NN Online:
The interim government has announced a comprehensive set of initiatives—covering short, mid, and long-term strategies—to curb air pollution in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.
These decisions were made during the second meeting of the government’s air pollution taskforce, held on May 14 at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The meeting was chaired by Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
“We are implementing a wide range of actions to tackle air pollution, including the planting of environment-friendly trees in vacant spaces and the procurement of modern equipment for waste and road cleaning,” said Rizwana, who also serves as Water Resources Adviser.
She noted that the government is preparing structured work plans for immediate, medium-range, and long-term air pollution control and that a dedicated committee will be formed to oversee tree plantation activities. The committee will include representatives from city corporations, the Forest Department, the Department of Environment, the Housing and Public Works Department, the Armed Forces Division, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
As part of a pilot project, bare patches of land in Dhaka North and South, Narayanganj, and Gazipur City Corporations will be covered with grass to reduce dust levels, she said.
To ensure community involvement, youth representatives and civil society members will be tasked with caring for the newly planted trees. “Annual evaluations will be conducted, and the best caretakers will receive incentives,” Rizwana added.
To control dust pollution, the Dhaka North and South City Corporations will sprinkle water on roads twice daily. The government will also standardize schedules for road sweeping and solid waste removal to ease public inconvenience.
In a major shift, the taskforce decided that by 2025, all public construction—except road building—will use eco-friendly concrete blocks instead of traditional bricks. Additionally, transporting sand in open trucks will be banned; only sealed packaging will be allowed.
The government will take strict legal measures against open burning of waste, a major contributor to air pollution.
The taskforce also discussed raising awareness through education and religious platforms. “We will introduce a chapter in school textbooks to educate students about air pollution and civic responsibility,” Rizwana said. “Furthermore, imams will be instructed to include messages about cleanliness and pollution prevention during Friday Jummah sermons in mosques nationwide.”
The meeting marks a significant step forward in addressing Dhaka’s chronic air pollution problem, with authorities pledging sustained action and public engagement.
