HC observes, orders demolishing illegal brick kilns in and around Dhaka in 15 days
Poor air quality: Statements at seminars do not work
HC observes, orders demolishing illegal brick kilns in and around Dhaka in 15 days.
The High Court yesterday blasted the government for not taking sufficient measures to control the air pollution in Dhaka and its surrounding areas even after repeated directives.
“The situation has become awful because of air pollution. How much power did the Department of Environment exercise to curb the air pollution?” the court asked.Statements at seminars do not work. Effective steps must be taken to bring the situation under control, the bench observed.
“Why are the illegal brick kilns not being shut down despite repeated orders of this court?” it further asked.The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton made the statements.
To prevent pollution, the court directed the authorities to demolish all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and its surrounding districts — Gazipur, Manikganj, Narayanganj and Munshiganj — in 15 days.
The brick kilns are considered to be one of the three main sources of air pollution.The court ordered the DoE and the districts’ deputy commissioners to implement the directive without any failure and submit separate reports before the bench after demolishing the illegal structures.
The bench passed the order during hearing a writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) in 2019 seeking necessary order.
During hearing the same petition, the director general of DoE on February 16 submitted a report to the HC, saying that a total of 319 illegal brick kilns are still running and polluting the environment in Dhaka and the four districts even after 95 were shut down through mobile courts between November last year to January this year.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid appeared for the writ petitioner while lawyer Amatul Karim Swapna represented the DoE during virtual proceedings of the HC yesterday.
The air quality in Dhaka rated the worst in the world at different times in recent years. On February 9 this year, Dhaka’s air was rated as the world’s second-most polluted.
