Take actions against air polluters

The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered the director general (DG) of Department of Environment (DoE) to take steps to conduct mobile court twice a week against those responsible for air pollution in Dhaka.

In response to a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), the court also asked the DG of DoE to submit a report in four weeks.

The court directed the authorities concerned to act within 15 days so that on-going development and repair works at construction sites in Dhaka do not further pollute the air.

It also directed the authorities concerned to spray water twice a day at the dust affected areas in the capital city.

The mayors of the two city corporations and their chief executive officers have been directed to submit a report after complying with this order in two weeks, petitioner's lawyer Advocate Manzill Morshed told The Daily Star.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and KM Kamrul Kader delivered the order.

The court also issued a rule asking the government why the inaction of the administration to curb air pollution in Dhaka city should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court asked the government to show cause as to why it should not be directed to take effective steps to stop air pollution in Dhaka.

Last year, Dhaka's air was ranked as third most polluted in the world according to an air quality data compiled by the World Health Organization for megacities with a population of 14 million or more.