Gulshan highest noise polluted, Shahbagh most air polluted

Staff Reporter :
A study on Dhaka’s air and sound pollution has found that Shahbagh has the most polluted air and Gulshan 2 is the noisiest area in the capital.
The annual average air pollution in Bangladesh capital Dhaka is 5.1 times higher than the national standard level, the study revealed. Meanwhile, city’s Abdullahpur secured the second positions in terms of noise pollution, finds the study. Waterkeepers Bangladesh Consortium, Department of Geography and Environment of Jahangirnagar University and Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) of Stamford University Bangladesh conducted the study. The researchers revealed the study report at a press conference at the National Press Club on Sunday.
They said that the year-long study was conducted between April, 2021 and March, 2022 collecting air and sound quality at 10 points including Ahsan Manzil, Abdullahpur, Motijheel, Shahbagh, Dhanmondi-32, Tejgaon, Agargaon, Mirpur-10 and Gulshan-2 in the capital. CAPS founding Director Professor Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, in his key-note paper, said that the study found average Particulate Matter 2.5 was 77 microgram in per cubic meter while the standard is 1.5. The Professor said that their finding showed that the air in Dhaka is unhealthy. He said that the highest Particulate Matter 2.5 found 85 microgram in per cubic meter area at Shahbagh, which was 5.6 times higher than the standard level.
The lowest Particulate Matter 2.5 was found 70 microgram in the parliament area, he said. About noise pollution, average 95.44 decibel noise was recorded in Gulshan-2 against the standard level of 55 decibel in residential area, according to the study. Besides, Abdullahpur recorded 95.43 decibel on an average while the standard of mixed area is 60db, the study report reveals.