Shafiul Kayes : Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has been suffering from air pollution for the past few years. There are regular stories or headlines in the national and international media highlighting the ‘hazardous,’ ‘very unhealthy,’ and ‘worst’ air quality in the city. Researchers say that the capital is uninhabitable. Air pollution is also proportionally endangering both human health and the environment.
According to an analysis by Stamford University’s Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), the average score in the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Dhaka was 171 in 2023, up from 163 in the previous year.
In last year’s IQAir index, Dhaka was designated the most polluted capital city, boasting an AQI score exceeding 300. The AQI scores for the first and second days of this year were 244 and 256, respectively. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is categorized as ‘very unhealthy,’ with the value worsening as the score increases.
According to the IQAir criteria, a city or place is considered to have good air quality if it scores 50 or less. A score of 51 to 100 is considered ‘moderate’, a score of 101 to 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, a score of 151 to 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, and a score of 201 to 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’ and air quality is considered ‘hazardous’ if the score is greater than 301.
Approximately 16.48 million people in the country live in air that is polluted all year round, exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline of more than 5 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter of air.
According to a global report on air pollution published by the University of Chicago, the average life expectancy of people in the country is decreasing by 8 years and 8 months per year due to air pollution.
The US research group Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that worldwide air pollution caused 6.7 million deaths in 2022. In a single year, approximately 500,000 youngsters worldwide passed away. One of the leading causes of death globally is air pollution.
Concerningly, according to environmental experts, air pollution in the city has risen by more than 10 percent in the last eight years. These experts have identified specific causes for Dhaka’s top global ranking in terms of air pollution, including construction, brick kilns, factories, vehicles, and waste burning.
Industrial plants in the vicinity of Bangladesh’s capital, including Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Dhamrai, Savar, Tongi, Jatrabari, Lalbagh, and Hazaribagh, are causing significant air pollution.
As a result of air pollution, people are not only getting sick but also losing their lives. Air pollution leads to premature deaths, causing respiratory diseases, chronic lung diseases, lung cancer, heart disease, asthma, allergies, and strokes.
Research institutes in the US claim that 92% of people worldwide ingest toxic air. As a result, about 4.2 million people die worldwide every year. There is no specific survey or statistics about the death of people due to air pollution in our country. Because of this, 4.2 million people die annually on a global scale. There is no particular survey or data regarding the number of deaths in our country attributable to air pollution. However, according to researchers, doctors, and observers, the country’s severe air pollution is the cause of many diseases and deaths. A comprehensive report from doctors, researchers, and environmentalists detailing the alarming statistics on people’s health, the prevalence of various diseases, and deaths due to air pollution is urgently needed.
We need to create public awareness to eliminate these diseases. We should be aware of the excessive use of fossil fuels, reduce the production of black smoke, plant more trees—stop deforestation—and take steps to adopt afforestation programs across the country. We should avoid littering, excreta, smoking, and tobacco consumption. Care should be taken to ensure that dust is not created during construction work.
The government is enacting several rules and regulations to reduce and prevent air pollution. However, there is a specific need for both public and private initiatives. Various disasters are currently affecting the ecosystem due to different forms of ignorance and irregularities. We have an individual duty to act quickly to avert this serious threat. Otherwise, one of the things that could harm us is air pollution. Environmental protection is a responsibility that falls on all citizens, as well as the government and environmental organizations.
Author: Former student, the Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology, Gopalganj and Sub-Editor, The Bangladesh Today.
