Dhaka ranked sixth with an AQI index of 158 at 9:10 am on Monday, October 23. AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 151 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. According to the air quality index, the air was classified as 'unhealthy'. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. India’s Delhi and Mumbai and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 345, 174 and 170, respectively. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

The city of Lahore is beautiful, residents and visitors agree. But most days, it becomes hard to find that beauty as it is blanketed under a dense haze of vehicular smoke and industrial emissions. It is no wonder that this beautiful city is now ranked among the most polluted cities in the world. One of the major causes of this unwanted honour is the high air pollution to the point of being toxic. As I write this in mid-September, the Air Quality Index (AQI) -- an index that measures how polluted the city's air is -- is 154 (unhealthy). At this level, citizens are advised to adopt measures to keep themselves safe, including wearing a mask outdoors, running an air purifier, closing windows to avoid dirty outdoor air and avoiding all outdoor exercise – which includes something as simple as a stroll in your nearby park. With many people unable to afford food rations amid spiralling inflation and exorbitant electricity bills, one wonders how people can afford expensive air purifiers? Last year, an annual global survey conducted by a Swiss air purifier manufacturer found that Lahore had jumped ten places to top the list of cities with the worst air. As winter approaches, Lahore is again expected to rise to the top of the global rankings as its residents search for face masks and air purifiers. One of the reasons for the high air pollution in Lahore is the winter air phenomenon of smog. Smog is a combination of heavy smoke and fog, which manifests in winter due to increased brick kiln activity and crop stump burning on both sides of the Radcliff Line. Smog leads to a rapid increase in health problems – exacerbating asthma, allergies, eye infections, respiratory tract infections and cardiac pathologies leading to premature death. Sughis et al. have reported higher blood pressure levels in school-going children of Lahore exposed to high levels of air pollution. These observations help highlight the long-term detrimental impact on public health. Moreover, smog brings life in Lahore and surrounding areas to a virtual halt. Flights are delayed, the highways are shut, and within cities, poor visibility combined with unbreathable air makes any sort of outdoor activity impossible. Syed Mohammad Ali, a scholar at the Middle East Institute and a teacher at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities, explains that the reasons for the steady decline of air quality in Lahore are numerous. "Vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, fossil fuel power plants, the burning of waste materials, and coal being burned by thousands of brick kilns spattered across the province are all part of the problem." Unfortunately, the decision-makers in Lahore seem to focus only on quick fixes. On days when the AQI is extremely unhealthy, the government decides to shut down schools and offices to reduce traffic emissions and lower human exposure. Farmers who burn crop stubble are targeted, and a clampdown is launched against brick kilns. However, if they focus on improving the efficiency of their urban management with long-term options, it would yield sustainable solutions that may lead to both, lower energy consumption and vehicular emissions. Instead, all residents witness is a loss of green areas to make way for grey housing societies, flyovers and roads so that residents of these projects can zip across to the city centre in their expensive, gas-guzzling SUVs apart from other pollution-causing, expensive projects such as metro buses and railroads to ferry the white and blue collared workers to factories and offices.  It gives the impression that the government cares only for those citizens who own big cars and can afford air purifiers to be installed within metres of wherever they most commonly find themselves. Urban planning in Lahore has failed to build a lane on the roads for cyclists like in The Netherlands, one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world. The difference between Lahore and Amsterdam could not be more stark. While the former prioritises gas-guzzling and smoke-spewing vehicles to fill its roads and its air with an AQI of over 150, Amsterdam - a city with a canal running through it - creates space for green transportation and other green practices to be rewarded with an AQI of 40 even today (The population of Lahore Division in the 2023 census is 22.77 million packed in 11,727 square kilometres while population of the entire Netherlands in 2021 was 17.53 million spread over 41,850 square kilometres). The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution estimated in 2019 that some 128,000 Pakistanis die annually due to air pollution-related illnesses. But in true Pakistan fashion, one of the major environment-related health emergencies in Lahore, the smog, was deemed by the then-climate change minister as a conspiratorial attempt to spread misinformation. Even today, many Pakistani officials and politicians blame stubble burning by Indian farmers across the border as the cause for Lahore's smog problem while ignoring the poor air that residents of Lahore have to breathe for the rest of the year. They ignore how most environmental regulatory organisations lack specialised monitoring equipment, standardised protocols, trained personnel and funds. The Punjab government needs to allocate adequate funds for monitoring and reducing harmful emissions, shifting from polluting and fossil fuels to renewable resources apart from widespread afforestation programmes.  The current situation requires a tough action plan to prevent adverse outcomes for public health whilst minimising the economic burden on Pakistan's beleaguered health sector. The government must educate the public about the health issues of air pollution how they can protect themselves and prevent pre-existing medical conditions from worsening. Why are public service messages not flooding television, radio and the internet along with mass distribution of educational pamphlets and brochures amongst the public to ensure effective communication? I posed questions on Lahore's environmental situation to Ahmad Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer and activist. Firstly, I asked him what, in his view, are the key contributors to the terrible AQI of Lahore? Alam: "If you rely on the Food and Agriculture Department's 2018 smog report for the Punjab, it stipulates that about 45% of the year-long air pollution in Punjab comes from the transport sector, which indicates the emissions from automobiles. It is followed by emissions from the energy sector and then the industrial sector. This has been corroborated by a report published by the Urban Unit this year, it's inventory of air pollution over the last 30 years for Lahore cites roughly the same proportions for transport, energy and industry. A report published on the city of Lahore specifically associated 80% of air pollution with the transport sector. The transport sector gets flagged because we have some of the dirtiest fuels and petrol available in the world, so automobile emissions are a major contributor to air pollution. Then, of course, the diesel and furnace oil we burn for energy, etc." Second, I asked how the government and civil society can help improve environmental conditions and reduce the AQI? Alam (after an ironic chuckle): "Well, the government's job is to protect its citizens' life and property. And so, they should, both at the federal level and provincial levels, take steps to introduce cleaner fuels in Pakistan. There are still no standards on how clean fuels will be distributed throughout the country. In any event, the provincial environmental protection agencies have legal authority to impose standards for the type of fuels used in automobiles. Yet, in none of the provinces has this power been exercised.  Then, of course, the government can focus on renewable energies and shifting and transitioning the energy sector from fossil fuel reliance to a more sustainable and renewable form of energy, specifically solar and wind. And also move towards energy efficiency, not just in buildings but also in industry. That would make a huge difference. Also, we must find alternatives to crop burning, which happens twice a year for a few weeks. Civil society must hold the government to account and have a clear vision of a future with clear air, a vision which is stronger and longer than the five-year political election cycle of the country." Third, I asked if the situation would worsen if the government continued to fail in long-term planning? Alam: "Well, the situation is critical now. Air pollution in Pakistan's cities, including Lahore, is a year-long public health emergency. The Air Quality of Life Index Report by the University of Chicago indicates that life expectancy in Pakistani cities is down by about four years for every Pakistani who lives in a city, which is staggering. This will only get worse unless measures are taken to eliminate the problem where it comes from – the transport emissions, the energy emissions and the industrial emissions." Finally, I asked him if proper planning is undertaken, how long will it take to bring AQI to normal range for the city? Alam: "Getting air quality right is about improving the refinery capacity in Pakistan. It's about transitioning to clean energy. It's about investment in renewable energies. None of these are overnight fixes, so it will take a while. Cities that have combatted air pollution have done so over years and years, sometimes even over a decade. Which is why, I repeat, it is imperative for civil society to have a shared vision of a clean-air future that is more durable and sustainable than the five-year political cycle that we have." Effective cooperation between the government, civil society and individuals is needed if the environmentally hazardous weather approaching us again this year is to be tackled in a coordinated manner and if we want a clean-air future with renewable energy resources. We all want a cleaner, healthier city and healthy children – the question is, are we willing to work towards it in a planned manner? Source:thefridaytimes.com

Children are exposed to air pollution levels far higher than WHO recommendations, the European Environmental Agency has found in a new report that did not even include major polluters like the United Kingdom and Russia. Air pollution causes the death of more than 1,200 children and adolescents every year in Europe, according to a report released by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) on Monday. "Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, from when they are in the womb to when they reach adulthood," the Copenhagen-based agency said in its report.  "Although the number of premature deaths in this age group is low relative to the total for the European population estimated by the EEA each year, deaths early in life represent a loss of future potential and come with a significant burden of chronic illness, both in childhood and later in life," it added.  Exposure to high air pollution also causes higher rates of asthma, which already afflicts 9% of children and adolescents in Europe, as well as reduced lung function, respiratory infections and allergies. The study looked at 30 countries, including the 27 members of the European Union, but did not cover major industrial nations like Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, suggesting the overall death toll from air pollution could be even higher. Air pollution exceeding WHO guidelines The EEA said the levels of several key air pollutants "remain stubbornly above" World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in many European countries, particularly in central-eastern Europe and Italy. It estimated that 97% of the urban population among the surveyed countries were exposed to air that did not meet WHO recommendations last year. The EEA said emissions from transport, industry and heating must be reduced. One practical solution that was floated to benefit children in the short term is to improve air quality around schools by increasing green space.

The new NASA device is capable of measuring air pollution across North America down to the neighborhood level. NASA said the mission isn't just for research, but about "improving life on Earth for all." A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from Florida on Friday, carrying a new NASA device that can track air pollution over North America. The Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument will allow scientists to monitor air pollutants and their emission sources from space more comprehensively than ever before, down to the neighborhood level. According to Kevin Daugherty, NASA's TEMPO project manager, the instrument will measure pollution and air quality across greater North America on an hourly basis during the daytime, all the way "from Puerto Rico up to the tar sands of Canada." The data will be used by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other agencies responsible for tackling atmospheric pollution. Why is TEMPO so special? "The TEMPO mission is about more than just studying pollution — it's about improving life on Earth for all," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. "By monitoring the effects of everything from rush-hour traffic to pollution from forest fires and volcanoes, NASA data will help improve air quality across North America and protect our planet," he added. A unique feature of TEMPO, which is about the size of a washing machine and has been described as a chemistry laboratory in space, is that it will be hosted on an Intelsat communications satellite in geostationary orbit. Existing pollution-monitoring satellites are in low Earth orbit, which means they can only provide observations once a day at a fixed time. TEMPO will be able to measure atmospheric pollution down to a spatial resolution of 4 square miles (10 square kilometers), or neighborhood level. What is geostationary orbit? "Geostationary orbit is a common orbit for weather satellites and communications satellites, but an air quality instrument measuring gases hadn't been there yet," Caroline Nowlan, an atmospheric physicist at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, explained to news agency AFP. In a geostationary orbit 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the equator, TEMPO will match the rotation of the Earth, meaning it will stay over the same location — North America — at all times. "The great thing about TEMPO is that for the first time we'll be able to make hourly measurements over North America, so we'll be able to see what's happening over a whole day as long as the sun is up," Nowlan added. TEMPO will have multiple applications from measuring levels of various pollutants to providing air quality forecasts and helping the development of emission-control strategies. Why is the mission important? More than 40% of the US population, 137 million people, live in places with unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone, according to the American Lung Association. Air pollution is blamed for some 60,000 premature deaths a year. Among the pollutants tracked by TEMPO will be nitrogen dioxide, produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, formaldehyde and ozone. The data will be made available online for members of the public to monitor air quality information in their local area. Daugherty said TEMPO will power up at the end of May or in early June and begin producing data in October, although it will not be made available to the public until April of next year.

The Government of India, in partnership with the Government of Australia and the Government of Singapore, conducted an international workshop on combating marine pollution focusing on marine plastic debris on February 14-15, the Ministry of Earth Science informed on Tuesday. The workshop, held virtually, bought together with the world's leading experts, scientists, government officials with policy expertise, and representatives from industry, innovation and informal sectors, Earth Science said in a press release. It aimed to discuss research interventions toward monitoring and assessing marine litter and plausible sustainable solutions to address the global marine plastic pollution issue. The workshop had four major sessions; the magnitude of the marine litter problem-monitoring program and research on plastic debris in the Indo-Pacific Region; best practices and technologies; solutions to prevent plastic pollution; and polymers and plastics: technology and innovations and opportunities for regional collaboration to remediate or stop plastic pollution. The sessions involved panel discussions and interactive break-out sessions to encourage discussion amongst participants from East Asia Summit countries. The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the premier forum for discussions on important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific and a leading confidence-building mechanism. Since its inception in 2005, the EAS has been advocating regional peace, security, closer regional cooperation and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean region. The EAS is uniquely placed to share expertise and lessons learned between regions and sub-regions faced with interlinked and similar challenges to develop sustainable transboundary solutions. EAS countries recognise the coastal and marine plastic pollution challenge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the agenda of promoting maritime cooperation in the wider Indo-Pacific region at the 14th EAS held in Bangkok in November 2019. India, Singapore, and Australia are committed to implementing the EAS decisions. This workshop provided an impetus to EAS countries for exploring and informing each other about the challenges, questions, and solutions to marine litter - especially plastic research, use, design, disposal, recycling, and future collaborations for a plastic-free and healthy ocean for sustainable development through knowledge partners - the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai, an attached office of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the Government of Singapore and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia. Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, delivered the keynote address at the workshop. He suggested considering the application of technological tools such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence and machine learning to map the distribution of marine plastics and developing models to understand the dynamics of plastics in the Indian ocean. He also emphasized that a well-designed and tailor-made management strategy considering regional distinctiveness will significantly reduce plastics in the environment. Source: ANI  

Transboundary pollution points those contaminations that originate in one territory but the effects can harm the environment, the society beyond that territory. Geographically, Bangladesh is sharing almost fifty-four transboundary rivers, also few canals with India and highly dependent on India for its water accessibility. So, India and Bangladesh are connected largely through trans-border water sources. Although, transboundary water bodies are a major source of water for our people, how often we get fresh and usable water is a serious concern. Akhaura municipality area and 15 villages under Brahmanbaria district are suffering immensely because of contaminated water coming from Agartala (Tripura, India) through the Akhaura canal. Akhaura canal was constructed in Agartala and it is situated in border of Akhaura, Bangladesh-Agartala, India. In Brahmanbaria, the canal is known as “Senarbadi” and according to the DoE authorities, it flows throughout large agricultural areas of Akhaura upazila, 15 villages before entering into the river Titas. The villagers were mainly dependent on the canal for their basic water needs. The canal used to be an origin of sweet water, moreover fisheries, agricultures, domestic activities were enormously dependent on it. Unfortunately, numerous categories of industrial, medical, agricultural, household, solid-sewage wastes of Agartala flowed with the water and enter in Akhaura through the canal. Thus, Senarbadi began to contaminate by transboundary pollution coming from India, and day by day the level of contamination has risen so high that people cannot breathe the toxic smell of water, let alone using it for their livelihoods. The situation has been highlighted many times in previous years, but there was no ray of resolution. Bangladesh then humbly requested India to take necessary actions to reduce our transboundary harm. It was a positive response from them and they assured us to construct a treatment plant to treat the polluted water. Despite it, no progress has seen. According to the No Harm Principle (principle 21, The Stockholm Conference, 1972), no country will cause any harm beyond its territory (other nation/persons/environment) through its activities. Similarly, 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development also highlighted No Harm Principle as a significant principle to control the human behaviors of one state, so that they cannot pollute or damage other states even the least. Both Bangladesh and India are signatory members of these conferences, but proper implementations cannot be observed. And maybe in this sector our authority could not develop plenteously, that is why people of Brahmanbaria are suffering from such a curse. No Harm Principle is a very effective principle that can put bindings in our activities and reduce pollutions. If our country implemented the principle properly, they could stop pollution in Akhaura very early. Yet, we can still hope and we actually do hope. Our nation, being quite responsible, has resolved many issues by proper implementation and management of rules and regulations. So, if our Government set an efficient and effective norm of No Harm Principle for our transboundary water issues, plus manage it entirely, then we will be able to solve any problems related to our trans-border. Besides, cooperation of India is also expected. If India cooperates us in any transboundary issue, where because of their activities we are suffering, and take sufficient steps to reduce the pollution, then easily and very swiftly any problems will be solved marvelously. The toxic polluted water has been affecting the villagers extremely. Their life, livelihoods, health all have become vulnerable. Moreover, the environment, non-human entities, the biodiversity of that area are also badly damaged due to the contact with the noxious water. The transboundary water pollution has made the people of that region really helpless. The situation is really frustrating and immediate actions are needed to give the villagers a livable life. If the situation continues and authorities do not take proper actions, the locals will maybe have to shift their residences and have to lose their livelihoods, their origin and self-dignity. (Ibtesum Alam Preeti is a Student of North South University, Bangladesh under Department of Environmental Science and Management.)

The air pollution has increased by 17 per cent in the year 2020 comparing to the year of 2019. The average air quality has decreased by 8 per cent in the sensitive areas in 2020 comparing to the year of 2019. The information was revealed at a press conference on the occasion of publishing scientific results of Center for Air Pollution Study of Stamford University titled ‘Scaling of air pollution at 70 points in Dhaka city’ organized at DRU auditorium in the capital on Saturday. Director of the organization Professor Dr. Ahmed Kamruzzaman delivered the information at the press conference. Stamford University and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) jointly organized the press conference. It was said at the press conference that the amount of very subtle particles on the air of Dhaka is comparatively more (2.5) which was found during the observation. Those are being created by the automobiles, industrial factories and burning wastes. But the sands that created from construction work can be turned into very subtle sands through crushing by the wheels of the motor vehicles. AH   

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin said, measurement of air pollution in Dhaka has gone beyond tolerable stage. The meeting has been called to take measures how we can help people to get out of this air pollution. He said these at the beginning of inter ministerial meeting on air and noise pollution in Dhaka at the environment ministry meeting room on Monday. The minister said, there should be coordination while performing works by the utility services. Proper management has to be ensured for different project works like elevated express highway. He said, the condition of air pollution in Dhaka City Corporation area is deteriorating day by day. While constructing building in the city it has to be ensured that water is splashed properly, construction materials are not placed here and there and all the construction materials are within the boundary. He also said, according to a research published in March by Environment Directorate and World Bank on air pollution in Bangladesh, three major sources of air pollution in Bangladesh are- brick kiln, black smoke of automobiles and construction work. These three sources are increasing for the last eight years. According to the Statistics Bureau survey, in 2013 the number of brick kiln in the country was 4 thousand 995. Later in 2018 in a survey of Environment Directorate it was seen that the number of brick kiln stood at 7 thousand 902. Of those 2 thousand 487 brick kilns were established within Dhaka division. According to that research, in 2010 the number of automobiles in the country was 3 lakh 69 thousand 677 which increased to 6 lakh 19 thousand 654 in 2018. AH   

The High Court has ordered Department of Environment to conduct mobile court drives against air polluters twice a week in the capital. The High Court bench comprising Justice F R M Nazmul Ahsan and Justice K M Kamrul Kader delivered the order and issued rule on Monday after taking initial hearing of a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). The rule was issued to know why not ‘inactivity’ of the administration to prevent air pollution in capital Dhaka will not be declared illegal and why not order should be given to take active steps to stop air pollution. The writ petition was filed in the concerned department of High Court after attaching the news and reports on air pollution in Dhaka published on different news media on Sunday. Advocate Manzil Morshed stood for HRPB before the court in the hearing. The order also said, the places in the capital where development and renovation works are going on should be surrounded within 15 days so that air pollution cannot increase by spreading dust in the dry season. Besides, the court also ordered to spray water twice a day in the dust prone areas. AH    

Every year Bangladesh loses about 6.5 billion dollars, which is about 3.4 percent of 2015 Gross Domestic Product (GDP), due to pollution and environmental degradation in urban areas, says a new World Bank report. The report titled ‘Enhancing Opportunities for Clean and Resilient Growth in Urban Bangladesh: Country Environmental Analysis 2018’ was released on Sunday at a hotel in the capital. Reports UNB. The report revealed that the cost is 1.44 billion in Dhaka alone which is 0.72 percent of the national GDP. To achieve the upper-middle income status, the report says, Bangladesh must act now to tackle environmental degradation and pollution, especially in its cities. Globally, Bangladesh is one of the countries most affected by pollution and environmental risks. Pollution has reached an alarming level; in 2015, it caused about 80,000 deaths in cities, it said. Across Bangladesh, 28 percent of all deaths are from diseases caused by pollution, compared to a 16 percent global average. Admitting the economic losses, Environment and Forest Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said the government is going to frame a new ‘Environment Policy 2018’ the draft of which is ready for placing before the Cabinet. “We’re going to frame a new policy which has already been examined and shortly be placed in the Cabinet. We’ll enact a new law to punish the polluters,” he told the function. He said the government will introduce online monitoring system to oversee the operation of the Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) at the industries to enforce the law effectively. The function was also addressed by World Bank’s Acting Country Director Rajashree S Paralkar, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Manjurul Hannan Khan, Director General of Department of Environment Dr Sultan Ahmed and World Bank project leader Sanjoy Srivastava. World Bank’s environment global practice manager Kseniya Lvovsky presented the highlights of the report at the function.         “Bangladesh pays a high price from environment degradation and pollution in its urban areas. This puts its strong growth at risk,” said Rajashree Paralkar, World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh. “The country must act to put in place the right policies and institutions for green growth and ensure its industries adopt clean technologies,” he said. Pollution and environmental degradation, including wetland encroachment and unregulated disposal of hazardous wastes, especially harm women, children and the poor. Nearly 1 million people in Bangladesh, mostly poor, are at risk of lead contamination. This can lead to IQ loss and neurological damage, especially for children, and can increase the risk of miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. In greater Dhaka, the sites contaminated by heavy metals are mostly in poorer neighborhoods. The report focuses on three areas: cost of environmental degradation, clean and resilient cities, and institutions for clean industrial growth. Of the total economic losses, the ambient air pollution cost 2.42 billion dollars while household air pollution cost 1.27billion dollars, according to the environmental country analysis. Inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene have a direct impact of 0.43 billion dollars while the indirect impact is  0.08 billion dollars, arsenic in drinking water cost 0.80 billion dollars while occupational pollution costs 1.52 billion dollars in the economy. The World Bank observed that unplanned urbanization and industrialization are affecting both big and small cities. In the last 40 years, Dhaka lost about 75 percent of its wetlands. “Due to filling of wetland and now with high-rise buildings built on sand-filled areas, parts of the city are more susceptible to flood inundation. Smaller cities like Pabna see a similar toll from unplanned urbanization. Since 1990, Pabna lost half of its wetlands, and its lifeline, the Ichamoti River, is dying.” Dhaka and other cities can and must do far more to prevent encroachment, as well as invest in and sustainably manage their wetlands and canals. AH