This refers to your editorial “Clean up drive” (THT, September 18, Page 8). One must remember that a host of problems stem from littering, and as a result of some people’s inability to control this habit, the environment has been suffering.

It is clear that vendors would dispose of the waste wherever they set up businesses. In the absence of bins, residents also dump the waste on roads as dogs and cattle squatter upon the waste and also consume it. Garbage can be hazardous to one’s own health as well. When a large amount of garbage can be found in a particular environment, it reflects badly on the people who live there. Pedestrians drop garbage on the streets. It is observed that motorists throw their trash out of their windows. Some households dispose of their garbage improperly and irresponsibly.

People must remember that garbage is a much more serious problem than some think, not just environmental but also an economic problem too because countries spend huge sums of money to clean and remove litter from the environment. Heaps of garbage and instances of people defecating on road goes against the spirit of decency. With the mounds of heaps of garbage remaining uncleared for weeks together emanating a nauseating stench all over, the areas are stinking. With heaps of garbage lying around, the dog menace has also increased. The mosquito menace has gone beyond reasonable tolerance levels. Owing to the indifference of the concerned authorities people are exposed to dangerous diseases like dengue fever, malaria, hepatitis, dysentery and typhoid.

Vinod C. Dixit, Ahmedabad

Pollution

For the last two weeks in Kathmandu I encountered many people associated with diverse sections of society. One thing common I found was their grievances and pugnacious attitude regarding the government’s apathy in managing the congested traffic, controlling dust pollution, fixing filthy potholes, among others. Needless to say, poor air quality owing to the environmental degradation is one of the problems of Kathmandu Valley that is detrimental to our health. Kathmandu city has been ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world as per the report published by World Health Organisation (WHO). This is really a grave issue that needs to be ameliorated timely before it takes a heavy toll of human lives sooner than later. All of us are busy complaining about the messy situation of the capital, but no one seems to contribute from their part to make our area clean and a better place to live in. The tragedy of today’s generation is that everyone thinks of making a change, but very few of us have guts to transcend our thoughts into actions. The messy situation of the dusty Kathmandu Valley is not a major issue, but the blame game we play with each other is a tragedy. In the end, we all suffer.

Sanjog Karki, Tansen