THERE are two major sources of air pollution in Bangladesh, vehicular emissions and industrial emissions. According to the Department of Environment (DoE), the air quality in Dhaka has remained consistently unhealthy during the dry season for the last three years. Progressively deteriorating air pollution in Dhaka is evident from the fact that on February 17, 2014, Dhaka's air quality was measured 172 AQI which is considered unhealthy and on January 25, 2017 it was measured 361 AQI, which is deemed to be extremely unhealthy according to the standards for Bangladesh (NAAQS). A public notice by DoE in December of last year states that 58 per cent of the particulate pollutants responsible for the smog in the air of Dhaka city comes from the orthodox brick kilns around and inside Dhaka, 18 per cent from road dust and soil dust, 10 per cent from vehicles, 8.0 per cent from burning of biomass and 6.0 per cent from other sources.
It appears from all these facts that Dhaka is indeed one of the most polluted cities of the world and we the city dwellers are largely responsible for it. It is a city of nearly 16 million people who are doing very little to improve the situation. Air pollution is dangerous for health particularly for elderly people, pregnant women and children. We recall Beijing topped the list of most polluted cities in the world only a couple of years ago. But due to timely action by the authority and concerted efforts of the citizens the situation has been improving fast there. We can follow the example of China and learn how to tackle the issue. We want to make our city greener so that we can reduce the impact of air pollution. Many big construction works are going on in Dhaka without any precaution against air pollution. Most under-construction buildings are not properly covered which releases dust particles freely into the air. It is high time we became aware of the existing air pollution in Dhaka and took effective steps to reduce air pollution and ensure a healthy environment.
Sajjad Hossain
Gulshan, Dhaka
- Saturday, 20 April 2024 |
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