'Burning waste leads to air pollution'

This is the system being followed in Mandya city, which is said to have won laurels for its planning of urban spaces and cleanliness in the country.

While the CMC has been spending thousands of rupees for the solid waste management in city, some employees are making their work easier by burning the garbage, especially at parks, where people seek refuge for getting fresh air.

By doing this, the employees either knowingly or unknowingly are polluting the environment and the officials who have to take steps to conserve the environment are themselves turning blind eye towards the issue, thereby indirectly supporting those erring workers.

By burning garbage at the dustbins or accumulated waste on the streets, the life of the innocent public are put into a lot of hardship as they have to bear the smoke for the whole day. Some of the residents are also complaining of breathing problems.They do not burn only dry waste, but it is a mixture of plastic waste, rotten waste, old clothes and others, which is said to emit toxic vapours, complain the residents.

The burning of plastic emits chlorine, bromine vapours which indirectly affects the ozone layer. The once pure fresh air is turning poisonous and according to the information from CMC, they have paid ` 14,697 as rent for the vehicle that shifts waste; It was `  44,709 for November and `  39,600 for the month of December.

Meanwhile, it has been decided to ban usage of plastic less than 20 microns in the city. But the district administration before convening the Standing Committee meeting and and calls for conserving environment should immediately instruct the workers to stop the practice of burning the waste.