NEARLY one fourth of the dwellers in the capital suffer from abnormal pulmonary function, for which high levels of air pollution is an overarching reason, leading medical experts told a seminar jointly organized by Bangladesh University (BU) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). A news reports on Friday said that adolescent children, elderly people and pregnant women are much more susceptible to this menace. So, experts call for minimizing air pollution’s dire impact on city dwellers’ health which makes them susceptible to pulmonary diseases .
Air pollution in the capital has taken an alarming turn, posing serious health problems for citizens. Things get worse in dry season as air, thick with particles becomes a growing cause of chest and respiratory diseases. Although there is no definite study, doctors suggest exposure to thick air pollution may cause premature deaths and also various diseases including pulmonary, respiratory and neurological illnesses.
The presence of pollutant particles in air of the city even on a normal day is more than six times the healthy limit. Experts say 0-50 index is considered good or healthy, 51-100 moderate, 101-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy and above 300 extremely unhealthy. Shockingly, 300 index is the minimum AQI value found in Dhaka for most part of the year, especially in the winter. Presence of small particles in air rises up to 500 mcg as against the tolerable level of 150 mcg.
The pollution of the city has become so high that the World Health Organization has placed it among the 25 cities with the most polluted air in the world. Industrial smog, smoke from vehicles and brick kilns, and dust from construction sites are the main source of pollution. Someone with chronic exposure to air polluting particles stand the risks of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and even cancer in the lung and the urinary tract or bladder, according to the WHO.
In spite of such severe health risks, the government has not taken up any major step so far even to check pollution. The implementation of World Bank funded Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project (CASE) at a cost of US$ 62.2 million which was supposed to finish in December 2014, seems to have no impact so far to reduce the level of air pollution.
Initiatives like modernization of brick kilns and phasing out of old vehicles may reduce the level of air pollution level in the city; but such moves are going slow. The danger remains high to public health if the high pollution level continues. The government must act now without delay.
