Air pollution has reached choking levels

The poor quality of air has been a pressing concern from the beginning of this month, when the High Court directed the public administration secretary to deploy five executive magistrates within a month under the Department of Environment (DoE) to take necessary measures in tackling air and environmental pollution across the country. What is shocking is the degree to which our air remains polluted. We get a picture of this from the 2019 World Air Quality Report released recently. According to it, Bangladesh has emerged as the country with the worst particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollution in the world, followed by Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan and India.    

As we continue to breathe in this air, we're looking at a cocktail of health issues such as asthma, heart disease and lung cancer. And this toxic PM 2.5 had already hit New Delhi last year, before it made its way to us. Despite these glaring problems, what still prevail are the many man-made establishments and irresponsible societal habits that further contribute to our already toxic environment.

From the illegal brick kilns in Savar and garbage strewn in every corner of the capital to dust from construction sites, burning of leaves, cigarette consumption, and the countless unfit buses releasing dark smog on the streets—all have played a substantial role in gaining us this notoriety. An effective way out of this would be to assess the types of local pollutants and seasonal public health status to better understand air quality management. It requires conducting a city-based evaluation of air quality, as per the Clean Air Act, with the help of multi-stakeholders. Also, there needs to be location-specific solutions for areas with industrial zones, waste disposal sites as well as market places. On a societal level, awareness needs to be spread among citizens, providing them with life choices that aren't detrimental to the ecosystem or themselves.

Additionally, the government needs to work on that directive sent by the HC earlier this month. It is evident from the PM count that merely shutting down brick kilns isn't going to be enough. A report from The Daily Star had stated that the DoE had experienced a shortage of manpower in this regard, mentioning that a total of eight executive magistrates are needed to launch drives against environmental pollution across the country.

With only three magistrates at hand, there's little that can be done. In these trying times, it's imperative that the government takes into account the understaffing issue of the DoE and equips the officials with necessary instruments and facilities so that measures to control air quality and protect the environment are not delayed further.