Saber Hossain Chowdhury, President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Affairs, said that the current government is looking at the zero tolerance policy of air pollution control as well as the prevention of terrorism and corruption. Air pollution and public health issues are given utmost importance here.
He was speaking at a national dialogue on “Ensuring Clean Air: Obstacles and Ways of Passage” jointly organized by the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) and World Vision Bangladesh on Thursday (September 14).
He said, there are 13 ministries and 35 agencies responsible for air pollution regulations. As they did not perform their duties as required on time, the pressure shifted unilaterally to the Department of Environment. We now need to decide how much green to keep in my city, how much wetland to keep. There is no way we can move away from here.
Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, a member of Climate Parliament Bangladesh, said at the event, “We are in an undeclared state of emergency.” Even our safest city is 9 times more polluted than the world standard. We need to study now how much human health damage is increasing due to unplanned development? Is it more damage than development? We are constantly in a polluted environment. At present we are not safe even in our own homes. In this regard, he thinks that it is possible to solve all the environmental problems through the cooperation of the Department of Environment with various ministries and civil society.
Professor Dr. in the keynote speech in the national dialogue. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder said, if the air quality is not improved, our health risks will increase several times in the future. Use of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels should be ensured to improve air quality. One of the main advantages of renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and hydropower is the ability to produce electricity without releasing harmful greenhouse gases and air pollutants into the atmosphere. As a result, the impact of climate change will also be relatively reduced. In his speech, he gave 4 recommendations to improve the air quality in the country namely- maintaining the previous standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter 2.5 in the Air Pollution (Control) Rules 2022; To maintain emission levels in thermal power generation in Bangladesh in the same way that countries providing development assistance maintain emission levels in thermal power generation in their own countries; Ensuring the import and use of low-sulphur (50 ppm) diesel as specified in order number 19 of page 16 of the Air Pollution Guidelines issued by the Department of Environment; Keeping all coal, oil and gas based thermal power plants in red category as before.
In the speech of the special guest, Ahsan Adelur Rahman Adel, a member of Climate Parliament Bangladesh, said that air is not only a matter of health. It is our life. Without air we cannot survive even a second. Earlier we discussed climate as the future. It’s not the future anymore, it’s the present. No more preemptive action, immediate prevention.
Among others who spoke were Rana Mohammad Sohail, member of the Standing Committee on Finance Ministry Affairs, Power Cell Director General, Engineer Mohammad Hossain, Daniel Nova, First Secretary, Health Department, Swedish Embassy Bangladesh, Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) President Mohammad Fazle Reza Sumon, Institute of Architects Bangladesh. (IAB) Vice President Professor Mohammad Ali Naki, World Vision Bangladesh Health, Nutrition and WASH Project Technical Program Manager Dr. Santosh Kumar Dutta, former Additional Secretary and Executive Director of Nature Conservation Management. SM Manjurul Hannan Khan, director of the air quality management department of the Department of Environment. Ziaul Haque and many others.
