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Short Review | DOI: https://doi.org/
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Copyright: © Jagadish Chandra Mahanti. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Received: 30 November -0001 | Accepted: 01 January 1970 | Published: 01 January 1970
Keywords: Recycling, Pollution, Employment, Rural development, Paper & board.
Setting up industries in rural locations will solve the problem of migration of rural population to cities and reduce the environmental pollution there. This will also provide alternate employment to the rural work force who are mainly engaged in agriculture which has become unviable due to small land holdings and low wages. Recycling of used packaging to produce new products has been suggested in this paper due to growing consumption of the same, availability of raw material from waste collection, as well as, other pertinent aspects including economic, social and other benefits. Also, by collection and recycling discarded packaging, the volume of garbage and hence environmental pollution will be reduced.
Mahatma Gandhi’s idea to develop the Indian society was based on his understanding of the rural society and hence based on the village system. Talking about the importance of village, he wrote in 1936, “I would say if the village perishes, India will perish too. It will be no more India”
Through employment, the manufacturing units will provide “on the job “training to the local population and contribute to skill development. This will be of help in operating and maintaining modern farm machinery and equipment. Also, as part of their social responsibility, the units will contribute to development of the locality by promoting hygiene, education, sports and cultural activities, providing clean drinking water etc. Modern living conditions in rural areas, with better housings having running water and flush toilets, electricity (solar), cooking gas (bio), garbage disposal etc. will be the consequences of assured employment through industries.
Besides recycling, there are many other industries which are suitable for rural locations and some of them have been listed at the end of this article.
The specific resources of an area (natural, human and cultural) hold the key to its sustainable development. India, with 1.35 billion people is the second most populous country in the world (next to China) representing almost 17.85% of the world's population. With the growth rate at 1.58%, the population is predicted to cross 1.53 billion by the end of 2030. More than 50% of India's current population is below the age of 25 and over 65% below the age of 35. About 72.2% of the people live in some 638,000 villages and the rest 27.8% in about 5,480 towns and urban agglomerations. The rural people are mainly involved in agriculture, which accounts for about 50% of the country’s work force. Due to lack of suitable employment, there is large scale migration of persons from the rural areas to cities often for lowly paid menial jobs. This migration mainly of the male adult population who are often forced to live in inhuman conditions is causing socio-economic problems both in rural & urban areas.
II, Evils of Rural Migration
The migration of population from rural to urban areas is mainly due to:
According to 2011 Census:
This increase in urban population is a matter of concern as, in the metros and urban areas, the basic needs like land, air and water have become highly polluted. Mountains of garbage emitting obnoxious gases and choked water bodies are common features. Untreated sewage pollute the rivers and water bodies consequently, the ground water and soil. The toxins enter the food chain through vegetables grown in the banks. Also, facilities like housing, sanitation, education and health care etc. are inadequate and highly stressed.
This migration of the rural population has to be reversed and can only be achieved by improving the employment opportunities and living conditions in rural areas by setting up manufacturing units utilising local wealth, human and material particularly, agro based units. China is an example, where the rural enterprises known as Township and Village enterprises (TVEs) have contributed remarkably to rural development and economic growth with empowerment of women and reversing the migration to cities.
Presently in India, industry accounts for only 24.2% of the GDP and the major part i.e. 57.9% through services). Also, all the recent startups are located close to urban centers like major cities, ports etc. Central and Eastern states account for only 0.2% of the start-up investment. Also, Agri-tech is not at all prominent although agriculture is an important part of the Indian Economy.
III, Gandhian Philosophy.
Mahatma Gandhi, was probably the first among our leaders to promote rural employment and sustainable development. His concept of rural development meant self-reliance with least dependence on outsiders. The Swadeshi Movement was launched through spinning and weaving to promote Khadi. This also provided livelihood to the rural people. The other emphasis was curb on excessive consumption of the resources as it adds to wastage and pollution. His thought provoking statement “there is enough on this earth to meet the need but not the greed “has now become an universal slogan for ensuring environmental protection and sustainable development. He also believed that our natural resources although degraded and abused beyond sustainability, still have the potential to support our people. However, we need to discipline ourselves for managing our resources and environment carefully. This calls for a radical change in our planning strategy.
Mahatma Gandhi’s idea to develop the Indian society was based on his understanding of the rural society and hence based on the village system. Talking about the importance of village, he wrote in 1936, “I would say if the village perishes, India will perish too. It will be no more India” (Harijan. 29.08.36.) He was aware of the realities of the village life and knew the plight of the villagers. He wrote, “instead of having graceful hamlets dotting the lands, we have dung-heaps. The approach to many villages is not a refreshing experience. Often one would like to shut one’s eyes and stuff one’s nose, such is the surrounding dirt and offending smell”. (Gandhi: Constructive programmes – its meaning and place). His emphasis on removal of rural poverty have been well brought out in his writings.
That villages can set examples of clean, healthy and modern living has been shown by Mawlynnong a village in Meghalaya, which has become an international tourist destination.
IV, Sustainable Development through from Rural Industries.
Setting up of manufacturing industries suitable for individual rural locations will play a leading roll in socio-economic development of rural India and hence, contribute to the overall development of the country. It will meet the growing demand for materials of consumption as well as, provide alternate employment to members of rural families thereby contributing to sustainable development i.e.
Through employment in industries, the manufacturing units will provide “on the job “training to the local population and contribute to skill development. This will be of help in operating and maintaining modern farm machinery and equipment. Also, as part of their social responsibility, the units will contribute to development of the locality by promoting hygiene, education, sports and cultural activities, providing clean drinking water etc. Modern living conditions in rural areas, with better housings having running water and flush toilets, electricity (solar), cooking gas (bio), garbage disposal etc. are the consequences of increased industrial employment and not the other way around.
V, Recycling of used packaging.
Besides agro based industries, recycling of used packaging is one of the industries suitable for rural location. Recycling of any material after use is essential for Global sustainability. It prevents depletion of natural resources and protects the environment. Industries engaged in recycling produce articles of consumption from waste material with lower or no pollution of the environment and at the same time, provide employment opportunities. Hence both developed & developing countries are encouraging the same through incentives and legislations.Considering the importance of Recyclables as a natural resource, Mr.Ranjit Singh Baxi President of the Bureau of International Recycling ( BIR, Head quarter at Brussels*) has announced that the first Global Recycling Day will take place on 18th March 2018.
Even in rural areas, most of the items of daily use like groceries, snacks & sweets, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, garments etc. are packed in pouches, folding cartons or cardboard boxes. Also, corrugated containers are used for bulk transport of almost all items. A major part of these packaging are discarded after use and since, there is no organised garbage collection system, these are dumped on any available open land usually meant for recreation and cattle grazing. This is causing hazards to the health of humans and animals besides environmental pollution which, will be reduced by collection for recycling. However, the wastes have to seggregated at source and recyclable materials should be kept separate from other domestic garbage free from contamination.
VI, Benefits of manufacturing by recycling:
a. Preventing depletion of natural resources.
b. Lower cost & wide spread availability of raw material.
c. Non-polluting operation.
d. Lower consumption of Utilities (Water, Fuel & Electricity).
e. Environmental protection by reducing land & air pollution.
f. Lower investment in setting up the plant.
VII, Other suitable Rural Industries.
In addition to recycling of used packaging, there are several other industries suitable for rural locations, some of which are mentioned below:
Sugar, sugar products & bi-products.
Jute processing & production of hessian, bags, ropes etc.
Food processing & preservation. ( Sauces, Squash & Syrups, Pickles, processed fruits & vegetables )
Processed cereals & grains.
Spices, cooking oils etc.
Ready to eat food. ( Chapatis, Parothas, Samosas, Rolls, Snack platters, Mini- meals etc. )
Organic Fertilisers/ Manures.
Wood products ( Doors, Windows, Furniture ).
Paper plates, cups, glasses etc.
Pulp moulding : egg trays, fruit trays etc.
Polythene granules & mouldings/ Containers, Furnitures.
Hollow bricks & other construction items.
VIII, Harnessing Solar Energy.
Most rural areas suffer from inadequate electricity supply due impropper distribution net work and low capacity utilisation of generating plants. Today, the global tendency is to change over to renewable sources of energy to avoid generation of green house gases and land pollution. Since, open land should not a problem in rural areas, industries there should meet part of their heat and electricity requirement by harnessing Solar energy. Highlighting the importance the country gives to solar power, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi said at the COP21 climate conference in Paris in 2016 “ The world must turn to ( the ) sun to power the future.”
Clean environment is essential for economic development of the country through tourism and investment in commerce and industry. Naturally, nobody would think of visiting a country again or have long term plans about it, if his first experience has not been very pleasant. Hence, for socio–economic benefit of the country, the Government must encourage setting up industries in rural areas through support and incentives. However, it has to be ensured that the industries fulfil their social responsibility for environmental protection and ensure that their operation does not in any way harm the environment.
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