Kamal Mosharef: According to a report by a US research organization, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is among the top five cities in the world with average air pollution. Around 71.4 micrograms of particulate matter (PM2) per cubic meter was found in the air of this city. PM2.5 is a method of measuring particulate matter in the air. It is allowed up to 12-15 micrograms. The report of the US-based research organization ‘Health Effects Institute’ (HEI) was published yesterday. In its report titled Air Quality and Health in Cities, the organization highlighted that it monitored the air in more than seven thousand cities around the world. According to the HEI report, Dhaka’s air was high in other pollutants besides PM2.5. It shows that nitrogen The amount of dioxide (NO2) is much higher than normal.
Air quality was monitored and reviewed for 10 years - 2010 to 2019 - in preparation of the report. According to the study, brick kiln smoke is responsible for 58 percent of Dhaka’s air pollution. Dust from construction and repair work and fumes from aging vehicles accounted for the remaining 42 percent. According to the HEI report, India’s capital New Delhi is at the top in air pollution. The city has averaged 110 micrograms of dust per cubic meter of air over the last 10 years. On the other hand, 84 micrograms of dust per cubic meter of air was found in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, India. The city is the second polluter in the world. An average of 83.6 micrograms of dust per cubic meter of air was found in Keno, Nigeria. The city is the third most polluted city in the world.
On the other hand, in Lima, Peru, the average amount of dust per cubic meter of air is 73.2 micrograms. Dhaka, which is in fifth place, is followed by Jakarta in Indonesia in sixth place, Lagos in Nigeria in seventh place, Karachi in Pakistan in eighth place, Beijing in China in ninth place, and Accra in Ghana in tenth place.
IQ Air Assessment: Switzerland-based website ‘IQ Air’ publishes reports on air pollution in around 100 major cities around the world. Dhaka sometimes comes out on top in polluting cities as the agency provides daily data. According to them, if the air quality index exceeds 200, it is considered ‘very unhealthy’. On the morning of January 21, 2022, the air pollution level in Dhaka was 289, which put Dhaka at the top of the world at that time. Air pollution is the cause of many diseases: According to doctors, people of the whole country including the capital are suffering from various diseases due to air pollution. According to experts, AA pollution has both short and long-term effects. Short-term effects include—headache, shivering, loss of physical energy, irritation of the airways, asthma, cough, rhinitis, inflammation of the airways and lungs, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, decreased immunity, etc. Long-term effects include diseases such as bronchitis, lung cancer, infertility, and birth defects.
Construction work and the number of cars are responsible: In this regard, the director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) professor Dr. Salimul Haque said, “At present, dust has been associated with the smoke of cars and industrial factories in air pollution. The dust in the air has increased more than before. Earlier there were not so many big projects and so many cars. Besides, a new source of dust has been created due to the filling of reservoirs in Dhaka and surrounding areas. To reduce air pollution, we need to adopt integrated plans and strict enforcement of laws.
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mr Shahab Uddin said that unbearable levels of noise and air pollution have adverse effects on human health and the environment. For this, the government is working on a priority basis to control the pollution. In addition to being aware of this, others should also be aware. Initiatives have been taken to include noise pollution in the curriculum to make children aware from childhood. With the initiative of the government and the cooperation of all concerned, it will be possible to control the pollution.