Dhaka air pollution: HC asks what steps have been taken

The High Court on Tuesday wanted to know the steps taken to prevent air pollution in Dhaka, and asked the authorities concerned, including the Department of Environment, to inform on February 5.

A High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order after hearing a petition seeking implementation of the court orders in this regard.

Senior lawyer Manzil Murshid stood for the petitioner while Amatul Karim and Syed Ahmed Raza represented the Department of Environment and Dhaka South City Corporation, respectively.

The High Court issued the nine-point directive on January 13, 2020, after hearing a writ petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

Murshid filed a petition seeking implementation of the higher court’s nine-point directive on Monday.

For the past several days, it has been reported that Dhaka has ranked the worst in the air quality index in the world, he said.

In New Delhi, the government imposed an emergency situation when it experienced the worst air quality in the world but the authorities in Dhaka have no worries about it, he said.

The nine-point directive of the High Court includes— ensuring the use of covers on trucks or other vehicles that transport sand or soil in the capital, contractors taking steps to cover the construction sites, and taking steps to sprinkle water on Dhaka roads.

Ensuring complete road construction or excavation work or carpeting complying with laws, rules and terms and conditions of the agreement, seizing vehicles involved in emitting black smoke, fixing the economic life of vehicles plying on roads as per the Road Transport Act 2018 and imposing a ban on the movement of unfit vehicles were also included in the directive. 

The High Court's directive also included shutting down the illegal brickfields which are operating without licenses and submitting a report within two months, putting a stop to burning tyres and recycling vehicles’ batteries without approval from the DoE, and taking steps to ensure that all the market owners or shopkeepers keep their garbage in bags and to make sure the city corporation janitors are asked to remove those after the shops or markets are closed.

The HRPB filed a writ petition attaching a report published in different newspapers on January 21, 2019, on air pollution in Dhaka.