India and Germany have entered a partnership to establish a programme, ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’, to ensure that waste is not discharged into rivers or seas. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety signed an agreement on a project titled ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’ at a virtual event in New Delhi. The project, aimed at enhancing practices to prevent plastic accumulation in oceans that are adversely affecting marine ecosystems, will be undertaken at the national level in select states—Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Andaman Nicobar Islands, and in the cities of Kanpur, Kochi and Port Blair— for a period of three and a half years. Marine litter threatens ecosystems and adversely affects fishery and tourism industries around the globe. In addition to negative economic impact, it affects public health with increased concerns about micro-plastic and the risk of particles entering the food chain. Currently, the level of plastic waste that has accumulated in our oceans and marine ecosystems through the increased production and use of durable synthetic materials has alarmed the public and policymakers. It is estimated that 15-20% of all plastics are entering oceans via riverine ecosystems, of which 90% are contributed by 10 of the world’s most polluting rivers. Two of these river systems are located in India, namely Ganga and Brahmaputra. While accurate data on plastic waste and marine litter, in particular, is largely unavailable for most parts of the country, this project will support the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban’s implementation with a special focus on preventing plastic litter from entering the rivers and water bodies at the source. In this regard, cities will be enabled to improve the collection, segregation, and marketing of plastic waste, prevent plastic disposal to water bodies and improve port and marine waste handling. This will be combined with data management and reporting systems, civil society involvement and increased cooperation with recyclers and the recycling industry through a digital platform. The new project is envisaged to be another successful collaborative effort under the Indo-German Bilateral Development Corporation working on sustainable urban transformation. Image Source Also read: Water sector: India-Netherlands enter strategic partnership Also read: VA Tech Wabag bags huge order under National Mission for Clean Ganga Also read: Plastic ban: Centre to phase out single-use plastics by 2022