Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said that the air pollution in the capital has reached an intolerable level.
Saying that a meeting has been called to find ways to protect people from the worsening air pollution, the minister said action will be taken based on the decisions to be taken at the meeting, reports UNB.
Shahab Uddin made the remarks at his ministry before an inter-ministerial meeting on air and sound pollution in Dhaka on Monday (Nov 25).
"There are many reasons for air pollution in Dhaka. There must be coordination in building public and private infrastructure, and among the agencies providing utility services. Proper management of various projects, including the elevated expressway, must be ensured," the minister said.
Mentioning that air pollution in the Dhaka City Corporations is deteriorating every day, the minister said the responsibility lies with the Department of Environment to solve the problem.
Md Shahab Uddin said the Department of Environment and the World Bank published a report on the sources of air pollution in Bangladesh in March, 2019.
According to the research findings, the three main sources are brick kilns, fumes of vehicles, and dust from construction sites.
Pointing out that dust particles are contributing to the city's worsening air pollution due to construction work without covering of the sites, the minister highlighted the need for all government and private agencies or organizations to take effective steps to control air pollution in Dhaka.
The proper environmental management of transporting and storing soil, sand, and other materials, the timely repair of roads, and sprinkling water regularly to reduce air pollution must be implemented in major infrastructure and development projects like the elevated expressway and metro rail, he added.
Earlier on Monday morning, Dhaka ranked the worst in Air Quality Index (AQI) with a score of 242 at 8am. The Indian capital Delhi, Lahore of Pakistan, and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, occupied the next three slots with scores of 211, 198, and 198, respectively. When the AQI value is between 201 and 300, city dwellers may begin to experience adverse health effects.