|
As Chennaivasis do you wake up regularly with burning eyes, an acrid taste in the throat and a heavy head? And, far reaching effects on the lungs, even though you may not realise it? There might be several reasons for this discomfiture that we feel, but one major cause is the air pollution caused by the burning of domestic solid waste every night or early in the morning by the people of the city.
It is not only during the annual festival Bhogi, but this reprehensible practice of burning waste has caught on as an everyday routine for several families and business establishments. What happens near a school in Nandanam every day is a case in pointer. Every morning members of a house in the vicinity of a school burn used plastic covers on the road, resulting in pungent odour and air pollution. Dead leaves swept away from houses and residential apartments are regularly burnt near dustbins by the watchmen, may be their last job for the day. Tires, waste cloth and almost anything meant to be thrown away are burnt these days.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board surveys Ambient Air Quality at five places in the city every morning. These areas are Anna Nagar, Kellys, IIT, Vallalar Nagar and T.Nagar. Another survey point is about to be set up in Mount Road. These surveys have shown an alarming increase in levels of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), which is a combination of respirable dust, sulphur-di-oxide, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, especially during the morning hours between 5 a m and 9 a m. Low wind speeds during these hours further compound the problem. Weather conditions like a cloudy sky result in sudden fall in temperature. This reduces heat radiation and causes an inversion layer, whereby the effects of high pollutant levels in the air are felt more acutely.
Here is a table showing pollutant levels on January 14, 2000, Bhogi day, which illustrates the problem. SPM levels are in ug/m3.
|
|
There are much better, safer and environment friendly ways of disposing garbage. Setting up eco-bins or troughs for cattle to dump vegetable waste, discarding paper, plastics and every recyclable thing only to the paperwalas, reducing garden waste to manure are some of the methods that can work. Of course, alongside, the paperwala has to be educated to dispose of the plastics only in designated areas!
Anyway, it is high time we realize the harmful impact to our health and environs caused by burning domestic solid waste. Maybe the Government can consider educating and creating better awareness among the masses on this issue by initiating a large-scale campaign and later on resorting to imposition of fines for violators.
Akshaya
More articles
|
