The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be directed to take appropriate measures to prevent air pollution in Dhaka, which has been suffering from severe pollution for an extended period.
In response to a writ petition, the HC bench comprising Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Ainun Nahar Siddiqua asked the secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, the director general of the Department of Environment, and the chief executive officers of Dhaka North and South city corporations to reply to the rule within four weeks.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Md Monir Uddin filed the writ petition as a public interest litigation with the HC seeking its directive in this regard.
Md Monir Uddin had served a legal notice to the director general of the Department of Environment and others concerned, urging them to take steps to curb air pollution in Dhaka. But, the authorities concerned did not take any steps in this connection. Hence, the lawyer filed the writ petition in the High Court.
The legal notice highlighted that Dhaka recorded its worst air quality in nine years on 14 December last year, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 288.
According to the AQI scale, 0-50 indicates pure air, 51-100 is considered tolerable, 101-150 is cautionary or unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children and the elderly, 151-200 is unhealthy for all, 201-300 is very unhealthy, and scores above 301 are deemed hazardous, posing serious health risks.
The notice also referred to a 2019 report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank, identifying brick kilns, vehicle emissions, and construction dust as the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka.
It noted that on February 19 that year, Dhaka ranked as the most polluted city among 124 globally, recording an AQI of 250.
The notice warned that without environmentally friendly and urgent interventions, Dhaka could soon become uninhabitable. A request was made for immediate action to address the situation.
