By পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha) and Rezwan
The Department of Environment of the Bangladesh government recently declared Savar Upazila, a city in central Bangladesh, a “degraded airshed.”
An analysis of data from the department's continuous air quality monitoring stations showed that the annual average ambient air quality in Savar was almost three times worse than the national standard. As per a 2023 study, there are over 200 brick kilns in Savar, which are used to make bricks for the country's booming construction industry. These kilns emit smoke which exacerbate the air pollution issues. This, coupled with the harmful effects on public health, has made Savar Upazila a severely air-polluted area. Furthermore, during the dry season, air pollution from Savar is carried by the wind into Dhaka, significantly intensifying the megacity's air pollution and detrimentally affecting the health of its residents.
For this reason, the entire Savar Upazila has been declared a “Degraded Airshed” under the power of Rule 5 of the Air Pollution (Control) Rules, 2022.
This initiative is the first of its kind in Bangladesh. Beginning in September 2025, brick burning in all kilns, except tunnel or continuous kilns and hybrid Hoffmann kilns, will be prohibited in the Savar region, along with the open burning of solid waste. In addition, any new industrial factories with the potential to cause air pollution will be required to obtain both locational and environmental clearances.
In 2023, Savar Upazila recorded 164 days of substandard air quality out of 365; in 2024, the number was 160. The main sources of pollution include brick kilns, battery and lead factories, transport emissions, and construction activities. Among these, brick kilns are regarded as the primary contributor. Savar supplies most of the bricks used in Dhaka’s construction, and according to the Department of Environment, the area hosts 107 brick kilns — operating without environmentally friendly technology.
A Stanford University study underscored how unregulated brick kilns across Bangladesh are driving severe air quality degradation.
Savar was once a region of natural beauty, though as one resident, Ratan Pal, noted in a comment on the news site Prothom Alo, industrialization has severely altered the surrounding environment:
Savar’s air pollution levels exceeded acceptable limits decades ago, beginning with the opening of the Pakiza Dyeing Mill. This mill completely destroyed one canal. The Doyel Group destroyed the Karnaphuli canal, and the Bangshi River is now nearly dried. Issuing certifications claiming a factory has ‘no pollution’ in this area is therefore completely unreasonable. Along the road from Savar to Aminbazar, there were once two canals belonging to the Roads and Highways Department — even in the 1980s — that stretched to Kalyanpur. Large concrete bridges spanned these water-filled canals, and boat races were held every monsoon season. To make way for factories, these canals were illegally occupied and ultimately destroyed. Successive governments have encouraged this occupation.
Salahuddin Khan Naeem, General Secretary of the Savar Nagarik Committee, welcomed the government’s initiative. He told the Dhaka Tribune:
We welcome the steps taken by the Department of Environment. For a long time, we have been raising concerns about the severe health risks faced by local residents. If action is not taken against the pollution contaminating our rivers, canals, and wetlands, life here will become impossible. We have said this repeatedly. Our hope is that the government’s measures will go beyond paperwork. We want decisive action to make Savar liveable again and to restore its natural environment.
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Bangladesh is one of the most polluted countries in the world, and air pollution is reducing the average life expectancy of its citizens by five and a half years. This information comes from a recent Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
According to the report, air pollution is the greatest external threat to life expectancy in Bangladesh. Over 166 million people in the country live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution exceeds both the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline and the country's national standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter. Even in the least polluted district, Lalmonirhat, particulate pollution is seven times higher than the WHO guidelines.
Between 1998 and 2023, the level of particulate pollution in Bangladesh increased by 66.2 percent, which has led to a further 2.4-year reduction in life expectancy.
At least 19,000 children under the age of five died in 2021 due to air pollution, according to UNICEF estimates. The Bangladesh branch of the child-welfare NGO has asked the government to implement sustainable measures to improve air quality for future generations.
Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Chairman of the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), a research organization on air quality in Bangladesh, has also called for a coordinated effort from all stakeholders, including the Department of Environment, City Corporations, Road Transport Authority, Ministry of Industries and Commerce, and the National Housing Authority, to reduce air pollution.
This declaration in Savar has opened a new horizon. However, to reduce air pollution across Bangladesh, focusing on just one area will not be enough. Only a coordinated effort from all citizens can ensure a healthy planet for future generations.
(GlobalVoices/NS)
This article is republished from GlobalVoices under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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