bdenvironment.com

Tag: Air Pollution

  • What is the Bangladesh Clean Air Act?

    What is the Bangladesh Clean Air Act?

    Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: The Bangladesh Clean Air Act has been introduced and there are quite a few radical changes here of note. The well-documented issue of air pollution has come up again and again in the conscience of Bangladeshi Citizens and lawmakers. In recent years, Dhaka alongside New Delhi has been in the rankings as the top uninhabitable cities in the world. A major part of that can be chalked up to how much air pollutants have skyrocketed. The government has been taking isolated steps in order to reduce pollution. But this time it seems like the wheels have turned and the government has decided to concentrate their efforts into making air pollution reduced.

    The Department of Environment along with The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyer’s Association have teamed up to draft the new Bangladesh Clean Air Act. This is in part done to help the preservation of air and reduction of Air Pollution across the regions of Bangladesh. This new set of regulations is a long time coming. It includes Jail time and Fines for violations of the clean air act regulations. With a varied set of rules, the act is said to have good provisions for encouraging preservation and threatening pollution activities 

     The Act has some notable highlights including:

    • The Department of Environment will put together a National Air Quality Management Plan.
    • The government can put out a declaration that an area is “critical” if the air quality deteriorates to an intolerable level, to deal with the restoration of the Air Quality
    • Will initiate a 29-member advisory council with delegates representing different ministries and departments to monitor and recommend implementation of the National Air Quality Management Plan.
    • A maximum jail time of 10 years or fine according to the severity or both as the punishments for violation of the law.
    • In the case of faults and discrepancies by any government agency, the head of the said organization will be considered the guilty party for the violation. Further punishment measures will be dealt to the agency head.

    The brick kilns, generators, and other sources of pollution have been recorded. It all comes down to the unchecked industrial work that goes into urbanization. But the Clean Air Act should bring order to the chaos and help in saving our citizens. Only time will tell if the execution is in line with the regulations.

    (The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])

  • Demerits of the Generator on the Environment

    Demerits of the Generator on the Environment

    Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: In many areas of Bangladesh, there are lots of localities that still suffer from power outages and load sheddings. To counter that, Generators are used to make sure that the power stays uninterrupted throughout the power outage period. But the generator usage has a lot of perils that threaten the normal living quality of the citizens. 

    Many areas like Mirpur, Farmgate, Jatrabari, Kamrangirchor and some areas where industrial production is prevalent; have been suffering from the effects of the generator smoke. The populace surrounding factory areas have complained about the black smoke that comes out of the chimneys and exhausts. 

    The Generator usage creates residual particulate matter that gets mixed with the environment. Researchers in a recent study by the Center For Science and Development, based in Delhi, provided levels of PM2.5 and PM10 rises 10% to 30% in such areas where the diesel generators are in use. According to Environmentalist Dr. Lelin Chowdhury, the particulates can cause serious illnesses in people that can even lead to death. 

    Dhaka has been ranked second in the World Health Organization air pollution index. In daily pollution indexes, Delhi and Dhaka had been trading places in first and second places in recent times. Bangladesh is also the seventh most vulnerable country to be affected by climate change. 

    Every year more or less 15000 people have been affected by air pollution due to air pollution. The top 10 diseases that affect people most and lead to deaths have 5 respiratory-related illnesses which all have an origin in air pollution. The five diseases are lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory tract infections, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Children suffer from asthma-related problems more often than not. 

    The Poribesh Bachao Andolon initiative has time and again pressed on the importance of getting rid of the sources of air pollution. Its Chairman Abu Naser Khan has opined that any fossil fuel has the potential to cause air pollution. “Getting to the bottom of the usage of such fuels and decreasing uses should be a top priority” adds Abu Naser. 

    The Urban Areas in Bangladesh are being consistently polluted by generator smoke and decreasing their use is a must for us to ensure better living standards and save lives.

    (The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])

    Featured Image Courtesy: The Guardian

  • Dhaka Residents Flinch as Air Quality Worsens

    Dhaka Residents Flinch as Air Quality Worsens

    Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: It is no secret that Dhaka is a city that has been plagued with air pollution for a long time. The quality of air has worsened in the industrialization of the 1980s, 1990s, and of course the 2000s. Bangladesh has been leading the charts when it comes to pollution and that is definitely not something to gloat about and should elicit an opposite reaction. 

    In recent times the air quality issues have plagued the whole world and Bangladesh is certainly not an exception to that. Bangladesh has been put in the rankings as one of the worst countries to live in, in terms of air quality. Dhaka has been named one of the most inhospitable cities in the world.

    Dhaka is the 17th worst city in the world in terms of air quality in the world. Delhi and Dhaka have been trading places with each other as the most polluted cities in the world on a daily basis. What’s alarming is the amount of smog and dust particles in the air in Dhaka. With the top 10 causes of death in Dhaka having 5 respiratory and heart conditions or a source of such, this is technically an alarming situation. 

    Dhaka has an infrastructure that resembles a board of dominos with buildings and structures piled with little or no space in between. With living spaces and industrial sites being lumped together, the pollutants rapidly mix with the air and eventually in the lungs of citizens. 

    With brick kilns, factories, construction sites, metal workshops, and transportation fumes so much intricately mixed with our city living quarters, air pollution is bound to be an issue. With the worldwide situation getting so bad, there needs to be precautions and studies in place to mitigate the situation. Citizens in Dhaka have been subject to a varying range of problems pertaining to such harsh air quality. 

    Underlying conditions such as lung cancer, various forms of heart disease, and strokes are becoming common for the citizens. So proper steps from the government and citizens alike is sorely wanted to tackle this ever-present calamity. Regulations and restrictions, as well as the promotion of good environmental habits, should be the key to tackling these problems.

    (The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])

    Photo Courtesy: Dhaka Tribune