You are not burning leaves, you are burning people
Burning leaves leads to air pollution, health problems and fire hazards. It has been found in a recent study that biomass burning is equally responsible as fossil fuel burning for black carbon emission
Every day Mr Sahidullah, along with his grandchildren goes on a morning walk. Most days they have to come back halfway due to the smoke created by the burning of leaves.
It is not uncommon to see leaves being burned not just in the morning, but at other times of the day. Sweepers and residents are openly seen burning dry and fallen leaves, adding to the air pollution in this already polluted city.
This practice is mostly unnoticed and poses serious environmental and health hazards. Although children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to rising air pollution, it is causing problems for people of all ages.
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Pregnant mothers are inhaling toxic air and so do the foetuses. As a result, in recent years, low birth weight, childhood disability, kidney disorders, cardiovascular problems and skin diseases have become very common threats to children.
Air pollution in Bangladesh is one of the worst in the world. According to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) study conducted by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, life expectancy is reduced by 8.1 years in the most polluted areas of the country. Another study reveals that there were 24,000 premature deaths in Dhaka due to air pollution between 2005 and 2018, making it the most out of the 46 cities studied.
A regular morning and evening walker at Dhanmondi lakeside, Monjurul Ahsan said, "We come for fresh air to the lakeside, but the air is even more polluted here due to the burning of leaves. I have also seen the sweepers burn leaves near the schools where young kids will suffer from the smoke."
He added, "Many a time we asked them not to burn leaves, but they don't bother and only change their location by 5 to 10 feet from the previous one."
"Our daughter is asthmatic, we have to immediately shut our windows when they burn leaves. Sometimes we cannot open the windows for the whole night as the air is so smoky. I do not know what to do to change the situation," said Amena, a resident of Green Road.
Dhaka is densely populated, polluted, and prone to fire. Burning leaves leads to air pollution, health problems and fire hazards. It has been found in a recent study that biomass burning (burning of leaves, wood, etc) is equally responsible as fossil fuel burning for black carbon emission.
Hazardous chemicals such as carbon monoxide are contained in leaf smoke. Carbon monoxide mixed with haemoglobin in the bloodstream can reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood and lungs.
Leaf smoke also releases benzo (a) pyrene which is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and is a major factor in lung cancer. Breathing leaf smoke can cause irritation in the eyes, nose and throat of healthy adults and can wreak havoc on small children and aggravate the conditions of the elderly and people with asthma or other lung or heart diseases.
Explaining the short-term and long-term effects of leaf burning on our health, Dr Muhibullah Saif, Medical Officer, Trauma Centre and AO Orthopaedics Hospital, Dhaka, said, "When burned, leaves emit a huge amount of suspended particles and soot which settles in the lungs, causing or exacerbating respiratory diseases such as asthma, chest pain, COPD, wheezing, cough and long-term respiratory problems."
"Burning of leaves also releases a cancer-causing organic compound called benzene and the toxic gas carbon monoxide in large amounts. Carbon monoxide hampers the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells leading to reduced tissue oxygen levels for people with normal metabolism," he added.
Besides the health hazards, burning leaves here and there may also cause fire hazards. A pile of leaves could potentially get caught up in a gust of wind and flutter away, carrying the smouldering embers with it.
In a densely populated city such as Dhaka, all it takes is one little spark to ignite a fire that could turn into a disaster. Burning leaves isn't just a fire risk for the one who is burning it or inhaling the smoky air, it's a hazard for the whole community.
In lieu of burning leaves, they could be used to make garden compost that adds vital organic matter to build up soil and retain more moisture. Since the air quality of Bangladesh, and particularly Dhaka, is already very bad, we should stop doing things that add to the already polluted air. The path of dumping leaves could be altered by using them in agriculture as fertiliser/compost by fermenting them.
A gardener from Shyamoli, Tasnim said, "I always try to utilise fallen leaves. My homemade mulch is made from the dry leaves of the plants on my balcony and roof."
"Mulching can increase soil moisture, reduce weeds, improve crop quality, and feed the soil. Mulch is compost or any material used to preserve nutrients in the soil and helps plants grow better," she added.
City corporations should make the sweepers and all concerned aware of the impacts of burning leaves. Also, as none of the major environmental laws of Bangladesh i.e. Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 and Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules 1997, prohibits smoke created from biomass burning, steps should be taken to amend the laws so that the burning of leaves can be prevented to save lives and save the environment.
Dr Masrur Salekin is a Hardiman Research Scholar at the School of Law in the University of Galway, Ireland.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
