WASTE discarded by humans is found not only in communities near people but has even reached the middle of the world’s oceans. An environment surrounded by waste not only harms physical health but also has negative effects on mental well-being.

In large cities, indiscriminate waste disposal has long remained an unresolved problem across generations. The practice of dumping waste arbitrarily without proper management causes pollution of the surrounding water, soil, and air, and this must be taken seriously. Even in rural areas, waste management is being carried out systematically, and model “waste-free villages” are emerging in Myanmar.

Senior citizens are responsible for giving guidelines to school-age children to understand that improper waste disposal leads to water pollution. Therefore, in schools, teachers should supervise education to ensure that waste is disposed of systematically and properly. In doing so, efforts should be made until students develop a proper mindset of disciplined waste disposal. The awareness and habit of proper waste management among children will contribute to the further development of society.

Water sources are under threat of damage due to improper and careless waste disposal by people. Not only household waste disposal, but also activities such as the use of heavy machinery to extract gold and other minerals in upstream areas and along riverbanks, the dumping of overburden soil and toxic chemicals, and the indiscriminate disposal of waste and industrial by-products from towns and villages along riverbanks are all causing pollution of rivers, creeks and lakes.

Therefore, it is necessary in the short term to systematically protect these water resources, as well as to continuously monitor water quality. In the long term, it is essential to cultivate a nationwide habit of proper waste management, starting from basic education at school age, so that it becomes a lasting practice across society.

To become a waste-free community, all residents must take individual responsibility by properly separating waste into wet and dry categories, forming community waste management committees to collect waste door-to-door, establishing designated garbage pits or disposal sites in suitable locations away from residential areas, and conducting awareness activities for residents on environmental conservation and maintaining a clean, waste-free community.

Improper and careless waste disposal can pollute one’s living environment, causing foul odours and creating conditions which may lead to various diseases. Valuable freshwater resources may also become so polluted that they can no longer be used. Therefore, every citizen should take responsibility for the waste generated from their own home and dispose of it properly in an orderly manner.

GNLM