Besides being an eyesore, garbage scattered on the city roads have adverse effect on both human and environment. According to ecologists, trash dumped in open breeds flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and other insects that cause diseases such as malaria, dengue, fever and others.
The national Capital produces approximately 19,000 tonnes of garbage, including domestic garbage per day. However, the ongoing strike of municipal sanitation workers have made condition of residential colonies pathetic.
Kafeel Ahmad, Associate Professor at Jamia Millia Islamia, said accumulation of garbage and its degradation will give rise to aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the surrounding environment. “The improper disposal produces foul gases, inhaling which will cause serious health problems and may also cause disorders related to mental health,” he said.
Not only the residents are facing the adverse impact of pile-up garbage, but sanitation workers will also suffer due to increasing quantity of waste.
“The increasing magnitude of garbage will create problem for sanitation workers later on because when the large piles of waste collapse, they harm people who work with the waste or live nearby,” said the professor.
“When harmful wastes — old batteries and health care wastes are mixed with wastes like paper and food scraps — the mixture becomes even more dangerous to deal with and when it is not properly disposed of, waste causes health problems to the workers who collect the garbage,” he added.
Ecologist Gopal Krishan, Anti-Toxic Watch Alliance (AWTA), said scattered trash heaps breed germs which can infect children who play there and people who pick waste for use or sell. “Germs in trash can cause health problems such as diarrhoea and cholera, scabies, tetanus, fungus, and other skin and eye infections,” said Krishan.
“Whereas in coming days the garbage can clog waterway and also become the reason of drainage flooding. Flooded drainage channels can also contaminate drinking water supplies and soil,” he added.
He further said the Delhi Government should take garbage issue as an opportunity by creating a Ward-level Garbage Management (WlGM) system.
“Rather than to increase the transportation cost by transferring the garbage from one place to another and playing blamegame, the AAP Government should come out with appropriate idea and should follow the cardinal management system,” he said.
Meanwhile, health experts in the city also said open scattered garbage is next threat to people after noxious air.
“The chemical reaction of both plastic bags and toxic waste, released from garbage releases harmful chemicals in air which can cause chest infection, cough, nausea, vomiting and eye infections,” said a health expert.