Clean Air, Safe Water and Pure Food: A Fundamental Right

AIR and water are indispensable to human survival, followed by safe and uncontaminated food.

Yet, the extent to which the residents of Dhaka enjoy access to these basic necessities is a matter of serious concern.

Breathing polluted air, drinking unsafe water and consuming adulterated food have become part of everyday life for millions of city dwellers.

The question is: should citizens of an independent country be compelled to live under such hazardous conditions?

Air pollution in Dhaka has reached an alarming level and has become a major public health concern.

Exhaust emissions from vehicles, brick kilns, construction dust, industrial pollutants and the indiscriminate burning of waste are among the principal sources of pollution.

The situation is further aggravated by the poor mechanical and environmental conditions of a considerable number of public transport vehicles.

Reports of thousands of unfit buses operating on Dhaka’s roads highlight the seriousness of the problem.

Unless these vehicles are effectively removed from the streets, efforts to control air pollution will remain largely ineffective.

Ordinary citizens are not the only victims. Traffic police officers and others who spend long hours working on the streets are also exposed to hazardous pollutants.

According to the World Bank, air pollution was responsible for more than 159,000 premature deaths annually in Bangladesh, based on 2019 data.

This figure should serve as a serious warning to policymakers and the authorities concerned.

The scarcity of safe drinking water is equally disturbing.

Encroachment on rivers, canals and water bodies, together with industrial and sewage pollution, threatens the safety of both groundwater and supplied water.

Meanwhile, food adulteration, the use of harmful chemicals and unsafe food preservation practices are increasing public health risks.

A comprehensive and time-bound action plan is essential to overcome this crisis.

First, unfit vehicles and those emitting excessive smoke must be withdrawn from the roads through strict enforcement of existing laws.

Public transport should gradually be transformed into an environmentally friendly system, with greater reliance on electric and cleaner-fuel vehicles.

Effective route management, regular vehicle inspections and impartial law enforcement are equally important. No political or commercial influence should be allowed to undermine these measures.

Second, construction-related dust must be controlled, illegal brick kilns shut down, industrial waste properly treated and the open burning of waste prohibited.

Air-quality monitoring should be strengthened, and reliable information about pollution levels should be regularly made available to the public.

Third, water quality must be tested at every stage of supply. River pollution should be stopped, while regular drives against food adulteration must be intensified.

Those responsible for violating environmental and food safety laws should face exemplary punishment.

Ultimately, development cannot be measured merely by the construction of high-rise buildings, wider roads or impressive infrastructure. Its real measure is the ability of people to live in a healthy and safe environment.

Clean air, safe drinking water and uncontaminated food are not privileges granted by the state; they are fundamental human necessities and rights.

Ensuring these rights is an essential responsibility of the government. There is no justification for further delay.