Stop burning of trash to save your lungs
Waste burning is easy thing. But the people who do it regularly don’t know the amount of damage their action does to the environment and surroundings.
In Jamia Nagar, it is common to see residents and waste collectors finding a quick fix to get rid of garbage left on the streets and it is to burn it despite the fact that in Delhi to curb pollution burning of waste invites fine.
But it has not deterred many from burning waste. A resident on the condition of anonymity said it is common to see that people sweeping the road and then collect the waste in the corner and burn it unaware of the fact the health damage it does. Sometime if the garbage is huge it produces thick fumes and stench which emanates from the smoke is unbearable leading to breathing problem also.
These emissions directly lead to respiratory problems when inhaled, explains Meenakshi Ravi of SAHAAS, a non-profit organization working towards garbage management solutions.
“Exposure to the smoke emitted by burning of garbage can be fatal or cause permanent damage because Carbon Monoxide is produced when the burning is improper. If inhaled, it enters the blood, affects red blood cells and can even convert hemoglobin into carboxy-hemoglobin. The particles in the smoke can seriously affect children and senior citizens,” she explained as reported by Deccan Chronicle years ago.
The airborne particles in the inhaled smoke that comes from burning leaves and garbage reaches lungs, often causing wheezing, cough and similar infections, warn experts and doctors, reported the DC.