Now the need is to take steps to protect air from pollution

Dr Matiur Rahman :
Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. It has been at the top of air pollution for the past few years. The High Court also had to intervene to protect public health due to air pollution. However, the air pollution in Dhaka has not decreased. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.
In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that Dhaka’s three primary sources of air pollution are brick kilns, vehicular smoke and dust from construction projects.
According to IQAir, the air quality was highly unhealthy in January of this year. Dhaka was ranked at the top of the world in terms of air pollution several times. Researchers have also found toxic plastic particles in this polluted air, which is of great concern to public health experts.
It should be noted that in terms of air quality if the value of the Air Quality Index or AQI is up to 50, it is called healthy air; 51 to 100 is considered acceptable, although it may cause harm to individuals. Level150 to 200 are considered unhealthy, and level 200 to 300 is highly unhealthy. AQI of more than 300 is considered catastrophic. According to data, air quality in Dhaka never fell below 200 in February. So, Dhaka’s air is highly unhealthy.
In 2020, the High Court division gave a 9-point direction to prevent air pollution. A lawyer applied to the High Court division on January 30 of this year to implement the 9-point directive of the High Court to control air pollution in Dhaka.
The nine-point directive states that trucks carrying sand or soil must be covered and transported within Dhaka. Contractors will cover the areas where construction work is going on. There was an order to sprinkle water on the roads of Dhaka city, and measures should be taken to splash water on all the streets.
It has to be ensured that the ongoing works, including the construction and carpeting of the mega project road, are carried out following the contract’s law and terms and conditions. According to the Road Transport Act-2018, the economic life of the vehicles plying on the road should be determined, and restrictions should be imposed on the movement of vehicles which have become old. Cars that emit black smoke should be impounded. The brick kilns running without a license, including those not yet closed down, will have to submit a report within two months after closure.
Market and shop waste should be packed. Tire burning and battery recycling must be stopped without permission from the Department of Environment. After that, when the market and shops are closed, the city corporation has to remove the waste, etc.
In these circumstances, the High Court has expressed displeasure over the non-implementation of the court order to prevent air pollution. It said, ‘People are being killed through pollution. Save people from air pollution’. The court said not even a drop of the directive given by the High Court to prevent air pollution has been implemented. Illegal brick kilns have also not been stopped.
The High court also mentioned that many people live abroad, and their children live abroad. They don’t care about Dhaka’s air pollution. But we live in this country. We have to stay in this country. So, save people from air pollution. The court expressed dissatisfaction towards the concerned authorities, including the Department of Environment.
The presence of heavy metals in the air for so long has raised the alarm. But this time, researchers have found toxic microscopic plastic particles or microplastic in the air of Dhaka. Those particles enter the body with the breath of Dhaka residents, which is very harmful to the human body.
Public health experts described the harm caused by polluted air and plastic particles. They said, ‘If polluted air or plastic particles enter the body with breath, they can spread throughout the body first through the lungs and then through the blood. It can cause many problems ranging from cancer to neurological diseases, high blood pressure and respiratory problems. According to a study, 25 per cent of heart attacks are caused by polluted air. Other diseases are also increasing due to air pollution. Air pollution has now become a grave issue of concern. So now the need is to take practical steps directly to prevent air pollution.

(The writer is a researcher and
development worker).