To mitigate pollution in ocean, waste management on land should be more effective: Dr. Soumya Swaminathan

"Dr. Soumya Swaminathan emphasizes urgent need for improved waste management on land to prevent ocean pollution."

“To prevent pollution in ocean, waste management on land should be taken more seriously for immediate implementation,” said Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. 

She was speaking at a conference organised by M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation on ‘Multi-stakeholder consultation on addressing marine litter in the Gulf of Mannar region: A collaborative effort to safeguard the marine environment’ here on Wednesday.

She said that while the waste produced in sea was very less, more than 80% of the waste came from land because of the existing gap in waste disposal and management. 

Until fisherfolk community, a major stakeholder in the issue, demanded a more vigil waste management system and prevention of waste disposal into the sea, the situation could not be changed, she added.  

The production of fish and other marine organisms was affected very badly due to various forms of pollution in the ocean, said Dr. Soumya. 

“In an interaction with women fisherfolk in Rameswaram, I learned that the seaweed that the women used to take from the sea in the last 10 years has come down from 100kg-200 kg to 15kg-20kg,” she added.  

As the issue is multifactorial, a single solution would not be enough to contain the problem, she noted.