Environment dept issues notification against burning waste materials on roads

The environment department has issued a notification against the burning of waste materials at roadside across the state. The increasing incidents of burning of waste materials during the winter, is a reason for a certain limit of air pollution, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) suspect. On the basis of their suspicion, the department has issued the notification.

The WBPCB has also asked some of the offices and institutions for taking action against such activities by their students and staff members.

Talking to the journalists at 10th Environment Partnership Summit and ICC Environment Excellence Award 2016, WBPCB Chairman Kalyan Rudra said that the notification has reached to all the Urban 

Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayat stating that they should act against activities which are causing air pollution.

“The principal secretary, state environment department, Arnab Roy issued the notification stating the ULBs and Panchayats to act against such activities. The notification also stated that such activities will cause harmful effect on the environment,” said WBPCB Chairman Kalyan Rudra.

“Every time there is a waste burning activity, caused by humans or due to a natural occurrence, it puts pollutants like carbon dioxide, mercury and acid into the atmosphere. These chemicals damage the environment and can cause a lot of different respiratory diseases,” Rudra added.

“Waste management is a basic necessity for population around the world that includes transporting, sorting and recycling waste in all its forms. Unfortunately, waste management practices nowadays are neither uniform nor consistent within countries, sectors, and different areas,” Rudra said.

“I went to Jadavpur University on Thursday. I saw some of the men there set the garbage on fire. I 

dialled the vice chancellor to inform him about the matter. This should be stopped,” Rudra said adding that the state government may issue separate notifications of college and universities as well.

Heavy metals such as mercury are highly toxic, can accumulate in the body until they reach lethal levels, causing organ failure and death. Non toxic levels can, however, cause respiratory or intestinal problems, disruption of effects of the body’s hormone system, inhibition of growth and development of children, said a WBPCB scientist.