Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Waste is among the most pressing environmental issues in India. As the world's second-most populous nation with nearly 1.4 billion people, India inevitably generates a staggering 277 million tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) annually. Experts estimate that by 2030, MSW is likely to reach 387.8 million tonnes and will more than double the current value by 2050. India’s rapid urbanisation makes waste management extremely challenging. Currently, about 5% of the total collected waste is recycled, 18% is composted, and the remaining is dumped at landfill sites.
The plastic crisis in India is one of the worst on the planet. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India currently produces more than 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day on average, which accounts for almost 6% of the total solid waste generated in the country. India stands second among the top 20 countries having a high proportion of riverine plastic emissions, both nationally and globally. The Indus, Brahmaputra, and Ganges rivers are known as the ‘highways of plastic flows’ as they carry and drain most of the plastic debris in the country. Together with ten other topmost polluted rivers, they leak nearly 90% of plastics into the sea globally.
To tackle this issue, in 2020, the government announced that it would ban the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of single-use plastics from July 1, 2022, onwards.
Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?
- AOption (a)
The high rate of plastic waste generation (25,000 tonnes daily) and India's second-place ranking in riverine pollution.
- BOption (b)
The catastrophic effect of riverine plastic emissions from the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra on global oceans.
- COption (c)
The vast scale and specific challenges of municipal solid waste and plastic pollution in India.
- DOption (d)
Expert estimates show the massive projected increase in India's Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) production by 2030 and 2050.
View answer & explanationHide answer & explanation
Correct answer
The high rate of plastic waste generation (25,000 tonnes daily) and India's second-place ranking in riverine pollution.