A number of youth in Kapisa have complained about the accumulation of waste in parks and green spaces across the province, saying that the lack of trash bins and the disregard of some citizens for maintaining cleanliness have caused pollution in these areas.
Zakia Alizada, a 35-year-old woman who sometimes goes to the park with her children, says she has faced several challenges due to the accumulation of waste.
“In recent years, whenever I go to the park, cleanliness is not properly maintained. We go to the park to breathe fresh air, but instead, we are faced with accumulated waste. Sometimes, it even makes people feel nauseous. When waste accumulates in the park, it can contain dangerous microbes. The bad smell from the waste is very concerning and can even cause illness among children,” she says.
Sonbul Naderi, a 25-year-old woman who sometimes goes to parks and green areas, complains about the lack of cleanliness and people’s behavior in these places.
“I go to green areas twice a month, but they are not very clean. People throw their waste everywhere. Officials repeatedly urge people to keep the areas clean, but people do not listen. There are no trash bins in the parks at all. The presence of waste harms everyone, and its bad smell causes coughing and nausea,” she says.
Muqaddasa Ayoobi, who goes to the park once a week for recreation and to relax, acknowledges that some parks are clean but complains that waste is not collected on time.
“Some parks are clean, but in others, waste is not collected on time, and more attention is needed. I have seen waste in the parks several times. This makes the parks look unpleasant, and seeing it makes me feel uncomfortable and unsafe,” she adds.
Abdullah Yarmal, a 26-year-old, expressed dissatisfaction with the pollution in parks and said that keeping parks clean is not only the responsibility of the municipality; citizens also have a responsibility.
“When I go to the park and see waste thrown in the corners of the park and in green areas, it really upsets me because parks are places for recreation and relaxation. When the park environment is polluted, it is very harmful, especially for children. Everyone should consider themselves responsible for keeping parks clean and should pay attention. It is not only the responsibility of the municipality and officials,” he says.
Shekib, a 23-year-old who goes to the park with his friends to relax, says: “We are busy with work, and we need to go to parks and recreational areas with our friends and colleagues, at least to enjoy a clean environment. But when we see waste and garbage in a peaceful and beautiful place, we do not feel good and become upset. If we have a sense of patriotism, we can put that waste in its own place.”
Meanwhile, Sayed Qayyoom Hashemi, an environmental expert, considers waste management and waste reduction one of the major challenges for the government, the environment and the public.
“Waste management has become one of the major challenges in recent years. We do not have proper waste management, and in the long term, this will become a problem for Afghanistan’s environment. This problem has two main causes: first, a culture of proper waste disposal has not been promoted, and second, there are not enough trash bins available.”
He suggests the following approaches to reduce and manage waste: “To properly manage waste, laws on penalties and rewards need to be enforced. A culture of proper waste disposal should be promoted, public awareness should be raised, and the infrastructure needed for waste management should be expanded. Another way is to reduce the amount of waste produced.”
Despite warnings from environmental experts and concerns raised by residents, officials from the Kapisa municipality did not express their views on the issue, although they were contacted repeatedly before the report was published.
The accumulation of waste in parks not only pollutes the environment but also causes unpleasant odors, affects visitors’ comfort, attracts insects and increases the risk of disease transmission. Keeping parks and green spaces clean and collecting waste on time are essential for protecting public health and maintaining the beauty of the parks.
Reporter: Shamin Nijrabi
