Sharjah
All of us constantly hold the municipality and other concerned authorities accountable for the hygiene of our country, but are we doing our part right is a very critical question. A few days ago, I was on a walk near the Khalid Lagoon in Sharjah and was surprised to find garbage bags lying outside the bins. People are just too lazy. Even with a bin just 20 metres away, people are leaving trash bags next to the bins and notice boards.
This is issue has been written about several times and the problem still persists. But, my concern is not just the fact that the garbage poses a dirty picture. It is the risk to various bird species in that area. They are harmfully consuming the plastic that may get stuck in their digestive system, eventually leading to death.
The most common excuse is overflowing dustbins, but on close inspection it is evident that some are vaguely filled.
Plastics take hundreds or perhaps even more than a thousand years to break down in most environments. It is not a stretch to imagine a single bag killing more than one animal over a very long lifetime on land and sea. This has a very integral connection with the interdependence of various lifeforms on this planet.
People also find amusement in breaking or damaging public property, such as streetlights. The concerned authorities are blamed for not keeping an eye on this, but why are we even breaking it in the first place?
I would request all people and families to dispose of waste in the right manner.
The reader is a student based in Sharjah.
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