Sagar Biswas :
Country’s environmental organizations have blamed the government for its indifference while the air pollution in Dhaka city is now five times higher than the normal absorbing capacity of human body.
Although three wheelers or two-stroke engine driven vehicles have been banned plying for emitting poisonous gases, the unplanned mills and factories along with 2 lakh unfit automobiles are adding pollution to the air of Dhaka city, they said.
“Of the three main objects – air, soil and water, the rate of pollution in the air is now at highest level in Dhaka city. The situation is dangerous,” Shahidul Islam, Professor of Geology and Mineral Science, Dhaka University, said on Friday.
Meanwhile, a recent study jointly conducted by Ministry of Environment [MoE] and World Bank [WB] have found the air of Dhaka contains at least 250 micrograms per cubic meter [mcm] of airborne particulate, which is five times higher than normal rate.
In this backdrop, thirteen organizations including Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan [BAPA] organized a citizens’ gathering in front of National Press Club yesterday and placed 11-point demand including imposing ban on old-type brick kilns and unfit vehicles.
Other organizations are: Citizens’ Right Movement, Green Voice, CIDAS, Unnayan Dhara Trust, SEBA, PEACE, Sundar Jibon, Nirapod Development Foundation, United Peoples Trust, WBD Trust, Blur Planet Initiative and Adi Dhakabashi Forum.
The joint study of MoE and WB said: “There are two major sources of air pollution — industrial emissions and vehicular emissions. The smoke emitted by brick kilns travels to the main city, especially during the manufacturing season from October to March. This time, the density of airborne particulate matter reaches 463 mcm in the city — the
highest level in the world. At peak hours, the air at Motijheel Commercial Area has been found to contain 100 ppm of Carbon Monoxide,” it said.
“The industrial sources include fertilizer factories, sugar, paper, jute and textile mills, spinning mills, tanneries, garment, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cement production and processing factories, metal workshops and other mills. The costs associated with air pollution in Dhaka are approximately US$800 million every year,” the study added.
UNDP in a research article also said that about half of Bangladesh’s brick kilns are operating illegally, as investors fail to obtain licenses and flout existing environmental laws.
Prof AK Azad and Prof S Jahan of Environmental Science Discipline of Khulna University and Prof J Sultana of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology in a study said air pollution entails a massive cost amounting to Tk 134 billion a year in the capital alone in terms of lost human health and life-3 to 4 percent of the national GDP.
“The people like street hawkers, rickshaw pullers, regular bus and taxi drivers, street children etc carry a double burden -breathing the polluted air while working on the streets… There are no magic bullets and technological quick fix, but some draconian measures can save the city, otherwise Dhaka city will lose its battle against air pollution,” said UK-based environmentalist Yousuf Jamil.
Country’s environmental organizations have blamed the government for its indifference while the air pollution in Dhaka city is now five times higher than the normal absorbing capacity of human body.
Although three wheelers or two-stroke engine driven vehicles have been banned plying for emitting poisonous gases, the unplanned mills and factories along with 2 lakh unfit automobiles are adding pollution to the air of Dhaka city, they said.
“Of the three main objects – air, soil and water, the rate of pollution in the air is now at highest level in Dhaka city. The situation is dangerous,” Shahidul Islam, Professor of Geology and Mineral Science, Dhaka University, said on Friday.
Meanwhile, a recent study jointly conducted by Ministry of Environment [MoE] and World Bank [WB] have found the air of Dhaka contains at least 250 micrograms per cubic meter [mcm] of airborne particulate, which is five times higher than normal rate.
In this backdrop, thirteen organizations including Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan [BAPA] organized a citizens’ gathering in front of National Press Club yesterday and placed 11-point demand including imposing ban on old-type brick kilns and unfit vehicles.
Other organizations are: Citizens’ Right Movement, Green Voice, CIDAS, Unnayan Dhara Trust, SEBA, PEACE, Sundar Jibon, Nirapod Development Foundation, United Peoples Trust, WBD Trust, Blur Planet Initiative and Adi Dhakabashi Forum.
The joint study of MoE and WB said: “There are two major sources of air pollution — industrial emissions and vehicular emissions. The smoke emitted by brick kilns travels to the main city, especially during the manufacturing season from October to March. This time, the density of airborne particulate matter reaches 463 mcm in the city — the
highest level in the world. At peak hours, the air at Motijheel Commercial Area has been found to contain 100 ppm of Carbon Monoxide,” it said.
“The industrial sources include fertilizer factories, sugar, paper, jute and textile mills, spinning mills, tanneries, garment, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cement production and processing factories, metal workshops and other mills. The costs associated with air pollution in Dhaka are approximately US$800 million every year,” the study added.
UNDP in a research article also said that about half of Bangladesh’s brick kilns are operating illegally, as investors fail to obtain licenses and flout existing environmental laws.
Prof AK Azad and Prof S Jahan of Environmental Science Discipline of Khulna University and Prof J Sultana of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology in a study said air pollution entails a massive cost amounting to Tk 134 billion a year in the capital alone in terms of lost human health and life-3 to 4 percent of the national GDP.
“The people like street hawkers, rickshaw pullers, regular bus and taxi drivers, street children etc carry a double burden -breathing the polluted air while working on the streets… There are no magic bullets and technological quick fix, but some draconian measures can save the city, otherwise Dhaka city will lose its battle against air pollution,” said UK-based environmentalist Yousuf Jamil.
