Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday 6 April 2018

A ROAD-MAP TO SAVE 6 MILLION LIVES


#Plastic  :  Refusing  to  fade  away

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A few weeks back , Maharashtra Government banned all sorts of plastic packaging materials

This was ( as expected ) followed by protests , not only from users but also from manufacturers / dealers etc


Then the plastic manufacturers challenged the ban in High Court ( hearing was to start on 4th April )


Not surprising since , in Maharashtra , there are :

*    950  bottle units

*   455 plastic bag / container units

*   4000 – 5000 other units engaged in processing of plastic packaging



Between them , these units employ some 4 – 5 lakh persons , whose jobs are threatened and have annual turnover of around , Rs 4,000 crore


Since announcement of the ban , hardly a day passes without the government coming out with some fresh announcement / clarification / notification / amendment / withdrawal / suspension etc

No one seems to have a grip on the situation !



REASON  ?

It is simple .  Apparently , no one in Maha Govt  had worked out a clear cut – and long term – plan called :

STEP by STEP , DISMANTLING  of the PLASTIC  INDUSTRY over 20 YEARS “,

Which sharply laid out ,

“ WHO will STOP doing WHAT , and WHEN “


And published it , way back , in 2000



Today’s chaos / heartburn / anger / frustration ( among users and manufacturers ) is entirely due to this , “ Pathetic Lack of Long Range Planning

And , believe me , 20 years from now , history will repeat , when Health Minister in the Central Government suddenly wakes up and tells his Ministry Secretary :


“ Cigarettes and tobacco are causing 12 million pre-mature deaths in India ( - current figure is 6 million )
Release a “ fatwah “ , banning all tobacco products , within next 6 months “


If we want to avoid repetition of history , I urge today’s Health Minister to read :

Going Up in Smoke ?  [  18  Aug  2013   ]



If he does , he will have also figured out what alternate jobs to provide for :

380 lakh workers engaged by tobacco industry

25 lakh pan-beedi shop walas


06  April  2018


 

   


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