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6 years ago

Redeeming air purity

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National Environment Agency of Bangladesh rang alarm bells on January 07, 2018 as air pollution level in Dhaka was at 330 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) terming it as "extremely unhealthy". It was again a wake up call for all concerned. As a matter of fact, according to AQI, air quality in Dhaka on the following three days i.e., January 8, 9 and 10 were 341, 355 and 372 respectively which were even higher.

Outdoor air quality is fast deteriorating in major cities of low and middle income countries including Bangladesh. A recent statement of WHO says it all. It says, air pollution in most cities does not meet WHO guidelines for acceptable pollutant levels. More importantly, much of it is manmade as air pollution in Bangladesh is generated primarily by anthropogenic sources, i.e. by human activities. Ozone, a major pollutant, is both natural and anthropogenic.

Adverse effects of air pollution are far too many. Starting from health impacts on plants and animals the socio-economic bearings of air pollution and its chain effects are countless. Of the public health impacts pollution of air from carbon emissions of vehicles is a primary cause of respiratory distress in urban Bangladesh and a ruthless terminator of ecological balance. Air pollution entails a heavy social cost as seven million people are suffering from asthma according to the National Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), and dolefully half of them are children.

Chain effects include lowered productivity of workers which has a direct bearing on output levels. Acording to a World Bank report, Bangladesh could save between $200 million and $800 million annually which is about 0.7 to 3.0 per cent of its gross national product, if air pollution in the country's metropolitan cities could be reduced.

The health impacts of air pollution are much larger than perceived a few years ago. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2012 alone there were about 3.7 million premature deaths caused by air pollution while indoor air pollution was responsible for about 4.3 million premature deaths every year.

People living in the city have increased risks of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic and acute respiratory diseases (including asthma) and other health problems. Indoor air pollution is yet another major cause of poor health and premature death, especially in developing countries. For the last three years, the air quality in Dhaka has remained consistently unhealthy during the dry period according to the Department of Environment (DoE).

Bangladesh experienced only one day per week of good air quality on an average last year, degrading the country's pollution level to a stage similar to that of South Asian neighbours like India and Pakistan, official data has revealed. But what is more disconcerting is the presence of fine dust, that is particulate pollutants or particulate matters like Sulphate, Nitrate, Ammonia, Sodium Chloride, Black Carbon and minerals, in the air. Gaseous pollutants, like Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxide (NOx), Ozone (O3) and Methane (CH4) has been found by the DoE in the air of Dhaka city in alarming quantity. Other forms of pollutants responsible for outdoor air pollution include gaseous and particulate pollutants from vehicular and industrial emissions, brick kilns, construction of high rise structures in a mad rush for urbanization.

In the backdrop of such a saddening spectacle both short term and long term measures are lacking. With pollution taking its toll in enormous volume and extent, effective steps are yet to be taken and the matter of air pollution remains largely unaddressed.

We understand the major pollutants are: vehicular and industrial emissions, excessive dust sprayed around by construction of high rise structures, heat and dust waves of brick kilns and human activities all of which are controllable.  The tasks involved to contain these pollutions should not be deemed insurmountable. Only sustained efforts by the concerned authorities and a concerted move from the members of the public are required to combat the pollution triggered by human activities. 

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