Beat Plastic Pollution is the theme of this year's World Environment Day.
On World Environment Day, renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on Monday tweeted a photo of an art he made on Odisha's Puri beach to raise awareness about reducing the use of plastic. The Odisha-based artist made a sand sculpture of a turtle and the impact of discarded plastic bottles on marine life. The World Environment Day is observed on June 5 as an occasion to remind people about their shared responsibility to protect and nurture the environment. Plastic has been labelled as one of the biggest pollutants, both on land and in sea.
"On the occasion of #WorldEnvironmentDay2023 , My SandArt on a turtle by using 2320 plastic bottles with the message "#BeatPlasticPollution " #UnPlasticIndia, at Puri beach in Odisha. India," Mr Pattnaik said in his tweet.
The sand art image carries two hashtags - #BeatPlasticPollution and #unplasticindia - based on this year's theme.
His followers and other Twitter users liked the art and lauded the artist's effort in raising awareness about the environment.
"Wah!! Great sir you are the inspiration for the many generations to come," said one user. "Together, we can make a difference and create a greener future for all," tweeted another.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairperson, Justice Arun Mishra, meanwhile, said that plastic has emerged as a serious threat to environmental pollution and this year's theme underlines the urgent need to combat the detrimental effects of plastic on the planet.
"This year's theme very aptly underlines the urgent need to combat the detrimental effects of plastic on our planet and promote alternative eco-friendly usable replacing single-use plastic material, which is necessary to preserve human life and protect rights. In this regard, rigorous policy decisions to check the spread of plastic and other such pollutants which endanger our environment and climate are required," he said.
World Environment Day 2023 is being hosted by Ivory Coast, in collaboration with the Netherlands, showcasing their leadership in fighting plastic pollution. Ivory Coast banned plastic bags in 2014, promoting reusable packaging, and their city of Abidjan has become a hub for eco-conscious startups, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability.