Waste Burning Risks Lives and Crops

TDT | Manama

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Personnel were deployed to 864 areas by the General Directorate of Civil Defence to extinguish fires caused by the burning of agricultural waste.

Speaking on the Interior Ministry’s Al Aman social media programme, Hidd Police Station Head Colonel Dr. Osama Bahar highlighted the environmental, health and safety risks linked to the practice.

Colonel Dr. Bahar said many people had previously believed that burning agricultural waste in Bahrain and elsewhere supported agricultural development. However, he explained that studies had proven otherwise, noting that the practice reduced soil quality by up to 25 per cent, forcing farmers to spend additional funds on fertilisers and vitamins to restore land fertility and support healthy plant growth.

Seven million people worldwide have been affected by severe illnesses and deaths caused by exposure to microscopic particles known as PM2.5, released through the burning of agricultural waste, Colonel Dr. Osama Bahar warned, adding that the process emitted black carbon that posed serious health risks.

He further stressed that fires caused by agricultural waste burning were not confined to waste alone, but often spread to crops farmers were trying to protect. In some cases, the flames extended to outbuildings and even residential houses located on farms. He noted that while farmers may have intended to manage waste responsibly, the fires frequently became uncontrollable, resulting in the loss of crops and essential structures.

Colonel Dr. Bahar concluded by urging farmers to adopt safer alternatives, emphasising that recycling agricultural waste was a more secure solution than risking the loss of crops or homes.

“The use and recycling of agricultural waste is a safer solution, instead of risking the loss of crops or homes,” he said.