India and Germany sign agreement on ‘Cities combating plastic entering the marine environment’

India and Germany signed an agreement on Technical Cooperation titled ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’ at a virtual ceremony  on 19th April 2021. The project, aimed at enhancing practices to prevent plastic accumulation in oceans that is adversely affecting marine ecosystems, will be undertaken at the national level(Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), 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.

About Marine litter
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 risk of particles entering the food chain.

Major Sources of Marine litter
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.