The recent notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change which urges citizens to continually monitor the real-time air quality index (AQI) on its website is well meaning enough, but given that vast swathes of the population, even within our urban centres, do not have continuous access to the internet, such ad hoc solutions are nothing if not tone deaf.
The continued deterioration of our air is a visible phenomenon, and while the blame lies squarely on the previous Awami League government for not being able to rein in the many elements which contribute to air pollution, the interim government needs to be more pro-active on that front.
A good case in point here would be the recent rise in illegal brick kilns in Barishal, with more than 100 of them being set up due to inadequate monitoring by authorities.
While action is now being taken by the ministry’s Barishal division, that so many illegal brick kilns would be established at such pace shows a gross lack of oversight on the part of authorities.
For cities such as Dhaka, it is not uncommon for the AQI to consistently sit at the 200 mark, with spikes which go well beyond even that. The phenomenon certainly goes into overdrive around winter, as can be seen now, where the quality of the air has degraded to the point where it holds the potential to greatly slash the lifespan of the average citizen, to say even less about those with pre-existing health conditions.
The interim government has so far exhibited that it recognizes the many environmental hazards facing Bangladeshis, it is now time to act on that recognition.