Due to the unabated setting up of illegal brick kilns and factories, air pollution in Tangail has worsened in the past few weeks. It is now the sixth-most polluted district in the country.
People say the local administration is not taking measures to improve the situation. As a result, people are flooding medical facilities with airborne diseases.
Particle pollution from fine particulates, or PM2.5 concentration, in Tangail is currently 5.6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value, which poses great health risks.
PM2.5 particles—small enough to bore through the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and damage internal organs—are linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer.
Experts blame unplanned urbanization, different megaprojects, and fumes from brick kilns and factories for the situation in Tangail. They say air pollution can affect lung development and is implicated in the development of emphysema, asthma, and other respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Dr Saiful Islam, senior consultant at the medicine department at Tangail General Hospital, said a wide variety of airborne diseases are spreading among the people of this area, especially affecting the elderly and newborns. The doctor said many mothers are giving birth to infants with disorders. He said the air quality in Tangail has dropped several notches in the past couple of years.
Jamir Uddin, deputy director at the Department of Environment in Tangail, expressed his concerns about the rising air pollution despite having a natural forest in the district. He attributed this to faulty vehicles and illegal brick kilns throughout the district. He said his office has already shut down several such establishments, along with coal production facilities.
Kaisarul Islam, Tangail deputy commissioner, said the reasons behind the rise in air pollution are being identified. "We have started working in this regard. Hopefully, we will be able to bring the level of pollution down soon.
