It is time to get serious about how we dispose our waste and discuss the consequences of haphazard disposal. Of late, we have seen civic authorities place bins marked wet and dry waste. While the indent may be laudable, most of the public simply does not know the difference between dry and wet waste. Even if they wish to segregate the items, they do not know which bin to use. It would be better if civic authorities specify which bin should be used for what, with pictorial or a graphic on each.
Most flat owners in buildings too, do not dispose their garbage correctly. Children need to be taught about garbage segregation from the school level itself, and it should be part of their curriculum. Making compost at home is good idea for people living in pensioner’s enclave. Citizens need to develop will power to tackle the garbage and dumping ground problem.
Garbage menace is causing lots of discomfort and the accumulation is causing many health diseases to bear as well. Some of Mumbai’s garbage is dumped in Navi Mumbai to save space which has already become saturated. Waste management should work in co-ordination with BMC and find amicable solution for addressing garbage problem. In foreign countries especially in Sweden the scheme of things go according to a plan for waste collection and disposal. On the other hand, in India we do not have an action plan to dispose waste and thereby resulting into piling up of garbage. Thus we should also find a solution to dispose of waste in a planned way without affecting the health of the people. Just disposing the same in sea or through the drainage system will further pollute sea water and clog the drainage system and block the free flow of water as well. It is time to take remedial steps to make sure that the Garbage accumulated is recycled as far as possible through tested methods and not affecting the environment.
Guidelines should be issued to housing societies to act in safe way of disposing garbage rather than just dumping it in another place. Our society is having a good system to dispose of the waste and NMMC sent its big truck to fill the waste and give us a helping hand. It is time to follow time tested methods and find ways and means to reuse and recycle waste in the best way possible. As a social servant I made it a point to remove accumulated garbage and old vehicles from the society to give the complex best ambiance in the recent past. This is the major reason for increase in swine flu cases in satellite city in the recent past.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
