We Can Make a Difference!
Water pollution is one of the chief problems in Tajikistan. The major rivers of the country, such as Amy Darya, Sir Darya and Varzob, which are the main source of drinking water, are being polluted as the results of industries’ wastes, throw of garbage, animal waste and many other human activities that leads to the shortage of safe drinking water.
The problem of improper sanitation can be seen, for instance, in Dushanbe, where the consumption of not properly cleaned water resulted in the outbreaks of typhoid and cholera; that is the number of unhealthy people, and probably death rate, is increasing.
Knowing economic condition of the country, I can say that majority of people are not able to afford buying expensive medicine; Therefore, it is high time to come up with the solution.
One must realize that despite the fact that the government tries to improve things, it cannot do it alone. In order to be successful in maintaining clean water, both urban and rural citizens should get involved. We cannot always rely exclusively on our government realizing that its budget is not enough to solve the problem. To have clean water, first of all, we must contribute to it by stopping burning garbage along its shores, by taking away litter after picnics, by reducing constructions along its coasts and by preserving trees and bushes, which help to avoid soil erosion.
Understanding the essence of the water issue in Tajikistan, last month, a group of schoolchildren from Khujand conducted “subbotnik” along the Syr Darya coast and did scavenging. Being amazed by the amount of garbage they collected in few metres, they promised to plant trees and put garbage cans.
These are only few ways by which we can make contribution to combat water pollution. Just have a walk along Varzob or Syr Darya rivers, and you will understand the seriousness of the problem. If measures are not taken, our people will continue consuming unsafe drinking water. So, let’s be part of the solution together!
on February 16th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Nice post Gulru. It very accurately sheds light onto the problem without trying to point fingers at those who should be responsible.
The problem with environment in Tajikistan is that of a mentality of the nation. Average citizen does not see the rivers, land and all these natural beauties we enjoy on daily basis as a part of his ownership.
When I was a teenager I remember that I ventured into a garden and collected some apples, thinking it was ok… On my way to get the most rite apples I must have broken some branches of trees. When I was about to leave the garden I was stopped by the gardener, who seemed very unhappy about my actions. He told me about his passion for his work and how my negligence ruined the trees he cared for years. I felt the reprecussions of my actions and developed a deep respect for his work.
What we need to do is to educate people to appreciate and preserve our environment as their personal gardens.
on February 22nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
I agree that one of the ways to reduce environmental pollution is to educate people. Sure, we can do it, but it takes time.
P.S. I think, we all had such habit as to steal some fruit from neighbor’s garden, even though that fruit was in ours too :D.