance to inherit the maturity. I wonder if maturity could
also be bought as the groceries my Amma would fetch from Tharagupet.
Our celebrities are busy concerned about Padmavathi than Plastic....!
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