Prime Minister Narendra Modi today affirmed India’s commitment to eliminating single-use plastic.
Addressing virtually the One Ocean Summit hosted by France, he told the participants that India recently undertook a nation-wide awareness campaign to clean plastic and other waste from coastal areas. Nearly 300000 young people collected almost 13 tonnes of plastic waste.
Modi said he had also directed the Indian Navy to contribute100 ship-days this year to cleaning plastic waste from the seas.
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”India will be happy to join France in launching a global initiative on single use plastics,” the PM told French President Macron.
Modi said India has always been a maritime civilisation. ”Our ancient scriptures and literature talk about the gifts of the oceans including marine life,” he said.
The PM noted that today everyone’s security and prosperity were linked to oceans. India’s ”Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative” contained marine resources as a key pillar.
He said India also supported the French initiative of a ”High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.” “We hope for a legally binding international treaty this year,” Modi said.
