New law in the offing

A new law will be enacted soon primarily focusing on preventing the sources of air pollution in the country.

Once formulated, the “Clean Air Act” will also help identify offenders of air pollution, ensuring their punishment.

Speakers at the inception workshop on formulating the law yesterday stressed the importance of stronger enforcement of law and specific responsibility of government institutions to stop air pollution.

The Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) organised the workshop at Dhaka's Brac Centre Inn.

Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury, secretary in-charge of environment, forests and climate change ministry, said the country has no enforceable law for air pollution.

He stressed the need for a comprehensive clean air act, incorporating provisions for air pollution prevention and control, and a mechanism for proper institutional management.

Referring to air quality index of different months from 2014 to 2018, Md Easir Arafat Khan said the condition of air in the country's major cities turns unhealthy during winter due to excessive dust.

An assistant professor of the department of chemical engineering at Buet, Easir said a draft report on the act is expected to be prepared in July and a final version of the draft will be ready in November.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, executive director of Bela, said unauthorised brick kilns and tanneries are highly responsible for air pollution. She said laws of other countries like India and China, who are facing similar challenges, can be considered while formulating the act.

Shahriar Hossain, secretary general of Environment and Social Development Organisation, said alongside dust, waste management issue has to be incorporated in the act.

Green activist and architect Iqbal Habib said success of the act will depend on its enforcement.

SM Munjurul Hannan Khan, additional secretary and project director of Clean Air and Sustainable Environment, presided over the workshop. Sultan Ahmed, director general of DoE, and Prof Md Ali Ahammad Shoukat Choudhury of Buet's chemical engineering department also spoke.