Dr. Pragy Khanna
John Steinbeck (1902–1968), an American writer once said, “The Mountains of things we throw away are much greater than the things we use. In this, if in no other way, we can see the wild and reckless exuberance of our production, waste seems to be its index”.
The unpleasant smell and ugly sight of garbage dumped on the roadside, sometimes overflowing from drains or floating on the surface of rivers, is not at all uncommon in India. It is disgusting, until you get used to it and begin to ignore it.
On my recent visit to Devika Ghat, Udhampur in connection with a preliminary visit for my recently awarded Research Project the J&K Science, Technology and Innovation Council, Dept. of Science & Technology, J&K to study the “Hydro-chemical impact assessment, study of anthropogenic pressure and mass public awareness on protection of Devika stream and adjoining underground sources of water (bowlis) at Dist. Udhampur, (J&K)” I was in utter dismay to see the similar condition of the holy stream and the adjoining area due to the apathy and sheer neglect of the general public.
Since the spot has a religious sanctity and significance, it is heartbreaking to find the once beautiful flowing stream is such a horrid condition now. By tradition and religious outlook, water bodies have always been seen as a responsibility of citizens and the community. It is rather very distressing to find the holy Devika facing the wrath of the people who visit or reside in its vicinity.
The town of Udhampur is endowed with extraordinarily diverse and distinctive traditional water bodies found in its different parts, commonly known as Bowlis which are facing the same indifference and mistreatment by the local populace.
It’s time people realized their importance and helped the Govt., NGOs and other agencies in their management, restoration and upkeep since such bodies of water play a pivotal role in maintaining and restoring the ecological balance. They act as sources of drinking water, recharge groundwater, control floods, support biodiversity, and provide livelihood opportunities to a large number of people.
The decline in both the quality and quantity of these water bodies is to the extent that their potential to render various economic and environmental services has reduced drastically. Although there are sufficient policies and acts for their protection and restoration, they seem to remain insufficient and ineffective.
In order to attain the goal of revival of water bodies, it is imperative to understand that one solution may not fit all the water bodies. Depending on the significance, usage, ecological services, livelihood and socio-cultural practices, the approach may vary from one water body to another.
However, the matter with regard to lack of data and action plans, infringements, interrupted water flow due to garbage dumping, siltation, violations of laws, solid waste deposit and polluted water, involvement of too many agencies, etc. have to be taken into observation.
The generation of garbage in India stands at 0.2 to 0.6 kilograms per head per day. Owing to the limited land resource in India the problem of managing the garbage increases manifold. The health risks associated with the disposal and accumulation of wastes in open areas are manifold. Areas used for open dumping may be easily accessible to people, especially children, who are vulnerable to the physical and chemical hazards posed by wastes. Rodents, insects, and other vermin attracted to open dump sites may also lead to diseases. Dump sites with scrap tires provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can multiply 100 times faster than normal in the warm stagnant water standing in scrap tire causing several illnesses. Burns and other injuries can occur resulting from occupational accidents and methane gas exposure at waste disposal sites.
It is a well known fact that the cities that are fortunate enough to have a river passing through them have an additional dump for all their garbage. The condition of the Yamuna River in Delhi, since decades, is an authentication to this fact. The river practically doesn’t flow at all. Huge amount of white deposits can be seen on the surfaces that prevent the flow. The deposits are nothing but toxic wastes that have reacted with the water. Virtually there is no life in this section of the river.
Increased religious tourism, construction activities, anthropogenic pressure and bad management are adversely affecting the Devika stream and the adjoining Bowlis.
As individuals, we need to realize that we do generate quite a lot of waste. We dispose of containers that can be reused and we throw away papers that can be recycled. It is important to reduce our wastage of resources so that we do not pressurize our weak waste disposal system.
The garbage has basic four broad categories, viz., organic waste, that is, kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits; toxic waste like old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish; recyclable waste like paper, glass, metals, plastics, hospital waste. The main sources of this municipal waste are many like household waste, commercial places, street sweeping, hotels and restaurants, clinics and dispensaries, construction and demolition, horticulture, sludge etc.
While it is true that only some portion of this waste is non-biodegradable and the rest organic waste can be decomposed and biodegraded naturally with time. However, the question is how much time, Yes! Garbage decomposes and, given enough time, bits of trash will disintegrate. But, the amount of time required may surprise you. Look at the table below:
Banana Peel may take a month
Paper - a couple of months
Wool Scarf - a year
Cigarette Butt - 5 years
Disposable Diaper - 2 decades
Hard Plastic Container - 3 decades
Rubber Boot Sole - 7 decades
Tin Can - a century
Aluminum Can - 3 centuries
Plastic 6-pack Holder - 5 centuries
Glass Bottles - eons
As a result of consumerism, which has pervaded our lifestyle, we are producing waste of complex composition to the tune of nearly 1,00,000 tones in urban India with a total 4378 towns and cities including 35 cosmopolitan cities, 393 class-1 towns, 401 class-2 towns and remaining small towns with populations ranging between 20,000 to less than 5000 (as per the 2001 census).
There are a number of ways you can reduce garbage. Remember, the less garbage, the less items that need to be recycled. The core message of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is to consume less and produce as little waste as possible. It is an old slogan, but it is also a great maxim to keep you focused on the daily steps to create less waste. Did you know that the words are in the order of preference for real waste control? Reduce what you use first; then reuse what you do consume; and when waste is created, recycle it if possible.
Changing your habits is the key, think about ways you can reduce your waste when you shop, work and play. There are a million ways for you to reduce waste, save yourself some time and money, and be good to the Earth at the same time.
A possible reason of deterioration of Devika stream is the lack of ownership and lack of sense of belongingness within the community. As it is, today, people have lost the emotional connect they once shared with these water bodies. Due to this disregard, most of these water bodies are now choked up with sewage waste, plastic and other garbage.
The message of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign initiated by the Jal Shakti ministry, Govt. of India is a welcoming step focussing on rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of water bodies, reuse of treated wastewater and intensive afforestation.
It is of ultimate significance for meeting the rising demand for water augmentation, improving the health of the water bodies as they provide various ecosystem services that are required to manage microclimate, biodiversity and nutrient cycling.
In my opinion, while it is important to revive the ancient water harvesting systems to store natural water and distribute it equitably, it is equally imperative to return to a community-based water management system. Unless people feel the responsibility and concern towards these water bodies, the emotional attachment that once existed will be hard to resuscitate, as will the water bodies that continue to die today.
Let us not destroy our water bodies in the name of development. Rather, we should value their importance. |
