'Dust pollution in city reaches alarming level'

FE Report

Green activists on Saturday called for taking necessary steps to help curb dust pollution for the sake of public health.

They also demanded proper enforcement of the existing laws and greater coordination among city's utility service providers to tackle such pollution.

The activists came up with the demand at a human chain programme organised in the city's Shahbagh area, according to a statement.

Some 17 rights organisations including Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) organised the programme to draw the attention of the authorities concerned in this regard.

POBA chairman Abu Naser Khan, its assistant secretaries Shahin Aziz and MA Wahed, among others, took part in the programme.

Speakers said dust pollution in the city has reached an alarming level in recent times. City dwellers contract various respiratory and other diseases including cough, bronchitis, tuberculosis (TB), allergy, dizziness and skin diseases as they unknowingly inhale a huge amount of dust along with breathing. Such disease-prevalence causes huge economic losses for many families.

In addition, dust pollution is also responsible for a huge financial crisis for the citizens, the speakers said, adding that a middle-class family has to pay additional Tk 4,000-Tk 12,000 as living cost per month owing to dust pollution.

According to Department of Environment (DoE), air quality index (AQI) of the capital city is above 300 whereas the level of 0-50 is good, 51-100 moderate, 101-150 cautionary, 151-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy and 301-500 severe unhealthy.

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