Curbing air pollution: HC blasts govt for its failures

The High Court yesterday blasted the government authorities concerned for their failure in taking effective measures to control the air pollution in Dhaka and its surrounding areas despite its repeated directives.

"Public health is at serious risk due to the air pollution. The situation is not improving although this court has delivered several directives to this effect. In this situation the court cannot sit idle," the bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir said while hearing a writ petition.

The bench directed the director general of department of environment and deputy commissioners of five districts -- Dhaka, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi and Narayanganj -- to be connected with it during the next hearing on February 15.

The HC also asked them to submit before it separate lists of illegal brick kilns' names on that day.

The bench delivered the order while hearing the petition moved by lawyer Manzill Murshid on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh. He also presented newspaper reports on the present air pollution level and running illegal brick kilns seeking necessary directives to this effect.

The lawyer told the HC that the authorities have failed to take effective steps to control the air pollution in Dhaka and its surrounding areas although this court issued directives eight times in this case.

On February 4 last year, the HC asked the director general of fire service and civil defence department to take necessary steps to spray water from its vehicles on an urgent basis at the entrances of the capital, including Gabtoli, Jatrabari, Purbachal, Keraniganj and Tongi.

The fire service and civil defence will do this act keeping their main duty of dousing fires, if any such incident takes place, intact and on priority, the HC said.

The managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority has been ordered to take measures to supply sufficient water to the Dhaka city corporation authorities for spraying it on the streets of the capital.

The court also asked the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to spray water on the streets in such a way so that it falls on the small trees planted of their islands and air pollution reduces.

Lawyers Amatul Karim Swapna, Md Shahjahan, Sayed Ahmed Raza and Md Muniruzzaman stood for DoE, DNCC, DSCC and fire service respectively during the hearing.