Dhaka’s air pollution is increasing, coughing and breathing problems are increasing
The hospitals in Dhaka are now picked up by patients with Asthma and shortness of breath. The hospital authorities in Dhaka reported an increase in patient numbers as winter arrives. Some came with tuberculosis, some with asthma, some with breathing problems.
Dr. Aisha Akhter, Deputy Director of Dhaka TB Hospital, stated that air pollution in Dhaka is linked to the rise in TB cases. During times of increasing pollution, patients also increase.
IQAir, a Swiss organization focused on air quality, reports that Dhaka’s air has been unhealthy for the past week of December 2024, coinciding with overcrowding in the TB hospital.
Dhaka often ranks number 1 in the list of the most polluted cities in the world during the dry season. As of 8:45 pm on December 1, Dhaka was the third most polluted city in the world among 125 cities. Lahore, Pakistan, was at the top, followed by New Delhi, India.
According to IQAir’s 2023 annual report, air pollution is high in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is at number 1 on the list. It is followed by Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso.
New Delhi, India, was at number 1 on the list of the most polluted cities in the world. It is followed by Dhaka, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Baghdad, Iraq.
The problem of air pollution in Bangladesh and the capital city, Dhaka, is not new. Air quality is deteriorating year by year. According to IQAir, Dhaka’s air quality index in 2016 was 150, which rose to 171 in 2023. This means that air pollution has increased.
The sources of air pollution are known to everyone. Just like the song of West Bengal singer Kabir Suman, ‘Questions are easy, and answers are known.’
Experts believe that 17 ministries will have to work together to reduce Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5), a major cause of air pollution. But not much has been done in the past.
Professor Abdus Salam from Dhaka University’s Chemistry Department stated that the Bangladesh Department of Environment has repeatedly failed in its projects. Dhaka’s air quality is deteriorating day by day. No new initiatives are yet in sight. There is talk, but no work is being done.
