Air pollution takes toll on Dhaka, N’ganj, Gazipur people

The air pollution level in Dhaka and its surrounding areas, including Narayanganj and Gazipur, has reached an alarming level, compared to other major cities of Bangladesh. The situation is also bad in the port city Chittagong and Rajshahi. The Sustainable Environment (CASE) under the DoE yesterday recorded the air quality level in Dhaka at 214ppm (parts per million), 239ppm in Gazipur, 233ppm in Narayanganj, and Chittagong 186ppm against the tolerable limit of 100ppm.

Many people are suffering from cold, allergy, asthma and breathing problems due to dust and air pollution in major cities, including the capital city of Dhaka, green activists told this correspondent. Children and old people are the main victims, as their disease prevention level is low compared to other healthy people.

Unplanned digging or roads, construction of buildings and illegal conventional brick kilns are responsible for the air pollution, DoE sources said.

According to DoE sources, there are about 7,000 illegal conventional brick kilns (120-foot chimney) across the country.

The DoE is supposed to apply the Environment Conservation Act 1995 and the Brick Kiln Control Act 2013, but the authorities do not bother to apply the laws, Abdus Sobhan, general secretary of Poribesh Bachao Andalan (POBA), told this correspondent.

“As per law, no one can use any product that can pollute the environment and affect public health. The DoE is responsible to control it by

applying the law,” Sobhan, who is also a former additional director of the DoE, said in reply to a query.  The brick kiln owners have taken their licences from the deputy commissioners at the district level, he said. “The brick kiln owners are using low quality coal, which is creating and spreading high ash, sulphur and mercury during the burning of bricks. Besides, many illegal brick kilns are yet to turn their factories into zigzag,” he said.

 As a result, the whole country is suffering due to air pollution, he observed. “We demand immediate action, including application of laws, to control air pollution. The DoE must take stern action against perpetrators. Co-coordinated efforts are needed to control air pollution. Conventional brick kilns must be shut and these factories should be made to adopt the modern zigzag system. Besides, construction materials and under-construction buildings should be kept under cover during work,” Ziaul Haque, director (air quality management) of the Department of Environment (DoE), told The Independent yesterday.

The DoE is working with many organisations, including Roads and Highways, RAJUK, City Corporations, Power Development Board, brick kiln owners, WASA, BRTA, gas and T&T on how to control pollution through coordinated ways, the DoE director said.

“We have suggested that conventional brick kilns should be stopped immediately. Besides, city corporations have asked all service providing organisations to inform them at least a month before digging up roads. This would help control dust and pollution in the city areas,” Ziaul Haque said in reply to a query.

He admitted that pollution had reached a very unhealthy level in some places of the country. “The air quality is considered good up to the 100ppm level. Beyond that, we consider it not good,” he said in reply to a query.  

He also said they have reduced petrol and diesel’s sulphur level to 500ppm from 3,000ppm and the DoE has plans to reduce it further to 50ppm.

Air pollution takes toll on Dhaka, Nganj, Gazipur people

The air pollution level in Dhaka and its surrounding areas, including Narayanganj and Gazipur, has reached an alarming level, compared to other major cities of Bangladesh. The situation is also bad in the port city Chittagong and Rajshahi. The Sustainable Environment (CASE) under the DoE yesterday recorded the air quality level in Dhaka at 214ppm (parts per million), 239ppm in Gazipur, 233ppm in Narayanganj, and Chittagong 186ppm against the tolerable limit of 100ppm. Many people are suffering from cold, allergy, asthma and breathing problems due to dust and air pollution in major cities, including the capital city of Dhaka, green activists told this correspondent. Children and old people are the main victims, as their disease prevention level is low compared to other healthy people. Unplanned digging or roads, construction of buildings and illegal conventional brick kilns are responsible for the air pollution, DoE sources said. According to DoE sources, there are about 7,000 illegal conventional brick kilns (120-foot chimney) across the country. The DoE is supposed to apply the Environment Conservation Act 1995 and the Brick Kiln Control Act 2013, but the authorities do not bother to apply the laws, Abdus Sobhan, general secretary of Poribesh Bachao Andalan (POBA), told this correspondent. As per law, no one can use any product that can pollute the environment and affect public health. The DoE is responsible to control it by applying the law, Sobhan, who is also a former additional director of the DoE, said in reply to a query. The brick kiln owners have taken their licences from the deputy commissioners at the district level, he said. The brick kiln owners are using low quality coal, which is creating and spreading high ash, sulphur and mercury during the burning of bricks. Besides, many illegal brick kilns are yet to turn their factories into zigzag, he said. As a result, the whole country is suffering due to air pollution, he observed. We demand immediate action, including application of laws, to control air pollution. The DoE must take stern action against perpetrators. Co-coordinated efforts are needed to control air pollution. Conventional brick kilns must be shut and these factories should be made to adopt the modern zigzag system. Besides, construction materials and under-construction buildings should be kept under cover during work, Ziaul Haque, director (air quality management) of the Department of Environment (DoE), told The Independent yesterday. The DoE is working with many organisations, including Roads and Highways, RAJUK, City Corporations, Power Development Board, brick kiln owners, WASA, BRTA, gas and TT on how to control pollution through coordinated ways, the DoE director said. We have suggested that conventional brick kilns should be stopped immediately. Besides, city corporations have asked all service providing organisations to inform them at least a month before digging up roads. This would help control dust and pollution in the city areas, Ziaul Haque said in reply to a query. He admitted that pollution had reached a very unhealthy level in some places of the country. The air quality is considered good up to the 100ppm level. Beyond that, we consider it not good, he said in reply to a query. He also said they have reduced petrol and diesels sulphur level to 500ppm from 3,000ppm and the DoE has plans to reduce it further to 50ppm.