Amaravati, January 11: Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board Chairman P. Krishnayya appealed to residents to celebrate Bhogi the kickoff to Sankranti on January 13 in an eco-friendly way.
He highlighted how winter smog already affects health, and burning hazardous items worsens air quality with toxic releases.
Krishnayya advised using only dry leaves, firewood, or agricultural residues for bonfires. He strongly warned against burning plastics, rubber, tyres, e-waste, painted furniture, or chemically coated materials, which emit harmful pollutants like dioxins, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and heavy metals.
These can trigger respiratory issues, asthma, eye irritation, heart problems, and long-term risks.
Instead of discarding old household waste in street fires, he urged people to hand it over to municipal collection services and support local staff.
