Trash to ash: BBMP’s burning problem

[1]

With the garbage crisis growing unmanageable, heaps of it were burnt by pourakarmikas and even Benga­lureans themselves at several places in the city on Thursday. Garbage was burnt at among other places, in Kumara Park (West) and Armstrong Road, inviting the wrath of environmentalists, who point out that they are simply creating just another health hazard.

“The garbage has not been cleared for over eight days on Armstrong Road and the heap is growing bigger by the day. So we are compelled to set it on fire. At least this way we can be sure there will be no spread of epidemics,” says Mr Nagaraj, who runs a steel fabrication shop in the area.

To Mr Wasim, who lives on Armstrong Road burning of the garbage appears the only solution with Bakrid fast approaching. “We cannot let the garbage pile up in front of the masjid. Offering prayers will be difficult with the stench in the air,” he says. But environmentalist A. N. Yellappa Reddy stresses that burning of garbage is not the solution as it will not protect people's health. Instead, it could create more serious problems as, when garbage is burnt, it releases many cancer causing chemicals into the air and also toxins that affect the reproduction system of women.

“The garbage that is produced in the city is mixed with plastic material. Burning of the plastic releases polyvinyl chrolide containing dioxins into the atmosphere, which act on the platelets of women and affects their reproductive system. In addition, chloride particulate material goes into the stratosphere and affects the ozone layer too,” he warns, adding that many of the chemicals discharged into the atmosphere even cause cancer.

“The garbage should be treated scientifically. After a long deliberation, a policy on garbage was drafted and submitted to the BBMP for implementation. But unfortunately, corporators are merely sitting on it,” he regrets, advising the authorities to segregate the garbage piled up in the city with the help of pourakarmikas and ragpickers and send it to the landfills for scientific processing.