Polluted city
Photo: Liton Rahman / Driknews
Overcrowded Dhaka is already considered the word's most polluted city. Yet its environment is being polluted further unabatedly. The poor, the lower middle class and our innocent children are particularly affected by pollution. They are more exposed as they work & travel for long hours. Their poor nutrition makes them less resistant to diseases and they have limited access to healthcare. According to some estimates, 20,000 citizens are facing premature death every year due to high pollution. In my view to reduce environmental pollution, the government should take following pollution control measures. 1) At least four measuring stations should be set up within the city to measure pollution level every day. 2) Existing environment protection laws should be fully enforced. 3) A Dhaka pollution control board should be established. The Board is to undertake an inventory & forecast key sources of pollutants, set emission reduction goal, plan monitoring & quantify actions to reduce these pollutants. 4) Steps should be taken to reduce transport & fuel related pollution caused by faulty engines and old vehicles. 5) All brickfields in and around the city should be converted to gas-fired ones. 6) Roadside tree plantation programmes & social forestry should be strengthened.
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