Pitch melting pollutes Dimla air
Air quality of Dimla upazila under tthe district hit a hazardous level due to melting of pitch in front of Dimla Islamia Degree College for construction of a road, causing health hazards of the students as well as locals.
A diesel-run machine to prepare pitch by melting waste materials was set up on the college campus around one month ago by a construction firm.
The machine pollutes the environment by emitting dense smoke, dust and dirt. As a result, attendance of students has decreased and many of them, along with locals living in surrounding area, have fallen sick.
Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) Upazila Engineer Abu Jafar Saleh said they had called tender for major maintenance work of around 4.5 kilometre section, stretching from Boro Jumma to Shaheed Minar of Dimla-Shutibari road a year ago at an estimated cost of Tk 1.50 crore. Messers Rehan Traders got the work order, he added.
On a visit to the college campus on Tuesday, this correspondent found that the entire area was covered with smoke as labourers melted pitch with fire made from thrown-away footwear, old tyres and plastic items only a few metres from the academic building.
“Due to the dense black smoke and floating dustparticles, the college authorities were compelled to stop academic activities in the old building,” said Md Akhtaruzzaman, a teacher of the college.
“We can't stay in the classroom due to severe air pollution and the loud sound of tractors carrying construction materials. Now around 60% students remain absent from classes,” said Jyotish Chandra, a student of Class XII.
“At least one member of every family in the area suffers from respiratory problems, headache, aching eyes, loss of appetite and so on,” said Nayan Islam of College Para area.
“We're implementing the government's development programmes for convenience of the local people and we have set up the machine with consent of the college authorities,” said Md Mizan, manager of the construction firm.
He also said they will leave the college campus with all the machinery within four or five days.
Principal Hashim Hyder Apu refuted Mizan's claim that he was given permission. “The contractor set up the machine with blessings from influential quarters. If he fails to leave the campus with the machinery, I will be compelled to take legal action,” he said.
“As per our rule, the construction firm must set up machines far from an inhabited locality. If necessary, they should rent the land,” said district LGED Executive Engineer Md Belal Hossain.
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