A stray dog in Ahmedabad, India, had to undergo emergency surgery after veterinarians found more than 6 kilograms of plastic in their stomach.
What happened?
The Times of India reports that when a resident noticed that the dog had an unusually swollen stomach, they immediately brought him to a veterinarian to check. When he was taken to a local hospital managed by a non -profit charity Jivdaya, the medical team initially suspected a tumor or a serious infection for India’s vibrations.
But after taking the X -rays of the dog’s stomach, they made a shocking discovery. The animal’s abdomen was full of plastic bags, mainly packets of milk, indicating that it accidentally swallowed them while looking for food.
“When we performed the surgery, we were horrified,” said Jira Shah, a trustee in JCT, in front of The Times of India.
“This is not an isolated case. We also encountered cases of stray cows carrying pounds of plastic in their abdomen. In most cases, people fill plastic bags of garbage and throw them in bins or outdoors. The hunger stands around them in search of food and ultimately consume plastic.”
Why is this concerned?
According to The Times of India, Ahmedabad generates more than 330 tonnes of plastic waste every day and the greater part of it is thrown into non -intended piles of garbage. When wildlife and stray animals clean for food in these open landfills, they risk absorbing plastic and other harmful materials that in some cases can cause severe health problems and death.
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The main garbage dump in Ahmedabad, known as the Pirana landfill, also poses major risks to humans. Located on the outskirts of the city, it has been used since the early 1980s and stores approximately 16.5 million tonnes of waste on the quinta.
Residents living near the garbage mound report health problems ranging from stomach problems to skin diseases and weak bones. They are also forced to drink polluted water from drilling as the depot chemicals have leaked into the water supply.
This is hardly an isolated incident in India, as studies have found people who live near Mumbai landfills suffer from respiratory diseases and stomach problems at a higher rate than usual.
Rapid urbanization, population growth and poor infrastructure left India significant challenges in managing landfill waste. But without the overhaul of the waste management system and the more stringent rules for the disposal of garbage, the animals and humans will continue to be at risk of developing health problems from exposure to plastic.
What is being done for plastic waste in India?
Vibes of India reports that the AMDAVAD municipal corporation will begin to apply a mandatory segregation of waste in October. The new rules will require homeowners and businesses to separate the waste before discarding them. Efforts are also being made to release Pirani’s landfill. Times of India noted that employees have cleared 40 acres of land and planted trees in the area, which will be beneficial to the environment.
In 2022, India banned 19 types of disposable plastic, which should help limit pollution with population growth. Local authorities also launched over 2000 facilities to restore large cities cleaning materials in India.
Prohibitions and improved waste management can help, but one of the best ways to protect wildlife and plastic people is to use less. Choosing sustainable alternatives, such as grocery bags and silicone containers, can go a long way to fight the problem.
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