Close errant brick kilns near capital in 15 days: HC

The High Court Division on Tuesday directed the Department of Environment to shut down in 15 days non-compliant brick kilns around the capital.

A bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader also directed the DoE to get the brick kilns around the capital as well as in Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Manikganj shut down by mobile courts.

The bench reprimanded the capital’s two city corporations, Dwasa, Titas and the power utilities for uncoordinated digging of roads and the footpaths to get commission.

The court said that such digging of the same roads and footpaths wasting public money was causing air pollution and the people’s  sufferings.

The court directed the two city corporations to take long term action plans to stop uncoordinated digging the roads. 

The court said that repairs done once should be good for several years.

The court directed the government to form a high-power committee led by the environment secretary in 15 days for make an action plan for reducing air pollution in and around the capital.

The court asked the proposed committee to include in it chief executive officers of Dhaka North and South City Corporations, representatives from the Health Services, Dwasa, the DPDC and the DESCO.

The court asked the proposed committee members to take expert opinion about pollution if needed.  

The court again directed the Dhaka North and South City Corporations to free the capital’s  roads, footpaths and flyovers from dusts in 15 days.

The court directed the two city corporations again to spray water on the capital’s roads and the dividers twice a day, in the mornings and the afternoons.

The court asked the two mayors and the DoE to submit compliance reports at the next date of hearing on January 5.

The court issued the directive after hearing a supplementary public interest litigation writ petition of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

HRPB’s lawyer Manzill Murshid submitted that pollution exceeded the standard prescribed by 2nd Schedule under the Rule 12 of Environment Conservation Rules 1997.

He submitted that the supplementary petition was filed as the capital’s air quality score was 369 on November 19, making it the world’s most polluted city.

He submitted that the government held an inter-ministry meeting after the capital’s air became the most polluted.

But, the government developed the tendency of not complying with court directives on the issue of pollution, he submitted.

The government’s Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project data of the past seven days shows that the capital’s air quality index score exceeded 350 several times.

The score of 300 or more on the AQI is considered by the World Health Organisation as extremely unhealthy.

 At the inter-ministry meeting, environment minister Shahab Uddin identified on-going construction activities for the metro-rail, elevated express way, drainage and sewage development as the major causes of the deteriorating air quality in the capital.

Carbon emitted by the brickfields around the capital, burning of solid wastes by Dhaka’s two city corporations as well as by the capital dwellers and the motorized transports on its roads are  the other major causes, he said.

He informed the inter-ministry meeting that the number of brickfields in the country increased to 7,908 in 2018 from 4,995 in 2009.

Now, he said, 6,19,654 motorized transports  ply on the capital’s roads up from 3,69,000, only 10 years ago.

Most of the vehicles being unfit emit carbon, he said.

The minister ordered the department of environment to immediately shut down the non-compliant brickfields.

On January 28, the same bench directed the Department of Environment and the two city corporations to ensure within 15 days the use of dust control fences at construction sites, during road repairs and other development activities.

The directive was made applicable for the utility services that dig and repair roads and they were asked to keep construction materials covered.

The bench had directed the authorities to ensure within 48 hours that water was sprinkled at construction sites twice every day, in the  mornings and the evenings.

The court also directed the DoE to run twice a week mobile courts in the capital against those polluting the air while carrying out construction activities flouting the terms and conditions.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net