Ridding Dhaka's air of pollution

Poor air quality in Bangladesh often makes headlines, thanks to fossil fuel burning, emissions from unfit vehicles, brick kilns, dust and massive development work. According to a recent report, more than 22,000 people in Dhaka city died due to air pollution in 2019. Dhaka is among the world's top five cities with the most poisonous air. According to experts, respiratory illness rates are spiking among the city dwellers due to air pollution, as are chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, even among non-smokers. It also damages most major organs of the body, causing heart and lung disease, diabetes, and dementia. It results in the loss of intelligence, disruption of learning process and halting of productivity.
Air pollution is a manageable problem. And it can be fixed if adequate measures are taken. In China, for example, air pollution has been cut by a third since 2013. In the 1990s, Mexico City's pollution problem was as severe as it is now in Dhaka. But today this city's air has improved significantly. We know the sources of air pollution and also the solutions. What we need is a specific target and programmes to achieve it.
Badsha Faysal,
Jurain, Dhaka,
badshafaysal1998@gmail.com