Adopt clean practices to check pollution

Motivate residents

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to keep city clean

Effective management of waste is crucial for public health and environmental quality. The carrot-and-stick policy can serve as an effective approach to check garbage burning by offering incentives for compliant behaviour and penalties for violators. The district administration should implement systematic municipal solid waste management plans that encompass waste collection, transportation, treatment and disposal through the Municipal Corporation (MC). These plans can include rewards for individuals or areas that manage their waste with responsibility and avoid burning garbage, like discounts on property taxes or utility bills. Public recognition, awards or certificates should be given to the areas/individuals that demonstrate significant improvement in waste management. The administration should generate employment opportunities in waste management sectors, such as waste collectors, sorters or recyclers and incentivise community participation. However, the MC faces various challenges that hinder effective waste management, including inadequate infrastructure, financial resource crunch, insufficient institutional capacity, a shortage of sweepers and political interference. These issues lead to insanitary conditions and heaps of garbage piling up in public places, parks and streets. On the otherhand, to address the violators, the administration should impose fines or penalties on individuals/areas that burn garbage, litter and dump debris/garbage in parks, streets and public places. Repeat offenders should face heavy penalties, legal action and potential withdrawal or suspension of services, like waste collection, water or electricity supply. Publicly shaming perpetrators through media campaigns or public notices could also be done as a deterrent. Moreover, a lot needs to be done to motivate the residents regarding the importance of segregating garbage at source and using recyclable and biodegradable materials to alleviate the burden on landfills. Many landfills and garbage dumps located in urban areas are over-congested, improperly managed and located near densely populated areas like the one near Waryana in Jalandhar city.

Kulwant Singh Phull

Dealing with serious environmental crisis

Punjab is grappling with a growing environmental crisis, marked by rampant stubble burning and poisonous fumes emanating from vehicle pollution. The pimple on the ulcer is a troubling trend emerging amongst the residents: the alarming practice of burning their garbage. With the AQI averaging 130 and above (poor), this reckless habit is adding another layer to an already critical situation. The offenders are liable for hefty fines and punishments that the government should impose. To effectively enhance the administration’s initiatives, several key steps must be undertaken. First, a comprehensive awareness campaign should be implemented to educate and inform the people of their mistake as by burning garbage today, they have to inhale it tomorrow. The toxic gases emitted from the hazardous practice of burning garbage linger in the atmosphere for an extended period, and as the air quality index (AQI) continues to decline daily, this aggravates the situation, gradually making the air not worth breathing. If the government is able to convey the message in a formidable and advisory tone, the matter could be sorted out in an ideal way. However, if this practice still prevails in the neighbourhood of Punjab, the administration should enact a law to make these activity illegal, imposing severe penalties on those who engage in it. The punishments should strike fear into the hearts of potential offenders. Harsh consequences, including lengthy imprisonment, hefty fines and public shaming should be in place to ensure that the full weight of the law is felt by anyone who dares to take part in such actions. Now that the situation is escalating out of hand, these extreme measures need to be implemented to make Punjab a better place to live in.

Lakshit Jindal

Among worst-polluted cities of India

The residents' act of setting garbage dumps on fire is adding fuel to the fire to worsening AQI level. The environment in our city has become so much polluted that it recorded the second highest AQI level in India. So, residents setting garbage dumps on fire will further worsen the AQI level and it may become the worst polluted city of India. In such a scenario, the need of the hour is to punish the violators strictly for imperiling the respiratory health of fellow citizens. In order to save the air from pollution, not only long jail terms but strict fines should also be imposed on violators.

Sanjay Chawla

Segregate waste

at source

The air quality index (AQI) level is turning poor due to stubble burning, garbage dump, vehicular emissions and industrial pollution. It has been at its worst in recent times. There has been no respite from stubble burning because farmers find it easy to clear the field for the next crop. Breathing problems and dizziness occur due to gases released by stubble burning. So many incentives and solutions are announced every year but the situation remains the same. Massive garbage dumps are set on fire because garbage is not lifted for days, making it a major environmental and health hazard that releases toxic fumes. We are also responsible for this situation. We are throwing our waste tied in polythene bags that release harmful methane gas. The government should issue guidelines to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to reduce material at dump sites. Separating wet and dry waste and strict penalty for those who are not doing it should be contemplated. Compost from organic waste and free pick-up to process paper, metal and plastic waste should also be done. Ban dumping waste in the open and burning of waste. Public awareness campaigns on proper waste disposal and segregation should be undertaken in all schools, parks and at the community level.

Shashi Kiran

garbage burning as criminal offence

The growing menace of setting garbage and leaves on fire in urban areas is a major ecological hazard and one of the factors leading to worsening air quality and must be eliminated to save public health and environment. Though garbage burning is strictly prohibited by the Pollution Control Board, yet the practice is going on unabated. There is an urgent need to sanitise the public against this unhealthy practice through effective and constant campaigning with all available means, including social media. The municipal employees must be strictly warned against this practice and the offenders must face disciplinary action. Garbage burning needs to be treated as a criminal offence with exemplary punishment to the offenders. A special task force should be formed to supervise the incidents of burning through GPS for on-the-spot prevention, extinguishing and imposition of heavy penalties as per law. The area supervisor must be held accountable for such incidents falling under his jurisdiction.

Jagdish Chander

Poor air quality a pressing concern

Domestic garbage, stubble burning and carbon emissions from old vehicles are the primary factors contributing to air pollution. In the wake of worsening AQI, some efforts have been made during the past few years to check the burning of bio-waste while diesel and petrol-run vehicles ageing 10-15 years are being phased out gradually, with emphasis on electric vehicles to contain air pollution level. However, the issue of domestic garbage disposal, despite being a major source of air pollution, remains unaddressed in so many towns. Often dumps of household waste lie piled up in front of the houses and streets due to erratic collection and transportation, emanating a foul smell all around. Municipal authorities are conspicuously negligent in maintaining the desired hygiene and there is a colossal increase in domestic waste in big cities. Mechanical ways to replace manual scavenging too have not been adopted uniformly due to stiff opposition from safai karamcharis who fear loss of jobs. Strikingly, the households are also not seriously engaged in segregation of waste into solid and wet content for easier disposal. At some places, the residents set on fire the garbage dumps which pollute the environment very badly. The deterioration of air quality, especially in big cities, is a cause of constant worry for the health of humans and other beings. Last year, the situation turned so bad that the government had to shut schools. Besides, a temporary ban on plying of diesel vehicles was announced as a safeguard against spurt in respiratory complications. To overcome the problem of pollution on sustainable basis, the government must take strict action against the violators causing desecration of the environment. An integrated approach is the ardent need of the hour, where technological equipment for quick decomposition of crop residue must be provided to the farmers so that they use the same as fertiliser in fields, while the industrial units should be encouraged to earn incentives like carbon credits by adopting innovative ideas to control industrial pollution. Alongside, the department concerned has to be more responsive to ensure regular collection and timely disposal of domestic waste, additionally spraying disinfectants in vulnerable areas to prevent the outbreak of vector-borne diseases. As pure air and water are the basic necessities for survival of living beings and vegetation, every endeavour should be made to keep them clean, prohibiting the spread of toxic gases and chemicals into environment. Swachh Bharat Abhyan, launched with the sole objective of beautifying the cities by addressing the issues of garbage disposal and climate protection, needs further acceleration for the safety of our present and future generations as well.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Need to make collective efforts

Everyone knows that stubble burning and vehicles are the main factors for air pollution, but we are not stopping this. We neither understand our moral responsibility nor fear the administration. Now, we have also started burning garbage dumps. What are we doing? We are destroying our environment! We are not thinking about the future or our coming generations. Air pollution brings a lot of diseases. We are spreading air pollution by stubble burning, through vehicular emissions and burning of garbage. Imposing heavy fines can help decrease the air pollution, but most people burn the stubble and garbage at a time when the officials cannot reach them. The public should take an oath to stop burning stubble and garbage. When shall we understand our duty? When the public is responsible, they will not pollute the air. For this purpose, awareness is very necessary. If we want a clean atmosphere, we will have to make collective efforts.

Sucha Singh