A community initiative

A community initiative

Abhisht Kusum Gupta, an environmental activist from Noida, has been actively involved in addressing the issue of single-use plastic pollution through legal and community initiatives.​

Legal Actions Against Plastic Pollution

In March 2021, Gupta filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking a ban on the sale of single-use plastic at its source by halting interstate transportation from manufacturing units. He argued that the Noida Authority was not effectively enforcing the existing ban on single-use plastic, leading to widespread availability and usage in violation of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2018, and the Uttar Pradesh Plastic and Other Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Regulation of Use and Disposal) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018. The NGT directed the Noida Authority and the State Pollution Control Board to address the grievance as per the law .​

In August 2023, Gupta filed another application with the NGT, highlighting the failure of the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Boards to take action against entities violating the guidelines related to single-use plastic. He pointed out that many entities were operating without registration on the centralized portal, contributing to the failure in implementing the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 .​CaseMine

Community Initiatives

Beyond legal actions, Gupta has been instrumental in organizing community-driven initiatives to combat plastic pollution. He led a campaign in Noida where over 500 residents from 15 societies collected approximately 1,000 kg of single-use plastic waste, particularly PET bottles and food packaging materials. The collected plastic was recycled into eco-bricks, which were used to construct public toilets in areas like Sangam Vihar, Delhi. This initiative not only helped in reducing plastic waste but also contributed to community development .​

Gupta's efforts underscore the importance of both legal enforcement and community participation in addressing the challenges posed by single-use plastic pollution.

;