High Court orders mobile court drives on air pollution in Dhaka

The High Court has ordered the Department of Environment to conduct mobile court drives twice a week in Dhaka city to take action against air polluters.

The order came on Monday after the court issued a rule asking why the administration’s inactivity on curbing air pollution in Dhaka city should not be declared illegal and why an order should not be issued to take action to limit such pollution.
 
Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader issued the rule after an initial hearing of a petition by the Human Rights, Peace for Bangladesh organisation.
 
The court has ordered barricades to be set up at all development and renovation projects in Dhaka city within the next 15 days. It has also ordered the director general of the Department of Environment, the mayors of the two Dhaka City Corporations and executive officers to submit a report on the issue.
 
It has also instructed water to be sprayed twice a day within the next 24 hours at any area where such development and renovation work is underway and may be affected by their dust and debris.
 
The petition was filed with the High Court’s relevant branch based on reports of Dhaka air pollution on various media outlets.
 
Advocate Manzil Morshed represented the petitioners at the hearing.