Going up in smoke

Trash trail

The problem of burning garbage is not a new one for Bangaloreans. Be it in residential areas or public spaces, it is a common sight to see heaps of leaves, home-generated waste, plastic, old tyres and other hazardous items being ‘incinerated’.

Possibly the worst means of disposing of waste, it is considered most harmful in terms of health and pollution.

And it isn’t only about the smoke, dozens of respiratory diseases and copious amounts of toxins released into the air or the stench of burning that are cause for concern — the frequency with which it is done since the garbage problem struck the City is itself a matter of worry that must be addressed immediately by the concerned authorities.

“Waste should be disposed of in a better and cleaner way. For anyone with even a bit of civic sense, burning it is not even an option,” says Arjun Rao, a software engineer.

   But he adds that given the issue at hand,  alternative methods need to be in place first.

“There needs to be proper waste segregation and pick up, waste treatment plants and incinerators ready to process the capacity of waste generated by the City,” he notes.

Aseem Patil, a student, feels similarly about the issue.

“Burning garbage just creates more garbage in different forms and you only get rid
of the immediate problem of disposal. What people don’t realise is that it continues to pollute the air. If we can’t do our part in conserving the earth, we have no right to keep whining about global warming and its associated impacts, says Aseem, adding, “A lot of the waste that is burnt can be recycled. It really isn’t that hard to segregate wet and dry garbage at the home level.”

While the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claims that it imposes small penalties on those who commit this ‘crime’, there is no relief to residents living around areas where the problem manifests itself over and over again.

In fact, more and more citizens fall prey to the menace, knowingly and unknowingly.

“First, it was the allergies because of the pollen flying around and now, it’s increased coughing and wheezing because of all the garbage being burnt so close to home,” complains Lalitha, a homemaker living in Malleswaram. The BBMP, on their part, feels that the problem is less rampant these days.

“We are trying to do what we can to stop this problem by educating the contractors and garbage collectors who do this to reduce their task. It’s the educated ones doing it that’s hard to curb,” says an official, who did not want to be named.