Dhaka saw a marked improvement in air quality during the Eid holidays when a huge number of people left the capital city to celebrate the occasion at their village homes with their near and dear ones. Dhaka’s AQI was categorised as “moderate” during the Eid vacation. AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
According to weather analysts, Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites are the main sources of air pollution in Dhaka. With the advent of winter, Dhaka city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. International media reports say, Russia’s Krasnoyarsk, India’s Delhi and China’s Chengdu occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 182, 168 and 160, respectively.
Experts are of the opinion that the main cause of pollution in Dhaka is due to poor maintenance of polluted items. It faces pollution problems from all sides, as being a highly populated city. It becomes subject to the air contaminating effects of the massive use of cars, motorbikes, buses and trucks. Many of these vehicles travel the roads emitting far more pollution, releasing higher levels of contaminants into the air.
In view of the existing situation, we want that the relevant government functionaries, private organizations, and even individuals across the country have to be more serious in taking appropriate action marked by suitable working package to keep the city as well as the country clean in the best interest of the citizenry.
