Air Pollution In Dhaka CityMuhammad MahadiEnvironmental Science Discipline.Khulna University..

Introduction:

Air pollution is one of a variety of manmade environmental disasters that arecurrently taking place all over the world. Air pollution may be defined as an atmosphericcondition in which various substances are present at concentrations high enough abovetheir normal ambient levels to produce a measurable effect on people, animals,vegetation, or materials. ‘Substances’ refers to any natural or manmade chemicalelements or compounds capable of being airborne. These may exist in the atmosphere asgases, liquid drops, or solid particles. It includes any substance whether noxious or benign; however, the term ‘measurable effect’ generally restricts attention to thosesubstances that cause undesirable effects. Air quality has deteriorated both due to humanactivities, and natural phenomenon such as wind blown dust particles etc. There are twomajor sources of air pollution in Bangladesh, vehicular emissions and industrialemissions. However, these are mainly concentrated in the cities. Recently, air pollutionhas received priority among environmental issues in Asia, as well as in other parts of theworld. Exposure to air pollution is the main environmental threat to human health inmany towns and cities. Particulate emission is mainly responsible for increased death rateand respiratory problems for the urban population. This problem is acute in Dhaka beingthe capital of the country and also the hub of commercial activity.Dhaka is a major,cultural, and manufacturing center. The common types of industries in and around the periphery of Dhaka are ready-made garment manufacturing, jute, tanneries, textile, tea processing, fertilizer, cement, paper and pulp, chemicals and pesticides, food and sugar, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refinery, distillery, rubber, plastics, and brick manufacturing,assembling buses, trucks, and motorcycles, assembling radios and televisions. Air of Dhaka is being polluted day by day very badly.The other urban areas i.e. Chittagong,Khulna, Bogra and Rajshahi have much lesser health problem related to urban air pollution. The ambient atmospheric conditions have progressively deteriorated due to theunprecedented growth in numbers of motor vehicles, and continuous housing andindustrial development.1

Air Pollution In Dhaka CityMuhammad MahadiEnvironmental Science Discipline.Khulna University..

Air Pollution:

Contamination in the atmosphere caused by the discharge, accidental or deliberates of a wide range of toxic substances. Often the amount of the releasedsubstance is relatively high in a certain locality, so the harmful effects are morenoticeable. The major sources of air pollution are transportation engines, power and heatgeneration, industrial processes and the burning of solid waste. A new source of air pollution is an increasing 'hole' in the ozone layer in the atmosphere above Antarctica,coupled with growing evidence of global ozone depletion. Air pollution has also long been known to have an adverse effect on human beings, plants, livestock and aquaticecosystem through acid rain.

Description Of The Dhaka City :

Dhaka city is more than 400 years old. Over these years the populationhas increased many folds.Living in Dhaka is not really like living in the crater of anactive volcano but it is like living on a sleeping volcano which may erupt any time andengulf everything. Dhakaites are not fully realizing what crisis is emerging for them. In37 years of independence the capital of Bangladesh, the historic city which bears manysymbols of national pride like Language Martyr monument, Monument for martyredfreedom fighters, Historic relics of Mogul Dynasty unfortunately have become a concreteslum perspiring for fresh air& thirsty for pure drinking water. The dilapidated state of thecity mirrors the poor state of affairs of the entire nation. The water of the rivers aroundthe city is polluted, air is poisonous obnoxious particles, gas, electricity and water aregetting scarce. At last 20%of the population is living in slums in inhuman condition. Costof living has sky rocketed beyond normal peoples reach. This is not what the liberationwar was fought. Our valiant freedom fighters did not make supreme sacrifice for a Dhakacity life like this. Many people talk of realizing the dreams of freedom fighters, many talk about ideals of liberation war. But we should all be ashamed for our failures at our respective positions to serve the nation with commitment.2

Air Pollution In Dhaka CityMuhammad MahadiEnvironmental Science Discipline.Khulna University..

Fig :

Map Of The Dhaka City.

Problems Of Dhaka City:

Bangladesh capital Historic Dhaka is fast turning into an inhabitable city. Air &water are saturated with poisonous elements, sound pollution reaching unacceptablelimits, gas electricity, and water supply crisis looming large, rapid depletion of subsurface water level making the city vulnerable to mild earth quake.Dhaka city is expanding in all direction east to west, north to south, populationis increasing in geometric progression but the civic amenities can no t keep pace with thegrowing demand. The capacity of various utilities can no longer meet the rapidly3