In Thailand a crisis is brewing waste

A fire at one of the country's largest landfill, which has six million tons of putrefying trash and toxic waste, once again raised fears among residents that improper planning of landfills and insufficient law enforcement inevitably push Thailand to crisis waste.

Local residents have long been pushing for the closure of the foul-smelling landfill Praeksa, which is located in the industrial area on the Eastern outskirts of Bangkok. And today, the poisonous smoke from a burning landfill in the Eastern suburbs of the capital again triggered heated discussions on garbage on a national scale.

It should be noted that only one Bangkok produces around 10,000 tonnes of waste a day is a significant portion of the 27 million tons of garbage that is thrown every year throughout the Kingdom. The ruling junta has acknowledged that waste management is one of the most important tasks that requires the immediate adoption of effective measures to prevent environmental disaster.

However, Thailand is not alone in dealing with the crisis of waste. Public method to a landfill, which is commonly used in Metropolitan areas of South-Vostoyanoy Asia, from Jakarta to Manila, already affects the state of the urban environment. Experts warn that these open landfills are ticking time bomb for the whole environment.

Indeed, the method of open landfill offers a quick and easy solution in the short term, however, Economic and social Commission for Asia and the Pacific warns of serious environmental problems and long-term health problems of local residents in connection with pollution of water and land.

According to the Department for pollution control of the Kingdom, from 2500 open polygons Thailand only one-fifth are adequately controlled. Others are, in fact, unauthorized landfills, hazardous not recycled, toxic substances which get into the soil and groundwater. According to experts, annually in Thailand is about 1.9 million tons of toxic industrial waste remains unaccounted for. And many producers, violating the laws of the country and trying to save on the cost of safe disposal and operators of landfills just throw the garbage to the dump.

Source: www.ozemle.net