RESIDENT SPEAK: Authorities don’t bother to check garbage burning in Ghaziabad

Garbage burning is rampant in the area of Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC). Everyday, garbage is burnt at thousands of places. The garbage constitutes of plastic and chemical waste. 

These burning causes huge air pollution which is affecting the health of people. The major contributors to the pollution are plastic and chemical waste. 

Burning of horticulture waste is also rampant all across Ghaziabad. Whenever leaves fall like around March and October, they are collected and then burnt. It contributes greatly to the air pollution.

The number of rag pickers has increased significantly in Ghaziabad. Their number is highest in Ghaziabad. Thousands of them bring plastic waste to the city. They also dispose it off by burning it. 

Today, when I was going to my office, I spotted a garbage burning on my way. I asked the person why he was burning the garbage. He said “The waste gets condensed after burning. It helps us in transporting it to other places.”

Under the “Swachh Bharat” campaign, the GMC removed thousands of dumping boxes. Currently, the collection of garbage is being done on small vehicles. But, removal of dumping boxes has affected the sanitation in big way. 

The vendors leave the waste on the roads. Subsequently, it is burnt adding pollution to the environment. The waste is also being dumped in nullah choking it completely.

The dumping boxes were removed to show to the people that there is no waste in the city. But it increased the burning of garbage which is now affecting the health of people. 

All the authorities are only content in doing work which just meets the eye of people. They do not try to understand what is required and eventually do not work towards improving the situation.

(Vikrant Sharma is a lawyer by profession. He is passionate about environment and likes to call himself an environment activist. He keeps constant vigil on garbage burning in the city. He also heads Hindon Jal Biradari, an association of activists. The association works towards conserving and cleaning Hindon River in Ghaziabad.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are his own and CitySpidey does not endorse them in anyway.