The High Court on Tuesday ordered to inform what steps have been taken to curb Dhaka's air pollution by February 5.
The High Court bench consisting of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Mohammad Ali gave this order.
Lawyer Manzil Morshed said: “We filed an application seeking the implementation of the court's instructions. The court wanted to hear from all parties including the Department of Environment and the city corporations.”
Earlier a report was published in the national daily stating that Dhaka's air is severely polluted for 317 days a year. Later, attaching the report, lawyer Manzil Morshed applied to the High Court for instructions to implement the nine-point directive of the High Court to curb air pollution in Dhaka.
The High Court issued the nine-point directive on January 13, 2020.
9-point directive
The nine-point directive includes ensuring the use of covers on trucks or other vehicles that transport sand or soil in capital Dhaka.
At places where construction work is going on, contractors should cover the work to prevent the spread of dust, it said.
As per its previous order, the High Court ordered the authorities concerned to sprinkle water on streets that were left out.
The government has been instructed to ensure complete road construction or excavation work or carpeting complying with laws and rules.
The court also ordered the authorities to seize the vehicles emitting black smoke.
It asked the government to take steps to fix the economic life of different cars or vehicles as per section 36 of the Road Transport Act 2018 and restrict plying of those vehicles which have no economic life to run on roads in the capital.
The DoE was asked to shut down in next two months the rest of the illegal brick fields which are operating without licence.
Appropriate steps should be taken to stop burning of tyres and recycling of vehicles' batteries without approval from the DoE, the court said.
The court asked the authorities concerned of the government to take steps to ensure that all the market owners or shopkeepers keep their garbage in bags and the city corporations to remove those after the shops or markets are closed.