UNEP Chief envisions plastic-free India

Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Erik Solheim on Tuesday underscored that the aim of the top global environment authority is to make India and the world plastic-free.

Speaking to ANI on the occasion of World Environment Day, Solheim said, "Our aim is to make India and the world plastic-free to avoid enormous pollution to our environment and to our own health. This must stop and there is no one better to inspire to this than Mahatma Gandhi and Sadhguru (renowned Indian spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev)."

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, the UNEP chief highlighted the importance of cleanliness.

"Gandhi once said that cleanliness is godliness."

Solheim also took to Twitter to draw an analogy between plastic pollution and violence.

"Plastic pollution represents violence against this planet. Wonderful to join a conversation with @SadhguruJV (Jaggi Vasudev) and @deespeak (Dia Mirza). The large numbers of people that have turned out really shows this an issue we all care about," he tweeted.

On a related note, World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year, and is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment.