The New Nation - Internet Edition

With the ban (by the BNP Administration) on 2-stroke engine driven Baby Taxis that used lead fuel in the early years of the century, there was remarkable improvement in the air quality of the city because, the use of lead fuel is, in fact, one of the major sources that release dangerous and hazardous particles in the air; was contained to zero level. With the banning of the source of origin of pollution the air became much thin and dust free.

But with the passes of 6-7 years the air-quality of the city has again become dirty, dusty and severely polluted. Conventional wisdom suggests, over these years there has been huge increase in the number of motorised transports - cars, buses, micro, mini, GNGs etc. that ply on the city roads. Similarly, the size of the city population - living in the slums or in the posh areas or yard-marked zones ¾ has also increased rather disproportionately. Besides, many industrial units, particularly using raw chemicals, have also cropped up and those are releasing huge volume of untreated wastes in the air, water and body-mass of the city. All these compounded have made the air most unhygienic, polluted and poor in quality.

And at the top of all, the City Fathers have just failed to deliver the minimum civic facilities to the citizenry. For example, the utter nonchalant mindset of the authorities concerned is squarely responsible for the death of River Buriganga - once considered the life-line of Dhaka City and, in fact, Buriganga did so serve the people for centuries together until its death after 1971.

The sad part is that we are really less concerned about the living atmosphere around us. People have really no wish to live green and healthy. Hence we are experiencing the heat. It is unfortunate.

Abu Musa Miah

Lalbagh, Dhaka.