PARLIAMENT QUESTION: NCCR Studies on Microplastic Pollution

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, via the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), monitors micro‑, meso‑ and macro‑plastics and marine litter at selected coastal sites such as Thoothukudi and the Gulf of Mannar. Studies show synthetic filaments dominate microplastic composition, with riverine discharge and abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) as main sources. NCCR has created a Clean Coast Index (CCI) that rates both locations as ‘moderately clean’, with microplastic abundance ranging from 28 to 60 particles per 50 g of sediment and no major hotspots identified. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has banned certain single‑use plastics (effective 1 July 2022) and issued the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets; about 232 lakh tonnes of plastic packaging waste have been processed under this framework. A draft National Marine Litter Policy has been prepared for MoEFCC’s consideration.