20191204 In Mhalunge, farmers set on fire garbage they buy
India Dec 04 2019 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
In Mhalunge, farmers set on fire garbage they buy
Updated: 2019–12–04
From their home on the 12th floor of a high-rise in Mhalunge, the Sharmas can see what is hurting their lungs.
Acres of farmland are on fire here. On most days, a thick smog obstructs what is otherwise a beautiful view – distant hills, blue sky and vibrant sunsets.
But the Sharmas — Praveen, Tanuja and son Rohan — and their neighbours have been struggling to breathe for the past few weeks.
In what can only be described as profoundly detrimental to the environment and human health, farmers in the area have been burning purchased garbage, along with crop stubble, as part of attempts to replenish soil vigour. A close examination of their methods revealed heaps of construction debris, discarded thermocol and, worryingly, plastic.
Large quantities of all of it are being set ablaze.
“This is traditional practice, done to ensure good yields,” said one farmer a TOI team spoke to. “The method involves burning of stubble and garbage – to boost nutrients. We buy truckloads of this waste and then set it on fire. We then add more soil, sourced from other sites, before planting starts. We grow sugarcane and some grain.”
According to the farmer, this burning has been going on for decades. However, what has changed is the nature of the waste, and the landscape. In Mhalunge, like many areas on the outskirts, large apartments have grown closer to farmland. And the “garbage” the farmers burn, which was once simple crop residue, is today filled with urban discard.
“What used to be leaves, branches and natural wood some years ago is today thermocol, cardboard or plastic waste,” said Dr Vasi Shaikh, a professor with the MIT World Peace University and a member of the faculty board with the SPPU’s Petroleum and Chemical Engineering department. ”
He added: “The problem is indeed ‘new-age’ pollutants. They impair vital organs such as lungs, kidneys, liver and the heart. The problem is our ignorance; especially because effects are not seen immediately. Most cancers can take 20 years to develop. Burning of this modern waste also releases small amounts of more poisonous chemicals such as benzene, styrene, formaldehyde, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and certain heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.
“If burnt, it takes only 150 grams of PVC to emit enough hydrogen chloride gas to kill someone in an average-size room in ten minutes.”
It is fumes from this sort of varied waste that risks the lives of those living near the farms nestled between Mhalunge and Hinjewadi. “A neighbour, who is an asthma patient, has been having trouble breathing. If this continues, photos from Pune could start resembling those from Delhi,” said Tanuja Sharma.
About seven kilometres away, in Hinjewadi, IT professional Arun Joseph said the sky has turned brown. “I have nothing against farmers or traditional farming practices. But people could die. I hope authorities intervene.”
Local agencies are only just responding to the problem. “There are three gram panchayats in this area and we will have to identify where the burning is happening,” said the rural development officer of the Mann gram panchayat, BR Patil. “Notices will be issued to farmers caught burning stubble. Farmers have continued with the old ways, despite our many attempts to spread awareness on modern pollution. People need to understand that open burning is harming human health and the environment.”
Other experts TOI spoke to said the burning of garbage to replenish soil potency lacked logic. Jyoti Yadav, with the College of Agriculture, said: “Stubble burning is generally associated with paddy or sugarcane farms. But even as a traditional farming practice, it’s not advisable. What I fail to understand is the burning of garbage that includes plastics. That has nothing to do with agriculture.”
In Hinjewadi, where air quality levels through winter have crossed ‘300’ or ‘very poor’, residents have repeatedly raised alarm over garbage and stubble burning.
But the rural development officer of Hinjewadi gram panchayat, Bahusaheb Raykar, said his office has not come across complaints specifically alleging open burning of garbage. “We have seen that the smog is spreading. We have not come across instances of garbage burning yet,” he said.
“Over the past few days, we have been imposing fines of Rs1,000 on anyone found dumping garbage along roads in the gram panchayat limits. We are aware that stubble burning is a common practice here around this time of the year, but have not detected any large-scale burning of waste. We will visit the spots and look into the matter before initiating appropriate action,” he added.
Web Source: The times of India