Negative Effects of Urban Festivities

        Urban Festivities: Major Source Of Pollution!!!

Photo 1 Improper Waste Disposal at Rienzi Kirton Highway, San Fernando, Trinidad

Photo 2 Improper Waste Disposal at Queens Park Savannah, Port of Spain, Trinidad

The above photos reflect a serious problem experienced in urban areas of Trinidad and Tobago which is caused as a result of urban festivities. Urban festivities such as Carnival can have major negative effects on the environment, as seen in the photos above, two urban areas: San Fernando and Port of Spain are plagued with heavy pollution as an after-effect of Carnival. As the density of the city increases for urban activities the effects of improper waste disposal are magnified and thus there needs to be proper waste disposal strategies in place as well as clean-up activities after these events. Both photos were taken on Carnival Tuesday in Trinidad (8th February, 2016) in photo 1 masqueraders can be seen parading in the background un-phased by the aesthetically displeasing sight of garbage filled drains. This shows the mentality of these persons carefree and unaware of the negative implications which their improper disposal habits incur on the environment. In the span of one day many persons from local and foreign come together to participate in these activities, they indulge in food and drinks to have a good time but then litter and pollute the urban environment.

Bottles, cans and boxes are some of the few items seen in these pictures most items being biodegradable in nature. In the case of Photo 1, if there were to be a heavy rainfall all the garbage in the drains would either be pushed to the nearby Cipero River leading to various deleterious effects on the fauna inhabiting the river as plastics can suffocate animals living in the river, or be ingested by them (Dr Paul Clark, 2014). Also they can release chemicals in the water which can alter parameters such as pH, conductivity, turbidity etc which may impact animals living in the river. Or if not pushed to the nearby river this garbage could clog the drains leading to flooding in these areas which would damage infrastructure and lead to reduction in productivity as persons would be unable to access the area until the flood dissipates. Also the clogging of drains can also lead to stagnant water being present, which could lead to foul stenches diminishing air quality or furthermore act as breeding grounds for vectors such as mosquitoes.

Photo 2 shows the Queens Park Savanah, on a regular day its grasses are clean and free of pollutants where persons can enjoy recreational activities to relax and unwind after long days working, but again after the urban activities pollution plagues the park making it unsightly. Apart from being aesthetically displeasing there are health risks associated with this, the increase in garbage attracts vectors such as cockroaches and rats, for people living in these areas this can be a major problem as it leads to vector related diseases. (A.E. Onyido, P.O. Okolo, M.O. Obiukwu and E.S. Amadi, 2009). Also as a result of this stagnant rubbish the air quality can be diminished by foul smelling odor produced by the garbage.

Another impact of urban activities are noise pollution, around carnival time there are many parties which take place in urban areas this leads to major noise pollution. Effects of noise pollution from these activities lead to stress, irritability, anxiety among others and is a serious issue.

The government needs to take action to reduce these impacts for the betterment of the environment. Proper waste disposal needs to be practiced by the people, as well as clean-up activities need to be more efficient. More bins could be put up throughout the urban area and more workers could be hired to perform clean-ups on a daily basis, with the numbers increasing after such events. As for the noise pollution the EMA can put measures in place to address these issues by sending officers to deal with complaints received efficiently. Pollution is a serious issue and it needs to be dealt with efficiently.

Below are some articles related to the negative impacts of pollution on the Environment:

“Plastic Litter Threatens River Life” - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/10547684/Plastic-litter-threatens-river-life.html

“Effects of Noise pollution” - http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/noise-pollution/effects-of-noise-pollution.html

“Survey of Vectors of Public Health Diseases in Un-Disposed Refuse Dumps in Awka Town, Anambra State, Southeasthern Nigeria” - http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=jp.2009.22.27