Every morning for the past two weeks, I have awakened to the sharp sting of smoke infiltrating my home. The curtains are heavy with the smell of burnt waste, and my children complain of itchy eyes and sore throats before they even leave for school—a school whose outer wall is barely ten feet from the smouldering heap. This is not just an inconvenience; it’s a serious public health hazard, and it’s entirely avoidable.

The source is no mystery—someone is openly and routinely setting piles of organic and plastic waste ablaze on the side of a nullah. The smoke drifts into homes, clings to clothes, and fills the air with acrid fumes. Burning solid waste in open air releases fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and toxic compounds like dioxins—all of which pose grave risks, particularly to children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and respiratory illnesses.

What makes this situation especially egregious is that the practice is not merely harmful—it is illegal. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (1997) prohibits the discharge or emission of any effluent or waste or air pollutant in an amount, concentration, or level which is in excess of the........

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