‘Environment officials managed by kiln owners’

The High Court yesterday blasted the Department of Environment (DoE) and Dhaka city corporations for failing to prevent air pollution and dengue infection in and around the capital despite its repeated directives.

"They [DoE officials] give permission to the illegal brick kiln owners to operate as they are managed by the owners. They do not need fresh air because most of their children live abroad, and they have fresh air there. Dhaka city corporations could not control dengue even though numerous people died from the disease and got infected. They are apparently not trying to control the outbreak," Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu told the lawyers of the DoE and the city corporations while hearing a writ petition.

The court ordered the DoE and the city corporations to comply with its previous directives on controlling the air pollution in Dhaka within the next two weeks. It also fixed December 11 for passing further order on the issue.

After filing of the petition by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), the HC in February 2021 ordered the Fire Service and Civil Defence to take necessary steps to spray water using its vehicles on roads at the entrances to the capital, including Gabotli, Jatrabari, Purbachal, Keraniganj, and Tongi, on an urgent basis.

The fire service would do the job without compromising its main duty of dousing flames, the HC said.

It ordered the Dhaka Wasa managing director to take measures for supplying sufficient water for spraying on the city streets.

The court also asked the Dhaka north and the south city corporations to spray water on streets in such a way that small trees on the central reservations also benefit.

In January 2020, the HC ordered the government to reduce air pollution in and around the capital and asked the DoE to shut illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and its four surrounding districts -- Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Manikganj.

Yesterday, HRPB lawyer Manzill Murshid produced newspaper reports on "selling certificatesto operate illegal brick kilns in Savar" and the "present air pollution level" before the HC bench and sought necessary directives in this regard.

He said no effective steps were taken to control the air pollution in and around Dhaka although this court issued repeated directives.

DoE lawyer Muntasir Uddin Ahmed and Dhaka South City Corporation lawyer Md Billal Hossain Lijohn told the HC that their clients took steps to comply with its directives.

Deputy Attorney General Sk Shaifuzzaman represented the state during the hearing.