The effect of garbage on living organisms and the environment
According to World Bank researchers the world produces at least 3.5 million ton waste a day. Urban India alone generates 62 million tonnes of waste each year, of which about 43 million tonnes (70%) is collected and 11.9 million tonnes (20%) is treated. About 31 million tonnes (50%) is dumped in landfill sites.
Waste that isn’t properly taken care of, over time can turn toxic and burdensome to not only humans but to animals, plants, and also to the other elements of nature. Garbage, today, is segregated into different types of waste – biodegradable, plastic, medical, and recyclable to name a few.
In the current scenario where a lot of animals and natural resources like water bodies are suffering from the side effects of poorly disposed and neglected waste, and are affected by chemical and other toxic wastes, it is important for us to realise that the waste that is produced is causing harm which has to be attended to immediately. The waste produced and dumped in landfills makes the land infertile and prone to growth of harmful micro-organisms that can cause threat to almost all living things, so many plants, trees, animals and humans have lost their lives and have become victims to the waste that they are exposed to.
All of the waste produced has a direct and an indirect effect on the environment and its constituents. Especially in a country like India where waste management and eco friendly concepts aren’t well understood and put out, where there is lack of provision for proper waste management and disposal, and there is a lack of awareness of measures for safe waste disposal, collection and treatment, the issue of its effects are even more elevated.
