Burning issue: Bhogi bonfires spark debate on waste disposal

Children in Tamil Nadu burn waste on Bhogi to mark the last day of the Tamil month of Margazhi, but efforts are being made to prevent pollution caused by burning.

“Listen, there were many trees earlier, and only organic items were burnt on Bhogi. The trees could absorb the carbon dioxide; even otherwise, the smog would be blown by the winds. Now, the reason you don’t see stars early morning or late at night is that the smoke looms around, polluting the air,” explained Aravind (name changed), a Class IV student, to his friend in Class II.

He was part of a group of children who played the ‘melam’ (drums) when a few residents of the Tamil Nadu Urban Housing Development Board, Mylapore, burnt waste on January 14, to mark Bhogi, the last day of the Tamil month of Margazhi.

While one section of the group said it didn’t know the reason for the waste being burnt, the other said it was told that this was to “ward off the evil eye with fire”.

According to A. Kalyani, 48, a resident of Kapali Thottam on Canal Bank Road opposite the Thirumayilai Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) station, the practice was to clean up things unnecessary and get a fresh start.

“Nobody asked us to refrain from burning waste or this would lead to any ‘global warming’, but the Greater Chennai Police instructed us to do it either after 7 p.m. or by 3 a.m. We ask people to stay indoors. Over 10 years ago, many burnt tyres and played around in the streets, which was far more dangerous. Burning has reduced over the years. It may be stopped altogether soon.”

Asked whether she would stop doing it, she said, “I will not burn all the mats, mattresses, and clothes if there is a proper collection mechanism. A vehicle with bins stops at the end of the street and we throw daily waste into it. But today the vehicle left without stopping. Maybe, I’d just burn a tiny cloth for the sake of tradition if all this waste is collected through a special drive.”

She is a caretaker who separates medical waste from other waste and hands it over to conservancy workers daily. Segregating waste is tough in her area because of the lack of proper facilities.