'We are not satisfied with your action'

The High Court today blasted all departments concerned of the government for their failure to curb air pollution in Dhaka despite repeated directives.

"If effective steps were taken in compliance with our directives, then why the air pollution in the capital has been at or near the top of most polluted cities in the world for the last several weeks?" the HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali asked.

"When we go out of home, our eyes smart due to the dust and air pollution. We are not satisfied with your action in complying with our directives," the bench told the lawyers concerned while hearing a writ petition.

The court said water is not sprayed sufficiently to reduce air pollution. Besides, the mosquito menace is still prevalent in the city. Dhaka city corporations must look into this situation, the HC bench said.

The police will have to take proper and adequate action to stop emission of black smoke from vehicles and plying of old vehicles whose tenures expired, the bench added.

The bench also ordered the department of environment (DoE) to immediately shut down all the illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and surrounding five districts—Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, and Manikganj and to take appropriate legal action against their owners and to submit report after complying with the directives to this court in two weeks.

The officials concerned of the departments and DCCs have been ordered to implement its previous directives to prevent the air pollution.