Indiscriminate burning of plastic waste continues - The Hindu Tiruchi 12.3.2018

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The Hindu Tiruchi 12.3.2018

Indiscriminate burning of plastic waste continues

TY12PLASTICMATERIALTIRUCHI
C. Jaisankar
TIRUCHI,  MARCH 12, 2018 09:35 IST
UPDATED: MARCH 12, 2018 20:21 IST

‘After surprise checks, there has been a lull in detecting usage of banned plastic’

At a time when Tiruchi City Corporation is initiating action against those selling banned polythene covers and plastic, complaints of plastics being burnt on road corners and streets continue to pour in.

According to an eyewitness, a woman worker out of ignorance burnt a heap of garbage at a corner on V. O. Chidambaram Road in Cantonment on Saturday.

Plastic mats, polythene covers and plastic boxes were among the garbage that she had lit. Within no time the entire plastic waste became ash but not before polluting the air.

While it was burning, a thick black smog engulfed the area and passersby and morning walkers had a tough time trying to avoid inhaling the noxious air.

Locals say that indiscriminate burning of plastic waste is a regular phenomenon on V.O.C Road and has been going on for quite some time.

V.O.C Road is not an isolated residential locality, where indiscriminate burning of waste happens. In many areas, a section of workers instead of taking the garbage to the dump yard or loading it onto the trucks conveniently dump the garbage on corners and burn them.

Plastic bottles, polythene papers, plastic bags and rubber footwear are some of the articles that are burnt.

Expressing serious concern over the issue, C. Balasubramanian, president, Tiruchi District Exnora, said that some workers might not have realised the impact of burning plastic. But, it was posing danger to the environment. Supervisors and concerned officials of the ward should be made accountable for burning plastic waste on streets, he added.

It has also been noticed that traders, meat sellers, flower merchants, roadside eateries and restaurants were still using banned plastic covers with less than 50 micron. After a few rounds of surprise checks in the city, there has been a lull in detecting usage of banned plastic, Mr. Balasubramanian pointed out.

M.A. Aleem, former vice principal, K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College, said that inhaling the noxious air would lead to several complications. Constant exposure to polluted air could cause breathing trouble. Elderly persons and children would be the worst hit. It could cause severe headache, eye irritation and lung issues, he said.