Dhaka BRT, bypass project contractors fined for air pollution

The Department of Environment launches a mobile court drive in an attempt to reduce the country’s air pollution level

The Department of Environment has fined the contractors of Bus Rapid Transit or BRT and bypass projects in Dhaka Tk 50,000 each for air pollution.

The drive on Wednesday was a part of a campaign launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Dhaka, Gazipur and Savar in an attempt to reduce the country’s air pollution level.

Five mobile courts of the DoE conducted the drives in Dhaka, Gazipur and Savar as part of the campaign ordered by Environment Minister Md Shahab Uddin.

Executive Magistrate Kazi Tamzid Ahmed, who headed one of the courts, said BRT contractor Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Co Ltd did not take measures to prevent air pollution from the project.

Dhaka Expressway Development Co Ltd left sand and cement uncovered and did not spray enough water at the site to stop dust from mixing in the air.

The mobile courts fined 26 vehicles Tk 85,000 and 10 organisations Tk 360,000 in total for polluting the air.

Dhaka recently topped the list of cities on the lousy air quality index due to heavy dust particles found in the air at the onset of winter.

On Jan 22, the air pollution score was 271 for the capital, which was described as very unhealthy by IQAir, a Swiss group that measures air quality levels. The air pollution score was recorded at 163 AQI on Wednesday.

It is considered unhealthy for children, the old and people with respiratory distress if the air pollution score remains between 101 and 150 SQI. It is very harmful for all if the air quality index passes 201 SQI.

During his visit to oversee the mobile court drives in Dhaka, Minister Shahab Uddin blamed people’s lack of awareness for the high pollution level, asking city corporations and BRTA officials to take measures to curb the dust pollution limit in the capital.