Chittagong Bureau :
Air and sound pollution have aggravated in the Chittagong city, causing different diseases to the city dwellers, environmentalists and locals said. Air pollution caused by black smoke emission from unfit vehicles and dusts from open space has increased bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory diseases among the city dwellers, physicians said.
Besides, people of different strata in Chittagong are also experiencing sound pollution caused by the hydraulic horns, power generators and welding workshops located in and around residential areas.
They said noise affects children physically and psychologically while normal life is being hampered by round-the-clock operations of the power generators in different posh area residences in the city and welding engineering workshops.
Experts said sound pollutions have reached nearly 200 decibel against its tolerable level of 60 decibel.
They said air pollution from thousands of unfit vehicles reached 100 per cent against its maximum tolerable level of hard ridge smoke unit of 65 per cent.
Besides, pollution from dusts has also reached 500 plus microgram though its tolerable level is considered 200 microgram, suspended particulates matter. Environmentalists blamed smoked air caused by unfit vehicles, coupled with dusts from open space, for such environmental degradation in the city.
Physicians feared that if such environmental degradation continues, respiratory deceases would increase manifold among city residents. Department of Environment, Chittagong office sources said the pollution is very high in a few jam-packed places of the city including Bahaddarhat crossing, GEC crossing, New Market, Agrabad, Chawkbazar and Andarkillah.
Residents of Bahaddarhat and Chawkbazar areas alleged that the situation worsens at night as welding operators start their generators which create noise higher than the tolerable levels.
“If my mother calls me loudly from the next room, I do not hear her because of the sound created by generator of a nearby residential flat and welding factory,” alleged Sharmin Akter, a student of Chittagong College living in Chalkbazar area of the port city.
“I usually study at night but I find it very difficult to continue for the noise,” dramatist Pradwip Dewanjee living at Lalkhan Bazar area, said. “It is very hard to sleep, my kids often get up being frightened and start crying to hear the sound of heavy vehicles,” he added.
Continuous sound pollution may totally deafen the children as well as the adults, ENT specialists feared.”A noisy environment can affect children physically and psychologically,” said ENT specialist Abdus Sattar.
According to government guidelines, wielding engineering and lathe machines, iron factories and generators must be set up at least one kilometer away from residences and power generators must be set up underground.
It is alleged that factory and welding shop owners and developers of the residential flats pay no heed to the complaints regarding the situation.
Over 20,749 light and heavy vehicles have been plying the roads of Chittagong city and its adjacent areas without fitness certificates and emitting black smokes, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Chittagong office source said.
BRTA sources said that they send data of unfit vehicles every six months to the traffic department in the city and district for checking the vehicles and controlling the black smoke.
Officials of BRTA said, they issued notice regularly to the defaulting vehicle owners for renovating their respective vehicles, renewing the certificates and paying road taxes.
The government officials emphasized on combined efforts by the traffic department and BRTA to check the vehicles.
Officials of DoE, Chittagong, said they continued to work for reducing air and sound pollutions and fined nearly 4,000 unfit vehicles over Tk 50 lakh for emitting black smoke since 2007 last.
“The drive against the unfit vehicles will continue and the authorities will take legal action as soon as possible if anybody complains regarding sound pollution,’ they said.
Air and sound pollution have aggravated in the Chittagong city, causing different diseases to the city dwellers, environmentalists and locals said. Air pollution caused by black smoke emission from unfit vehicles and dusts from open space has increased bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory diseases among the city dwellers, physicians said.
Besides, people of different strata in Chittagong are also experiencing sound pollution caused by the hydraulic horns, power generators and welding workshops located in and around residential areas.
They said noise affects children physically and psychologically while normal life is being hampered by round-the-clock operations of the power generators in different posh area residences in the city and welding engineering workshops.
Experts said sound pollutions have reached nearly 200 decibel against its tolerable level of 60 decibel.
They said air pollution from thousands of unfit vehicles reached 100 per cent against its maximum tolerable level of hard ridge smoke unit of 65 per cent.
Besides, pollution from dusts has also reached 500 plus microgram though its tolerable level is considered 200 microgram, suspended particulates matter. Environmentalists blamed smoked air caused by unfit vehicles, coupled with dusts from open space, for such environmental degradation in the city.
Physicians feared that if such environmental degradation continues, respiratory deceases would increase manifold among city residents. Department of Environment, Chittagong office sources said the pollution is very high in a few jam-packed places of the city including Bahaddarhat crossing, GEC crossing, New Market, Agrabad, Chawkbazar and Andarkillah.
Residents of Bahaddarhat and Chawkbazar areas alleged that the situation worsens at night as welding operators start their generators which create noise higher than the tolerable levels.
“If my mother calls me loudly from the next room, I do not hear her because of the sound created by generator of a nearby residential flat and welding factory,” alleged Sharmin Akter, a student of Chittagong College living in Chalkbazar area of the port city.
“I usually study at night but I find it very difficult to continue for the noise,” dramatist Pradwip Dewanjee living at Lalkhan Bazar area, said. “It is very hard to sleep, my kids often get up being frightened and start crying to hear the sound of heavy vehicles,” he added.
Continuous sound pollution may totally deafen the children as well as the adults, ENT specialists feared.”A noisy environment can affect children physically and psychologically,” said ENT specialist Abdus Sattar.
According to government guidelines, wielding engineering and lathe machines, iron factories and generators must be set up at least one kilometer away from residences and power generators must be set up underground.
It is alleged that factory and welding shop owners and developers of the residential flats pay no heed to the complaints regarding the situation.
Over 20,749 light and heavy vehicles have been plying the roads of Chittagong city and its adjacent areas without fitness certificates and emitting black smokes, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Chittagong office source said.
BRTA sources said that they send data of unfit vehicles every six months to the traffic department in the city and district for checking the vehicles and controlling the black smoke.
Officials of BRTA said, they issued notice regularly to the defaulting vehicle owners for renovating their respective vehicles, renewing the certificates and paying road taxes.
The government officials emphasized on combined efforts by the traffic department and BRTA to check the vehicles.
Officials of DoE, Chittagong, said they continued to work for reducing air and sound pollutions and fined nearly 4,000 unfit vehicles over Tk 50 lakh for emitting black smoke since 2007 last.
“The drive against the unfit vehicles will continue and the authorities will take legal action as soon as possible if anybody complains regarding sound pollution,’ they said.
