Metro rail to cut pollution in the capital
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder :
Dhaka is infamous for its severe traffic congestion and alarming levels of air pollution.
As the city grapples with the adverse effects of rapid urbanization and increasing vehicular emissions, the introduction of the metro rail system stands as a promising solution to tackle these pressing environmental challenges.
Every year at the beginning of winter, the air of the capital turns gray with dust. But this dust in the air brings great suffering to the people of the city.
During this time, the people of Dhaka were affected by various types of respiratory diseases.
The Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) analyzed the air quality index or AQI data of Dhaka city for the last 8 years from 2017 to 2024, obtained from the American Embassy in Bangladesh.
According to the research data, compared to 2022, the average air quality index of November and December 2023 was observed to be lower, which means air pollution has decreased slightly.
Compared to the month of November and December 2022, the air quality index of November and December 2023 decreased by 0.38 and 8.73 percent respectively.
Similarly, the average air quality index for the month of January 2024 has dropped to 260 compared to 281 in the previous year.
Compared to 2023, the air quality index has decreased by 7.51 percent in January 2024.
Again, in the month of January 2023, the total number of “extremely unhealthy or disastrous” days was 13 days, which reduced to only 3 days in the month of January 2024.
A reduction in “extremely unhealthy or hazardous” days is clear indication of reduced air pollution in Dhaka city.
One of the main contributors for the reduction in air pollution in November and December 2023 compared to same periods of 2022 could be the commencement of Metro rail passenger operations.
In 2013, the strategic transport plan was formulated to reduce the increasing traffic problems and traffic congestion in the overpopulated Dhaka metropolis, under which the metro rail was planned for the first time in Dhaka.
The controlling body of Metro rail is Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited.
According to the revised strategic transport plan made in 2016, the number of metro rail lines to be built in Dhaka was increased from 3 to 5.
A total of 6 metro lines with a length of 128 km are planned to be constructed by 2030. There will be 51 aerial stations and 53 underground stations under this network.
The six lines together can transport 4.7 million passengers a day.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the construction work of MRT-6 project on 26th June 2016.
Through this, the construction work of Dhaka Metro started. Ever since the construction of the metro began, an upward impact on air pollution was seen.
On November 27, 2019, two mobile courts of the Department of Environment fined the Metrorail and Elevated Expressway authorities a total of three lakh taka for polluting the capital’s air.
They have been fined for not controlling dust as per the rules during the construction work. However, since the launch of Metrorail, a downward effect of air pollution has been noticed.
Bangladesh launches its first metro rail line in Dhaka on 28 December 2022 and the second phase on 4 November 2023.
The Diabari to Agargaon section of the first phase of the MRT-6 line was inaugurated for mass public on December 28, 2022 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and she officially was the first passenger.
Air pollution caused by the construction work has come to an end as the construction of stations required for the Metro rail has been completed.
Again, one of the three major sources of air pollution in Dhaka is vehicular pollution.
Old vehicles mostly produce large amounts of black smoke which has been identified as one of the major pollutants of air pollution.
Many of the vehicles commuting from Abdullahpur to Motijheel are in poor condition.
After the introduction of Metro rail on this route, the number of these unfit public transports has reduced somewhat, thereby reducing the air pollution caused by that number of vehicles.
The people of Dhaka are not spared from suffering and gridlock and the situation is getting worse day by day.
However, according to the Metrorail website, around 60,000 passengers are traveling every hour or around 960,000 passengers per day since its inception.
As a result, the air pollution caused by the traffic congestion has also reduced somewhat.
A study by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) shows that if Dhaka’s traffic congestion is reduced by 60 percent, it will be possible to save 22 thousand crore taka every year.
The introduction of the metro rail system in Dhaka promotes the use of public transit, which is inherently more environmentally friendly than individual car trips.
In upcoming days there is a possibility that the population density of the central part of Dhaka city will decrease.
People will be able to live outside the city with low house rent and can easily come to Dhaka for office and other work.
For example, people living in Uttara can move to the main city in a very short period of time.
By offering an alternative mode of transportation that reduces vehicle emissions, alleviates traffic congestion, and improves air quality, the metro rail system is poised to have a transformative impact on the environmental and public health landscape of Dhaka.
As the project progresses, it is essential for stakeholders to continue their commitment to sustainability and ensure that the benefits of the metro rail extend to all residents of the city.
(Writer is Head, Department of Environmental Sciences, Dean, Faculty of Science, Stamford University Bangladesh and Chairman, Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS). Mobile No: 01712017725,
Email: [email protected]).
