Waste is an expensive issue.
It costs a lot-both to produce and dispose it off.
If there is one thing that Bhutanese haven’t learnt over the years, it is how to dispose waste properly.
From the roads to pavements to streams and drains, waste is scattered in the most unbecoming places. It turns not only an eye-sore but a health hazard when seemingly pristine places are littered.
From plastic to paper and glass to kitchen waste, people dump their waste in the very vicinity of their stay sometimes and make their habitats uninhabitable.
What has gone wrong here? Are people still not educated about the harm they are doing to the environment through their actions?
It’s in fact a problem that goes deeper-people are aware that waste harms others and places but there is a deep degree of apathy that needs a rude wake-up call if we are to see and make a difference.
People have the attitude that it’s only one piece of paper, one plastic bag and so on until the whole landscape is inundated.
It is a classic case of caring too late and too little.
We have no proactiveness in the system. We don’t understand that many ones added leads to much. We need to shake off the apathy and delusion in the Bhutanese mentality.
For this, we need more advocacy. The right advocacy for target audiences.And then, awareness turning into concrete action.
We do see some people moving in that direction and it is a relief frankly. But we mush push on to have more awareness in the community. For example about segregating, recycling and reducing waste.
One person can certainly make a difference. Many drops make up anocean.
People must be responsible for their waste. We need to understand that we are living in a planet with a fragile eco-system and a healthy planet means healthy and happy human beings.
Every little action like reducing or even stopping meat intake and dairy products, not carrying plastic bags, eating organic food and taking the public transport or walking can go a long way to heal the earth.
The world does not belong to us alone. We must use our resources sustainably so that the generations after us can also take part in the earth’s bounties. We are responsible not only for the planet but for the whole of humankind.
People need to understand the long term repercussions of their actions. There must be strong advocacy and palpable action to protect the earth.
Next time you dump your garbage, think of doing it right because you are also setting a precedent. If you take initiative, you are one step closer to healing the world.
