Breaking Traditions

[P.J.]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

Breaking Traditions


The day preceding Pongal is known as Bhogi. On this day, people gather at dawn, light a bonfire and discard old articles. But increasing instances of burning tyres and plastic materials have led to accumulation of carbon monoxide and suspended particulate matter in the air Burning of tyres and plastic leads to emission of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen, dioxins and toxic fumes Carbon monoxide reduces oxygencarrying capacity of blood cells. Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen can cause respiratory problems, dizziness, metabolic disorders and cancer Suspended particulate matter results in smog under humid conditions. This can cause road accidents and disrupt air traffic due to poor visibility.

Ringing out the old and ringing in the new are part of civilizations, old and young. Bhogi, when people discard old things, is such a ritual. Burning one's mattress, footwear or old clothes in the open would have been OK till there was open space and these articles were mostly made of natural materials. Urbanisation has shrunk our personal space and brought along with it synthetic household articles which, when burned, add to the already dangerous levels of pollution. There is precious little the pollution control board can do when people burn rubber and plastic in the name of tradition.

If you have to throw out something this bhogi, let it be the polluting habit.

Something in the air here - Times Of India

 

[renuka]

We don't we recycle old things instead of polluting the environment by open burning?

I think actor Vivek has made a joke of this in one of his movies where he said instead of burning old clothes for Bhogi one can at least give it to people who are needy and he did say why not we also dispose off unwanted individuals on Bhogi!LOL

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

There is precious little the pollution control board can do when people burn rubber and plastic in the name of tradition.

Plastic articles and rubber tyres are recent inventions.
Certainly they cannot be included in the articles
to be discarded and burned in the name of tradition!
Those which were discarded and burned originally
were biodegradable or naturally occurring materials.

 

[venkat2206]

We don't we recycle old things instead of polluting the environment by open burning?

I think actor Vivek has made a joke of this in one of his movies where he said instead of burning old clothes for Bhogi one can at least give it to people who are needy and he did say why not we also dispose off unwanted individuals on Bhogi!LOL

Yes - the scene is picture "SAAMY". Not sure whether this practice is still prevailing. In Mumbai I have not seen any such thing. But I fully concur with the view that old plastic / rubber items are not supposed part of the items to be burnt under the name of Bhogi. Now a days people may not be doing this as they get money for the old plastic items which are basically recycled and fresh cheaper variey of plastics are made out of the same.

Venkat K

 

[tbs]

hi
the bogi generally burn in open fields after avuvadai season...its good for warming as well as kind of fertiliser to earth...

the new vessel with new rise ready for pongal....a harvest festival and joy of aruvadai ,,,,a thanks giving festival to sun god....

now completely changed...purely commercial and fulll of pollution every where....not a real bhogi/pongal meanings....

may be stiil ..it may be festival in some rural tamil nadu....where pure agriculture based economy....

 

[renuka]

Check out 9.54min

[video=youtube_share;gWWaqjPoAwc]http://youtu.be/gWWaqjPoAwc[/video]

 

[Suresh Ramamurthy]

I think we can follow both tradition and modern methods for disposing things, which are no more useful to us. If burning certain old clothes or mats, etc , which is not going to affect the environment, we can go ahead. This will also eliminate any insects or even micro organizms to a great extent. Other articles like plastic and rubber materials can be sen for recycling, if it is possible.