City's environmental groups are thinking that air pollution of Dhaka seems to have turned deadly due to bricklaying around Dhaka city, traffic congestion, black smoke and dust from old automotive vehicles.
Last Friday, Bangladesh Poribesh Bachao Andolon (BAPA) including 13 organizations took part in a rally in front of the National Press Club. However, the people figured out the cause of pollution and urged the government to solve the problem by taking effective measures.
By citing a joint study report of the World Bank and the Environment Ministry it is said that the current level of air pollution in Dhaka is five times more than the moderate level. The amount of airborne particulate matter is 250 micrograms per cubic meter while 50 micrograms the level.
Air pollution is severely increased even after the stopping of lead associated petrol importation and two-stroke engine baby taxi. They said there is around 10 thousand brick field across the country, and around half are situated near Dhaka city.
And in these brickfields, substandard coals are burned, which are imported from Meghalaya of India. Here, the amount of sulfurs is 7 to 10 percent. However, the maximum moderate limit of sulfur is 1 percent.
BAPA General Secretary Abdul Matin presided over the ceremony. He demanded 11 demands towards the government to prevent air pollution, including starting of a zigzag system in a brick field, stopping wood-burning, stopping coal importation, stopping 16 years or even earlier old vehicles.
Shahidul Islam, Professor of Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Dhaka University said, “The air-water-soil, among these three basic elements, the highest is air pollution. And this pollution is causing the ultimate impact on the other two elements.”
The other organizations that took part in really were Green Voice, Shundor Jibon, Nirapod Development Foundation, W. BD Trust, Blue Planet Initiative, Citizen Rights Movement, Unnayan Dhara Trust, Sidasa, Sheba, Adi Dhaka Bashi Forum, Peace and United People's Trust.
