STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The High Court yesterday blasted the government authorities concerned for their failure in taking effective measures to control air pollution in Dhaka and its surrounding areas despite its repeated directives.

“Public health is at serious risk due to air pollution. The situation is not improving although this court has issued several directives to this effect. In this situation, the court cannot sit idle,” the bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir said while hearing a writ petition.

The bench directed the director general of the Department of Environment and deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, and Narayanganj to be in the virtual hearing on February 15.

The HC also asked them to submit before it separate lists of illegal brick kilns on that day.

The bench delivered the order while hearing the petition moved by lawyer Manzill Murshid on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh. The petitioner also presented newspaper reports on the present air pollution level and operation of illegal brick kilns, seeking necessary directives to this effect.

The lawyer told the HC that the authorities have failed to take effective steps to control air pollution in the capital and its surrounding areas although this court issued directives eight times in this case.

On February 4 last year, the HC had asked the director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department to take necessary steps to spray water from its vehicles on an urgent basis at the entrances to the capital, including Gabtoli, Jatrabari, Purbachal, Keraniganj and Tongi.

The fire service and civil defence will doing this beside their primary duty of dousing fires, the HC said.

The managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority has been ordered to take measures to supply sufficient water to the Dhaka city corporation authorities for spraying it on the city streets.

The court also asked the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to spray water on the streets in such a way so that it falls on the small trees planted of the central reservations and air pollution reduces.

Lawyers Amatul Karim Swapna, Md Shahjahan, Sayed Ahmed Raza and Md Muniruzzaman stood for DoE, DNCC, DSCC and fire service respectively during the hearing.