"burning garbage"

#12781046

21 September 2025

A battery-run autorickshaw driver uses his phone while standing near burning garbage at a plastic recycling factory along a roadside in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on September 21, 2025.

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#12781045

21 September 2025

A worker burns a pile of garbage at a plastic recycling factory at a roadside in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on September 21, 2025.

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#12577879

23 July 2025

An effigy of ''Ghantakarna'' is erected at crossroads to mark 'Gathemangal' in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on July 23, 2025. This festival, also known as Ghantakarna Chaturdasi, falls on Trayodashi (the third day) of the month of Shrawan (July/August) and is celebrated in memory of the mythical demon Ghantakarna's death. According to legends, the demon Ghantakarna terrorizes villagers by stealing children and women and demands money and other gifts as ransom for their release. His body is painted in red, blue, and black, and he wears a pair of bells on his ears. He looks very scary, and every time he moves, the bells jingle. He gets his name from the bells on his ears, with 'Ghanta' meaning 'bell' and 'Karna' meaning 'ears'. The fear of this dreadful monster keeps people inside their homes most of the time. Even during the planting season, they do not dare to leave their homes. However, one day, a large number of frogs come to the village and begin to croak near Ghantakarna's place. He becomes furious, but the frogs do not stop. They croak even louder, and when he tries to catch them, they jump into the water. He also jumps into the water without realizing that it is a swamp and soon starts to drown. The frogs swarm around his head, and he drowns to death. In this way, the frogs save the village and the villagers from the demon. Effigies built at the turnings and roadways of the locality are later dragged and burned to ashes in areas far from residential areas, mostly at the crossroads. This festival is also celebrated as a symbol of cleanliness, with garbage inside and outside the house cleaned and disposed of systematically. The festival involves cleaning the garbage, calling it a ghost to get rid of it, as it does not pay attention to sanitation during the planting period, and various insects cause grief at this time.

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#12217630

1 April 2025

Discarded paper, plastic bags, and offerings pile up near graves after ancestral rites at a cemetery in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, on March 31, 2025. The scene reflects environmental issues tied to traditional rituals during memorial periods.

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#12074203

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074205

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074206

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074207

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074210

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074211

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074212

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074213

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12074214

20 February 2025

Garbage burns beside the main road in the Dhaka University area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 20, 2025

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#12073036

20 February 2025

A rickshaw van puller rides through smoke rising from burning garbage by the roadside in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 18, 2025.

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#12029717

8 February 2025

Elephants, cows, dogs, birds, and crows eat from a garbage dump in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, on February 7, 2024. In Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka (231 km from Colombo), a large garbage dump becomes a place where both animals and people gather. The government collects garbage from houses and brings it here. Workers burn the trash, creating thick smoke, but the dump remains full of activity. Elephants, cows, dogs, birds, crows, and even people come to this place, each searching for something. The elephants are a sad sight. They come looking for food but end up eating harmful things like plastic, rotten food, and other waste. This makes them very sick and can even kill them. Other animals, like stray dogs, cows, and birds, also pick through the garbage, trying to find scraps to eat. Among the animals, a man walks through the trash, collecting empty beer cans to sell. It is how he makes a living, but it is risky. He has to share the space with large elephants and other animals, and the burning garbage creates a smoky, unhealthy environment. This dump shows the problems caused by poor waste management. Burning trash pollutes the air, and the open garbage attracts animals. Wild elephants, which should be in forests, are forced to eat waste, while people face health and safety risks. To fix this, we need better solutions. Sorting and recycling garbage can reduce the amount dumped here. Burning trash should stop, and proper waste disposal methods should be used instead. Forests must be protected so elephants and other animals have food and space in their natural habitats. Communities also need to learn about safe waste handling and how to live peacefully with wildlife. This garbage dump is a reminder of how badly we treat nature. It is time to take action to protect the environment, wildlife, and the people who live near these places. Together, we can create a cleaner and safer future.

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#12029718

8 February 2025

Elephants, cows, dogs, birds, and crows eat from a garbage dump in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, on February 7, 2024. In Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka (231 km from Colombo), a large garbage dump becomes a place where both animals and people gather. The government collects garbage from houses and brings it here. Workers burn the trash, creating thick smoke, but the dump remains full of activity. Elephants, cows, dogs, birds, crows, and even people come to this place, each searching for something. The elephants are a sad sight. They come looking for food but end up eating harmful things like plastic, rotten food, and other waste. This makes them very sick and can even kill them. Other animals, like stray dogs, cows, and birds, also pick through the garbage, trying to find scraps to eat. Among the animals, a man walks through the trash, collecting empty beer cans to sell. It is how he makes a living, but it is risky. He has to share the space with large elephants and other animals, and the burning garbage creates a smoky, unhealthy environment. This dump shows the problems caused by poor waste management. Burning trash pollutes the air, and the open garbage attracts animals. Wild elephants, which should be in forests, are forced to eat waste, while people face health and safety risks. To fix this, we need better solutions. Sorting and recycling garbage can reduce the amount dumped here. Burning trash should stop, and proper waste disposal methods should be used instead. Forests must be protected so elephants and other animals have food and space in their natural habitats. Communities also need to learn about safe waste handling and how to live peacefully with wildlife. This garbage dump is a reminder of how badly we treat nature. It is time to take action to protect the environment, wildlife, and the people who live near these places. Together, we can create a cleaner and safer future.

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