Once again, Dhaka’s air has been ranked among the most polluted in the world, posing severe health risks to its residents. According to recent reports, the city’s air quality remains consistently “unhealthy,” with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels far exceeding global safety standards. This is not a new crisis, but it is nonetheless a deepening one, and it demands immediate, coordinated action from the authorities concerned before the situation becomes completely irreversible.
Dhaka’s air pollution stems from multiple sources, but two of the most significant contributors are brick kilns and vehicular emissions. The innumerable illegal and unregulated brick kilns surrounding the city release thick plumes of black smoke, laden with harmful elements such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
In the same breath, the unchecked growth of unfit vehicles, many running on substandard fuel, results in volumes of toxic fumes being spewed into the air daily. Combined with construction dust, industrial pollution, and inadequate waste disposal, these factors create a deadly haze that chokes the city.
While previous governments have acknowledged air pollution as the severe threat to life that it is, inadequate measures to control the phenomenon is what has led to the status quo. The interim government has shown a much better understanding of the many environmental threats which Bangladesh continues to face as it has undertaken a number of initiatives such as restoring canals, we hope the administration is being equally pro-active about the inordinate levels of air pollution plaguing our country, especially the capital city.
Dhaka’s air pollution stems from multiple sources, but two of the most significant contributors are brick kilns and vehicular emissions. The innumerable illegal and unregulated brick kilns surrounding the city release thick plumes of black smoke, laden with harmful elements such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
In the same breath, the unchecked growth of unfit vehicles, many running on substandard fuel, results in volumes of toxic fumes being spewed into the air daily. Combined with construction dust, industrial pollution, and inadequate waste disposal, these factors create a deadly haze that chokes the city.
While previous governments have acknowledged air pollution as the severe threat to life that it is, inadequate measures to control the phenomenon is what has led to the status quo. The interim government has shown a much better understanding of the many environmental threats which Bangladesh continues to face as it has undertaken a number of initiatives such as restoring canals, we hope the administration is being equally pro-active about the inordinate levels of air pollution plaguing our country, especially the capital city.
As citizens, we all deserve to breathe freely knowing the air is not conspiring to kill us.
