Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today (January 29) said reducing air pollution is a time-consuming process dependent on economic capacity, development patterns, communication infrastructure and transport system.
She noted that 30-35 percent of Bangladesh’s air pollution originates from sources outside the country while 28 percent comes from power plants. She underscored the need for a well-defined action plan to control the pollutions.
She said checking air pollution is impossible without improving fuel quality and increasing refinery capacity.
Even neighboring countries that have enhanced their refineries still struggle with air pollution, often ranking among the most polluted cities, Rizwana said.
Therefore, she said, Bangladesh must adopt a long-term strategy to combat pollution effectively.
The environment adviser made these remarks as the chief guest at a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the Bangladesh Clean Air Project held at the Department of Environment (DoE), Agargaon, reports BSS.
She said merely monitoring and reporting the deterioration of air quality is not enough; concrete actions must be taken.
The DoE will launch a hotline where citizens can report air pollution issues during the winter months, the adviser said.
She highlighted that planting trees along road dividers can help reduce dust pollution, as already observed in the areas surrounding the Padma Bridge.
The DoE has been directed to implement effective measures to check air pollution during the winter months in the coming year, Rizwana said.
Calling for bold economic decisions to combat air pollution, she stressed the need for strict measures against polluting brick kilns and proposed that some steel mills may need to suspend operations for 2-3 months during winter to reduce emissions.
Additionally, the environment adviser emphasised the importance of strictly enforcing the ban on buses older than 20 years.
She said, "This project must be designed in a way that ensures visible improvements in air quality. If we can reduce dust pollution by 13 percent and control industrial emissions, we will make significant progress."
Rizwana mentioned that the World Bank has already joined the project, and more development partners should be engaged to ensure that it meets the country's real needs and provides practical solutions for the people.
The event was also addressed, among others, by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Director General, Department of Environment; Christian Albert Peter, Manager-Environment, World Bank; and Ana Luisa Lima, Senior Environment Specialist, World Bank.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
