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AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROJECT

WB to provide fund for one more year

CITY CORRESPONDENT
The World Bank (WB) will be bankrolling the air quality management project of the Department of Environment (DoE) until December 2005, according to a recent decision on fund extension.
The multilateral lending agency was scheduled to provide fund until December this year but extended it up to the end of next year in a meeting on June 30, said Project Director SM Abdul Kader. With the withdrawal of WB fund support for the project, the DoE will run it on its own.
He says the DoE needs to buy more machines at a cost of about Tk 3 crore for effective air quality monitoring, which was delayed as an international organisation did not send equipment specifications.
The DoE invited tenders for machinery a second time, which may take another six months to complete the official procedure.
"A condition for purchasing machinery is certification from the United States Environment Protection Agency," Kader added.
The project was launched in April 2002 to make people aware of air quality in Bangladesh. The level of air pollution is much higher than standards and Dhaka is the worst among the cities reeling from air pollution, he said.
The phase-out of two-stroke autorickshaws from the city in 2002 helped cut air pollution and particulate release from diesel engine and black carbon smoke from rickety petrol-driven automobiles are now mainly blamed for the pollution.
Monitoring data says the capital faces more air pollution in the dry season than monsoon. The density of particulate matter (2.5 micron) in the city was 119.30 micro gram per cubic metre in February, up from the standard 65 micro gram per cubic metre.
"We have submitted a chart on air pollution limits to the law ministry for approval," Deputy Project Director Rezwan Haq said.
"Now the same standards are maintained for all vehicles, but we have set different standards for different vehicles and engines. The diesel engine and petrol engine have to maintain different standards," Rezwan Haq said.
After the approval of the standards chart, the DoE will make an air-quality index and build awareness among people through print and electronic media with the help of data.
The project cost has been estimated at Tk 29 crore. Nine satellite stations will be built across the country to monitor air quality, with five of them in the city. An air quality management camp will be set up in Chittagong.