Tuesday, 08 February 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Campaigning is on full swing for the ensuing general assembly elections by all political parties but owing to the virtual campaigning this year due to Covid-19 protocols and the wide reach of digital platforms, there is a considerable decline in the use of environmentally hazardous materials such as flex and single-use plastics in Dehradun.
Campaigns generally generate a large volume of waste which was about 20 metric tonnes in the last elections in the city as per the municipal officials but this year, there is almost no waste on roads generated due to election campaigning.
The chief municipal health officer Dr Avinash Khanna said that sanitation teams are finding almost negligible garbage generated due to campaigning which mostly increases with each passing day before the elections. It can be called a positive impact of wide reach of digital platforms or precautionary measures against Covid-19 pandemic but it has certainly declined the garbage generation of plastic and flex in tonnes to almost zero ahead of the assembly elections. He said that the plastic usage has obviously increased in the city after Covid-19 hit the state but this decline in the environmentally hazardous materials like flex and single-use plastics during elections is certainly a positive sign of the improvement in the mentality of people which will be helpful in alleviating environmental conditions too.
