It goes without saying that air pollution is a serious problem in our capital city, as well as other major urban areas in Bangladesh.
The suggestions made by US Science Envoy for Air Quality James Schauer are certainly welcome, and well worth considering -- the envoy suggested that better technology can be introduced to reduce pollution and improve air quality, as has been done in the United States.
Schauer is right to point out that the major part of air quality management is to develop a monitoring system that tells us exactly what the sources of pollution are.
We already have a good idea as to who the main culprits are: Brick kilns are by far the worst offenders when it comes to dirtying our air, followed by vehicular emissions, and construction work, but more rigorous testing of the particulate composition in the air can give us a more precise picture, based on which the government could take action.
Indeed, it is time for serious action against air pollution, as it has become nothing short of a public health crisis -- air pollution is strongly correlated with the top 10 causes of death in the country, including lung cancer, lower respiratory tract infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
Dhaka, in spite of positive advancements in many areas, remains one of the most polluted cities in the world, and the quality of our air is one of the main reasons our capital continues to be one of the least liveable cities on the planet.
Let us change this grim situation.