Published : Monday, 9 December, 2024 at 12:00 AM Count : 320
While wintry dry season is a natural cause for poor weather conditions, but Dhaka's air due to extreme degree of particle pollution,irrespective of seasonal changes,remains unchanged for years on end.
However, just yesterday (Sunday) the over-crowded capital city ranked as the second most polluted city in the world by registering air quality with an AQI score of 240 - classified as "very unhealthy" and such perilous air quality has been continuing for the past few days - posing a grave health threat to city-dwellers. India's Delhi, Egypt's Cairo and Pakistan's Karachi and Lahore respectively occupied the first, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 369, 213 and 190 respectively.
The AQI is an international index for reporting daily air quality, informing people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. That said - a little over 4 months ago a WHO report had revealed that average life expectancy in Bangladesh is truncated by 4.8 years due to high levels of particulate pollution. And to put this into perspective, particulate pollution impacts life expectancy more severely than smoking, high alcohol use, transport injuries, and even HIV/AIDS. This dire situation paints a grim picture of the broader health crisis driven by air pollution. Data showed that 166.4 million people in Bangladesh live in areas where annual particulate pollution levels exceed WHO guidelines, with 96.8% of the population exposed to pollution levels above national standards. Even in relatively less polluted division as Sylhet, particulate pollution is 6.7 times more than the WHO guideline.
However, despite a 22% reduction in pollution levels in 2022 compared to 2021, the health dilemma remains monumental. The trend reversal in South Asia, where Bangladesh is located, offers a glimmer of hope but highlights the urgent need for sustained efforts. Reduction in pollution in 2022 could potentially extend average life expectancy by a year if the trend continues.
Not to mention, the economic cost of air pollution is alsovery high. By increasing health costs and reducing people's ability to work, it openly affects the total economic output and GDP growth.
We would advise the Interim Government to immediately adopt the command-and-control approach, through which the government can directly control and reduce man-made pollution.In addition, efficient regulation of construction sites and mandatory dust management measures could significantly reduce hazardous particulates. Upgrading the technology used in brick kilns and switching to cleaner energy sources are crucial steps.
In conclusion, enough options have been penned, opined, discussed and analysedto address Dhaka's perilous air pollution, but little have been done so far.
