Lessons from the Mahabharata and microplastics

BY DR DEBAPRIYA MUKHERJEE Former Senior Scientist Central Pollution Control Board, India

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During my stay in a village, I observed with deep disappointment the growing nuisance of plastic waste, particularly after festivals, when open grounds, roadsides, and village ponds are irresponsibly used as dumping sites.

The careless disposal of plastic plates, bags, bottles, and decorative materials not only mars rural cleanliness but also contaminates soil and water, harms livestock and aquatic life, and accelerates the silent spread of microplastics through the food chain. Village ponds once vital sources of water and livelihood-are gradually turning into toxic reservoirs, not by fate but by human choice. Watching these ponds being choked with plastic reflects a painful lack of environmental awareness and civic sense.

Plastic pollution is no longer confined to oceans or landfills; it is now found everywhere-in rivers, soil, air, and even the food and water we consume. As larger plastic items fragment, they form microplastics and even nanoplastics. Though invisible to the naked eye, microplastics pose a grave threat to both environmental and human health. These particles enter our bodies through drinking water, food, air, and even salt, silently accumulating in vital organs and potentially disrupting hormonal balance, immunity, and metabolic functions. Despite their microscopic size, their impact is profound, making microplastics one of the most underestimated pollutants of our time. Such scenes are deeply disheartening, as this quiet pollution-driven by negligence rather than necessity-threatens long-term health and ecological balance far more than people are willing to acknowledge.