By Faridat Salifu
As global negotiations open in Geneva to shape a binding Global Plastics Treaty, India has aligned with countries like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran in resisting proposed limits on plastic production and toxic chemical use.
Delegates from 180 nations are participating in the negotiations, which aim to deliver a global treaty addressing plastic pollution over the next 10 days.
India’s position reflects a wider economic dilemma, as it balances environmental obligations with heavy investments in its fast-expanding petrochemical sector.
Back home, these industrial ambitions are already sparking environmental fallout, including in Dahej, Gujarat, where fisherfolk say marine life is collapsing near the state’s petrochemical complexes.
Communities along India’s western coast report declining catches of prawns, crabs, and fish, which they attribute to untreated effluents from the industrial plants adjoining the Arabian Sea.
The contrast between India’s diplomatic resistance to plastics regulation abroad and its pollution-linked community grievances at home is drawing scrutiny from environmental observers.
Critics say India’s reluctance to support binding curbs in the treaty text may reflect pressure from powerful domestic producers with global export ambitions.
At the Geneva talks, some delegations are pushing for upstream solutions that would cap plastic manufacturing and restrict harmful chemical additives at the source.
India, by contrast, is advocating a focus on downstream waste management solutions such as recycling and reuse, which environmentalists warn will not solve runaway production levels.
The Geneva negotiations are the fourth round in a UN-led process aimed at finalising a global treaty by 2025 to tackle plastic pollution across its lifecycle.
Observers say the outcome of this round could determine whether the treaty will include strong binding measures or remain a voluntary framework dominated by national interests.
India’s stance, amid growing evidence of environmental damage in industrial zones like Dahej, highlights the tension between development-driven plastic production and the realities of local pollution.
