India committed to eliminating single-use plastic,says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is committed to eliminating single-use plastic. Addressing the high-level segment of One Ocean Summit on Friday, Modi said that India has recently undertaken a nationwide awareness campaign to clean plastics and other wastes from coastal areas. He said, three lakh young people collected around 13 tonnes of plastic waste. The Prime Minister also informed that the Indian Navy has been directed to contribute 100 ship days this year to cleaning plastic wastes from the seas. Mr Modi added that India will be happy to join France in launching a global initiative on single-use plastic.  In his address, the Prime Minister said that India has always been a maritime civilization and today our security and prosperity are linked to oceans.

Modi mentioned that India's Indo - Pacific Ocean Initiative contains marine resources as a key pillar. "India supports the French initiative of a High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction. We hope for a legally binding international treaty this year," he added. The objective of the Summit was to mobilise the international community to take tangible action towards preserving and supporting healthy and sustainable ocean ecosystems. One Ocean Summit was organised by France in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank. The summit concluded on Friday.