How a 'clean' Cumilla became 'polluted' in 4 years

Many environmentalists, however, doubt the information on air pollution in Cumilla

Abdur RahmanCumilla Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 26 Feb 2023, 09:23 AM
Updated : 26 Feb 2023, 09:23 AM

Just four years ago, Cumilla was Bangladesh's district with the lowest air pollution. Unfortunately, the 'green and healthy' district has topped the list of cities with the worst air pollution globally, posing a significant health risk to the public.

Cumilla was the district with the lowest air pollution in 2019, according to the air quality index monitoring section of the Department of Environment [DoE]. Based on the pollutant parameter PM2.5, the city's air pollution stood at 27. At the same time, the air pollution level in the capital Dhaka stood at 115 based on the air quality index.

Swiss air quality technology company IQAir specialises in protecting against airborne pollutants, developing air quality monitoring and cleaning products, and publishes live reports on air pollution in 100 large cities globally. Cumilla ranked on the bottom rung of the list on Feb 18, with the air quality index scoring 289.

The score was 281 on Feb 6 and 172 on Feb 23.

The air quality in Cumilla was 'very unhealthy' for at least 13 of the 23 days in the current month. It was 'unhealthy' for eight days.

On Feb 22, Dhaka ranked eighth on the list of cities with harmful air pollution, nabbing a score of 164. Cumilla superseded Dhaka with a pollution score of 173.

The sharp degradation of air quality in just four years has led to widespread concern among people of all backgrounds. They feel the administration, including the DoE, should take stringent measures now to curb air pollution and avoid health hazards for the public. However, many environmentalists have expressed doubts about the accuracy of the information on air pollution in Cumilla.

Cumilla experiences more air pollution at night than daytime, said Deputy Director of Cumilla DoE Mosabber Hossain Muhammed Rajib. "Data from our organisation showed Cumilla as the district with the lowest air pollution in 2019. I'm not sure how true the current information is. We'll look into the matter," he said.

"We're conducting raids regularly to curb air pollution. We'll adopt stricter measures in future. We're taking decisive steps to control the dust coming from construction work and vehicle smoke emissions."

Dr Moslehuddin Ahmed, president of the Cumilla wing of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon BAPA, expressed doubts about Cumilla being the city with the highest level of air pollution. "I don't think the information is correct," he said.

But he said that air pollution has increased in Cumilla recently. In addition to government bodies taking measures to curb air pollution, people should also be aware of the situation, he said.

Environmental scientists say air becomes polluted when it contains high levels of carbon dioxide, lead, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter.

The air quality in an area is considered 'good' when the AQI ranges from 0 to 50. The air quality is considered' moderate' when the AQI remains in the range of 51-100.

With an AQI of 101-150, the air becomes unhealthy for vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and asthma patients. The air becomes unhealthy for everyone when AQI hovers from 151-200. An AQI in the 201-300 range is considered 'very unhealthy', and the air becomes hazardous when the index rating crosses 301.

In the last four years, there was a lot of development work on the roads and highways in Cumilla, according to private and social organisations. But the authorities never paid any heed to maintaining the environment while implementing these projects, they said.

Cumilla district houses around 350 brickfields, including both legal and illegal ones. Most of them defied laws on environmental control when they were built.

A 100-km stretch of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, the busiest highway in the country, runs through Cumilla. Other regional highways include the Cumilla-Noakhali, Cumilla-Chandpur, and Cumilla-Sylhet routes. More than 50,000 vehicles move along these highways every day. Black smoke emissions by vehicles increase the pollution in Cumilla.

Black smoke emissions and fog pressing down the dust layer increase air pollution. In addition, the number of dust particles in the air increases during the winter and dry seasons.

The environment is also affected by the indiscriminate encroachment on water bodies and the digging up of soil from wetlands and farmland, especially when transported by road. Many people complain that the district's Lalmai Hill has become barren as its trees were cut down.

Putul Akter Rolly, a student of a private nursing school in Cumilla, rides a scooter.

"Air pollution has increased everywhere in Cumilla. Your nose will clog up if you travel without a mask. It's tough to travel amid the dust. You can't wear a dress more than once as it'll be filled with dust."

"People are having trouble travelling as the air pollution has shot up. Government organisations are not monitoring it; hence, everybody is polluting the air or damaging the environment. In our neighbourhood, passing under the flyover has become quite challenging due to dust and pollution," said Borhan Uddin, a resident of Shashongachha in Cumilla city.

Government agencies, municipality traders in the markets, and even the public dump waste near different highway sections. The raw stench from the waste makes it impossible for people to travel on the road, said agriculture and environment activist Matin Shaikat of Cumilla's Daudkandi. He said the waste is often burned on the street, adding to air pollution.

"Sand, cement, and other construction materials are not covered when transported. We must be aware and prevent air pollution for our well-being," he said.

"I was astonished to see how Cumilla has gone from the best district regarding air pollution to the worst in three years. Some people loot the sand from the Gomti river and its wetlands. It's almost impossible for people to move on the roads next to the river due to the dust resulting from the transportation of soil and sand," said Sochetan Nagorik Committee Cumilla [SONAC] President Rokeya Begum Shefali.

She said the toxic liquid waste from the Cumilla EPZ was also spreading through the rivers and canals. Construction workers do not use water when working on the roads. All this has caused an air pollution increase in Cumilla, she said.

Increasing air pollution poses a threat to public health, according to Azizur Rahman, director of the Cumilla Medical College Hospital. People may suffer from lung diseases, lose their eyesight and hearing capacity, catch dermatological diseases, liver or kidney ailments, and finally, slower brain functioning, he said. "Hence, everyone should wear a mask while travelling outside the home," he said.