A recent study has revealed the disturbing extent of micro-plastic pollution in Dhaka’s rivers and water bodies, with levels far surpassing those found in many rivers across the globe. Conducted by researchers and published in the journal Elsevier, the study sheds light on the rising threat of plastic contamination in the city’s aquatic environments.
The researchers collected water and sediment samples from 19 locations, including major rivers like the Turag, Buriganga, Shitalakshya, Balu, and Tongi, as well as water bodies such as Hatirjheel, Dhanmondi Lake, and Gulshan Lake. Their findings are startling: Dhaka’s rivers and lakes contain an average of 36,000 micro-plastic particles per cubic meter of water, a concentration that is significantly higher than many urban rivers worldwide.
The Tongi Canal is the most polluted water body in Dhaka, with over 60,000 micro-plastic particles per cubic meter. In comparison, the nearby Balu and Buriganga Rivers, as well as Dhanmondi Lake, also display high levels of contamination, while rural rivers such as the Atrai and Karatoa show relatively lower concentrations of 100–150 particles per cubic meter, rising to 300–400 particles per cubic meter as they enter urban areas.
The micro-plastic particles in these waters come from various types of plastic and polythene, including polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), nylon (NY), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), IUCN, and the World Bank show that per capita annual plastic use in urban areas rose from 3 kg in 2005 to 9 kg in 2020. Currently, an average Dhaka resident uses 24 kg of plastic annually, and the city consumes 15 million polythene bags daily.
Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, secretary of the Environment Preservation Movement (POBA), emphasized reducing reliance on mobile courts to curb polythene use. He also called for amendments to environmental laws to grant administrative penalty powers to department officials and for the formulation and enforcement of effective regulations to control plastic pollution. The lack of alternatives to plastic and polythene is a major barrier to reducing their usage.
The Department of Environment and an integrated monitoring team are conducting raids against factories producing banned polythene shopping bags, as announced by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the interim government’s adviser on environment, forests, and climate change. Additionally, the government has instructed all ministries, divisions, and offices under them to stop using single-use plastic.
Tapan Kumar Biswas, chairman of the monitoring committee on this issue and additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, reiterated the government's commitment to enforcing the ban on polythene shopping bags. He urged compliance with government directives, warning of consequences for non-compliance.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
