Plastic pollution is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this issue and also the government's initiatives in this regard.

India is the largest producer of plastic waste until 3.2 mt waste generated annually Nature. Plastic pollution = environmental waste. 1) Burning of plastic and release toxic gases like Furans and Dioxins. 2) Plastic clogs and accumulate in rivers/ponds causing water pollution. 3) Affect soil fertility by affecting its alkalinity and pH value. 4) Affect biodiversity since animals like cow ingest plastic and die. 5) Plastic seeps into food chain in form of micro plastics and lead to bioaccumulation.

Mitigation measures to deal with this issue: 1) Replacing plastics with alternatives like Jute/cloth etc. 2) Use of technology like FAST PETase enzyme to degrade accumulated plastic. 3) Disposing plastic using deep well infection & burning with carbons capture and storage. 4) Removing single use plastics. 5) Recycling plastic and reusing it in areas like road construction. 6) Raising awareness among people to reduce reliance on plastic. 7) Proper collection and segregation of plastic waste for proper disposal.

Government initiatives for this: 1) Plastic waste management rule with emphasis on extended producer responsibility. 2) Phasing out of single use plastics like storing, cup etc. 3) Increasing the attributes of plastic bags to 12z missing from 75 micron cable. 4) Creating waste to wealth plants. 5) Using plastic in road construction. 6) Scheme like Swachh Bharat Mission focusing on collection and segregation. 7) Engaging on platforms like UNEP plastic treaty for global regulation - sustainable plastic management is key to achieve SDG-14 in blue water CPS deal.