The garbage crisis: far-sighted solutions needed

BY THARUKA Dissanaike

IT is time to talk of trash once again. It looks like garbage crises will not merely disappear from our fast-growing cities unless and until there is true commitment and concrete action on the part of local authorities.

Recently, the stench hit Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Municipality. This local authority lamented the lack of space to dump the collected waste after their long-term dumping ground-now that the bird sanctuary of Bellanwila-Attidiya is out of bounds.

The Municipality had years to think out an alternate strategy. But lamentably, none of the Urban municipalities have come up a comprehensive and long-term strategy to combat the evil of garbage.

Solutions can be costly. Especially, if you have already let the problem brew to boiling point. The fact of the matter is that no one wants to live next door to a dump site and this not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) syndrome has caused many a dump site to be rejected.

But garbage has to be put somewhere. It is much too expensive to incinerate waste and not even Colombo Municipal Council can afford that.

So Municipalities and Urban Councils look around for private lands, mainly low-lying marshy spots to throw their waste into and sigh in short-lived relief. Got rid of the waste for today-never mind tomorrow.

Even after an impressive National Strategy for Solid Waste Management and even a court order to local authorities to formulate 'acceptable' long-term plans or waste management in their jurisdiction, there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

Many local authorities are obsessed with where they can dump tomorrow's truck load; they really have little time or inclination to figure out the rest of their strategy.

Any programme for waste management should essentially incorporate the three "Rs" - reduce, re-use, recycle and then, only then, should authorities be forced to consider dump/destroy/eliminate.

Traditionally, we produced very little garbage and much of the household waste (even in urban settings) was refused or composted/burnt within the compound itself. The rise of the present-day urbanite has caused a rapid change in behaviour and consumption.

The increase of packaged products, PET bottles for drinks, Styrofoam containers for food, polythene bags and such, the convenience and disposability offered by such packaging has all contributed to increased garbage problem.

Many peri-urban areas also have industries, sometimes even industrial estates-that have no clear and definite plans or policies for waste disposal.

It is common to see industrial waste being dumped along roadsides and marshes without any protest from the authorities-who have their hands full trying to dump waste collected from homes and shops.

The country as a whole needs an aggressive and focused awareness campaign so that people are made aware of the effects, dangers and costs garbage dumping.

A survey in a suburban town close to Colombo, showed that the average resident was not concerned nor aware of the environment implications of dumping collected garbage.

They understood garbage to be a practical problem which is the responsibility of the Municipality. Where it is eventually dumped was not a concern that bothered many.

The public needs to be encouraged and eventually 'forced' through various mechanisms to re-use and recycle as much as possible. Much of the organic waste dumped at roadsides can easily be managed at household level.

The public should be aware of the detrimental effects of excessive packaging, types of garbage produced and the harmful effects to health and environment.

This is an immediate national requirement that will complement the efforts of Local Authorities when they finally get down to drawing up their long-term plans to tackle the garbage problem.