When the very air we breathe opposes life in all forms, there is something deeply wrong.
To that end, recent statements made by government representatives finally shed some light into the measures that they are considering in countering this long and storied national issue.
The administration is seemingly attempting to curb our air pollution through the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), but also in a bid for Bangladesh to play its own part in tackling the global climate crisis.
Bangladesh's National Action Plan on Reducing SLCPs stands to prevent 16,300 premature deaths, all the while reducing black carbon emissions by 72% and methane emissions by 37% by 2040. Pending the plan’s full implementation, of course.
While the plan is a good acknowledgement of just how far-gone the problem of air pollution is in our cities, it does little to take into account the most egregious sources of pollution in our cities: Brick kilns.
For far too long have these polluting elements acted as a bane to the healthy living for citizens in the capital. Spewing smoke with particles that shorten the lifespan of anyone unfortunate enough to breathe it in, these establishments have run out of control in terms of numbers in the last few years.
The government has committed towards making sure the registration process for brick kilns is more stringent, but it is clearly not enough.
Air pollution is no laughing matter. We need pro-active approaches from the government and other relevant authorities to help clean up the air and penalize those who consistently work towards ruining it.
