Berhampur: Odisha’s well-known environmentalist Sudhir Rout has appealed to President, Election Commission of India and political parties to ensure an eco-friendly elections in 2024.
In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Sudhir said the parties may be directed to follow environment-friendly procedures during campaign elections to the Lok Sabha and several state assemblies this year.
“Let all political parties be directed to avoid using plastic banners, placards, flags and other materials made of single use plastics. Instead, they may be asked to use publicity and election materials made of clothes and minimum use of papers. The political parties may be told to avoid high decibel election campaigns to prevent sound pollution,” said Sudhir, who is working for the environment along with dedicated volunteers for two decades.
The green activist, who belongs to Ganjam district, said inclusion of environment protection in the election manifestos of the parties and pledge by the candidates for the same while the filing the nomination should be made mandatory.
He also appealed to the parties which play important role in a democracy for protection of the environment. As a degraded environment may pose a threat to the wellbeing and even existential threat to the people, the parties should declare their plans and steps to protect the environment and arrest climate change in their election manifestos.
The candidates, during filing their nominations, should pledge that they would do everything possible to protect the environment by planting trees, conserving and protecting water from being polluted and work to prevent plastic pollution.
“It has been observed that humungous plastic publicity materials are used by the political parties in the election campaign which turn into microplastics after exposure to heat and rain. Over a period of time, these microplastics float in the environment, mix with soil or water polluting land, water and air,” he said.
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