PRESENCE of dust and pollution in the air of our cities has reached alarming levels. It’s happening mainly due to chaotic construction works, poor management and protracted traffic jams. According to Air Quality Index Report of the Department of Environment’s (DoE) “Clean Air and Sustainable Project” earlier this month, air quality of Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Rajshahi has been measured ‘extremely unhealthy’. Yet there is no big-scale initiative taken from the government’s end to address the dilemma.
In fact the degree of pollutants have increased at such length, number of patients suffering from respiratory problems, Bronchiolitis, Asthma and Chronic Pulmonary diseases have dangerously shot up, according to the physicians of many public and private hospitals.
Although the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) claimed that it has already taken a ‘water-spraying programme’ to combat dust and bring it to a tolerable level, but Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is doing almost nothing to combat the mounting dust in the city’s air. The ecologists and the physicians expressed anxiety over the situation. They have repeatedly warned of dire consequences if dust from the city’s air is not controlled.
However, be it protracted traffic jams or increasing air pollution, the government’s authorities concerned seems not interested enough. There is no sign of campaigning for creating mass awareness, preventing air pollution and the situation is worsening. Instead of focusing on massive infrastructure mega-projects it’s time the party in power pays more attention to the very basic health predicaments that’s taking Dhaka and other cities near the brink of collapse. The question relating to succeeding or failing in addressing the quandary only arises when sincere efforts are taken and applied, but if there are no visible efforts at all , the hope for a change any time soon is little.
The dwellers of Dhaka and other cities are paying heavy social, physical and economic cost for the numerable development projects – still they are deprived from being the beneficiaries of the so-called rampant ‘developments’ here and there. The unending public sufferings due to air pollution must be handled efficiently and quick. Our cities must not become unlivable.
