Smoke & Sickness: The Hidden Cost of Open Waste Burning

Samina Chaudhry

Islamabad/Rawalpindi: Every morning, Fatima, a resident of Dhok Hassu, Rawalpindi, watches helplessly as thick smoke from burning waste fills her home. Her six-year-old son, already struggling with chronic asthma, gasps for breath, his tiny chest heaving with each painful cough.

“I wake up to this haze every day,” she says, her voice heavy with despair. “My son’s condition worsens with every breath.”

Fatima’s ordeal reflects a growing crisis in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where open waste burning has become a persistent menace. In low-income areas, inadequate waste management forces residents to set trash ablaze, worsening air pollution and endangering public health.

Waste Burning Woes

Ahmed, a shopkeeper in Rawalpindi, justifies the practice, saying, “When garbage collectors don’t come for weeks, what else can we do?” Burning plastic, food scraps, and other materials releases a toxic cocktail of chemicals, compounding the environmental and health hazards.

Environmentalist Dr Ejaz Ahmed warns that pollutants from waste burning, including dioxins, heavy metals, and fine particulate matter, infiltrate the air, lungs, bloodstream, and even food. “The effects are devastating,” he says, citing links to respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and cancer.

Pulmonologist Dr Saira echoes these concerns, emphasizing the alarming impact on children and the elderly. “Chronic exposure to polluted air is causing long-term lung damage and even lung cancer,” she explains. Children like Fatima’s son are particularly vulnerable, frequently missing school due to respiratory illnesses, while families grapple with mounting medical expenses.

Nature Suffers Silently

The damage extends beyond human health. Green spaces across the twin cities are marred by ash and toxic residues. “Harmful chemicals seep into the soil and water, contaminating underground reservoirs and disrupting ecosystems,” says Dr Ejaz Ahmed.

Local wildlife also bears the brunt, with birds and pollinators like bees disappearing from urban parks, further threatening biodiversity.

Unsung Waste Warriors

In the midst of this crisis, informal waste pickers play a crucial but unrecognized role. Gul Rahim, a waste picker in Islamabad, describes his hazardous job. “We do the work no one else wants to do, yet we get no protection,” he laments.

These workers, often from marginalized communities, sift through waste to recover recyclables without safety gear, exposing themselves to toxic fumes and hazardous materials.

Pollution Needs Action

The persistence of open waste burning highlights weak policies and lax enforcement. Dr Zeighum Abbas, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, calls for a comprehensive approach.

“We need better waste segregation, collection, and recycling. Local governments must enforce penalties for burning while also providing safe alternatives.”

Experts propose several solutions to curb open waste burning, including:

• Encouraging residents to separate recyclables, organic waste, and refuse.
• Converting organic waste into nutrient-rich compost to reduce landfill pressure.
• Setting up more frequent garbage collection services and partnering with private recycling firms.
• Educating communities about the dangers of waste burning and promoting sustainable waste disposal practices.
• Enforcing bans on open burning while ensuring functional waste management systems.

Cities like Stockholm, Kigali, and Bengaluru have successfully curbed waste burning through robust policies. Islamabad and Rawalpindi can follow suit, but only with strong public cooperation and government commitment.

Healthy Future Ahead

The air in Islamabad and Rawalpindi grows thicker with smoke, a daily reminder of the ongoing environmental and health crisis. Families like Fatima’s are left to suffer, their children forced to inhale toxic fumes.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Once celebrated for their lush greenery and fresh air, the twin cities can reclaim their lost beauty by adopting sustainable waste management practices.

The choice is clear: continue suffering under pollution or take decisive action for a cleaner, healthier future. Authorities, communities, and individuals must unite to demand safer waste disposal and better environmental policies.

Every fire lit today leaves behind a toxic legacy—one that future generations cannot afford to inherit. The time to act is now.

The feature report was released by APP on February 16, 2025.