Dhaka has been ranked as the worst in the air quality index (AQI) owing to consistently having very unhealthy or hazardous air for its population
Najifa Farhat, Mahmud Hossain Opu: Habibur Rahman, a Dhaka dweller, first thought he had somehow encountered a foggy winter morning at 10am while waiting for a bus at Uttara’s House Building area. He soon realized that the fog was in fact a curtain of dust, which is a result of Dhaka’s increasingly deteriorating air quality.
Dhaka has been ranked as the worst in the air quality index (AQI) owing to consistently having very unhealthy or hazardous air for its population.
Studies have shown that unplanned development work in the city is responsible for the majority of air pollution in the city, contributing to the problem.
According to a study by the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Study (CAPS), unplanned road digging and construction account for much of the air pollution in Dhaka.
Other sources of air pollution include brick kilns and factories (29%), vehicle black smoke (15%), transboundary air pollution (10%) and household and cooking stove pollutants (9%), and waste incineration (7%).
“If you just look at the air pollution data before and after 2016, you will see how major construction has led to a deterioration of air quality in Dhaka,” says Stamford University Department of Environmental Sciences chief Prof Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder.
According to him, nearly 2000 metric tons of dust fly regularly occupy the skies of Dhaka.
The capital is currently home to a number of major constructions in the busiest spots, including Motijheel, Shahbagh, Banani, Gulshan, Kamalapur, Agargaon, Uttara, Purbachal, Azimpur, Lalbagh and Kalyanpur.
Uttara is one such construction hotspot where a number of mega construction projects, including the metrorail and elevated expressway, are underway. The subsequent pollution that the residents are exposed to is gradually pushing them to serious health hazards.
The Agargaon road from Shishu Mela to the Passport Office has been undergoing expansion for the past two months.
Nazma, who has come from Bogura for her father’s treatment at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), says it’s difficult to dine at the roadside restaurants because of the dust.
“These are the only places which are nearby and we can afford. So, we’re eating the dust mixed food,” she lamented.
The area has eight public hospitals and at least 15 more private hospitals in its vicinity, meaning dry weather along with construction work has been exposing these patients and their families to various health risks.
What is the AQI?
On December 24, Dhaka scored 297 on the AQI, marking the air “very unhealthy” for its population.
The quality of air depends on the amount of small floating dust particles (particulate matter or PM 10) and fine particles (PM 2.5) in it, measured in micrograms per cubic metre and parts per million or ppm units.
AQI rating of 0-50 represents ‘good’ air quality, while 51-100 is considered ‘moderate’ and 101-150 is deemed ‘dangerous.’
However, air quality is classified as ‘unhealthy’ when the levels reach 150-200, ‘very unhealthy’ at 201-300 and ‘hazardous’ at 301-500.
While the quality of air does deteriorate noticeably during the dry season as dust and other pollutants permeate Dhaka, the trend has become intolerable in recent years due to the massive construction works.
Measures at curbing fail to yield results
Measures undertaken to minimize the contribution of constructions and development work to air pollution have so far remained ineffective.
In November 2019, a Department of Environment (DoE) mobile court fined metro rail project contractors Tk100,000 for contributing to air pollution.
The same month in the following year, the High Court issued directives on setting up barricades in construction areas and ordered that water be sprayed twice a day in any area where such development and renovation work was underway. The two city corporations were also ordered to conduct mobile courts twice a week against the violators.
However, speaking to hawkers before the IDB Bhaban in Agargaon, where the metro rail construction is underway, Dhaka Tribune found that while the authorities did sprinkle water in the area a few months ago, lately it had stopped.
Efforts are ongoing to protect the environment, says DoE Monitoring and Enforcement Wing Director Masud Hasan Patowary.
“We have a shortage of magistrates but still our efforts are going on about taking action against those who violate construction guidelines,” he said.
“Just last week a construction site at South Keraniganj was fined for keeping building materials open on the road,” he added.
However, a shopkeeper from Minal Pharmacy at the Chankharpul road in Dhaka Medical College area complained the building materials were usually hauled in at night and they were never covered.
A spot visit to the area showed construction materials being transported in broad daylight, producing a large amount of dust in the area.
According to Professor Kamaruzzaman, around 60 percent of Dhaka’s air pollution takes place in the winter.
“If this can be curbed it is possible to lower the national average of air pollution a great deal,” he said.
“The govt has committed not to use bricks from kilns which generate toxic fumes after 2025,” he added and said that the rule should be enforced on private companies as well.
According to him, during winter, regulations should be imposed on vehicular movement, which also contributes in a major way to the air pollution.
As a study by the social organisation Sabuj Andolan notes, only two percent of the total area of Dhaka city is covered with green while 83 percent is occupied by buildings and constructions.
Experts believe that the declining greenery and the increase in development are one of the barriers to mitigating air pollution.
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