HC orders DoE to act on air pollution

MNA National Desk: The High Court on Monday ordered the Department of Environment (DoE) to conduct mobile court drives twice a week to take legal action against those responsible for air pollution in the capital.

The bench of justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and justice KM Kamrul Kader issued the order after hearing a writ petition.

The court also asked the authorities concerned to take steps to surround areas undergoing development and repair works within the next 15 days to prevent the spread of dust. It ordered to spray water in ‘dusk-prone’ areas twice a day.

The mayors of the two city corporations, executive officers and the DoE director general have been asked to submit a report within the next two weeks on implementation of the court order.

The court also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the ‘inactiveness’ of the local administration to prevent air pollution should not be declared illegal and why the authorities concerned should not be directed to take effective measures to prevent air pollution in the city.

Eleven people, including the environment secretary, the DoE director general, the mayors and executive officers of Dhaka city corporations have been asked to respond within two weeks.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the writ petition with the HC on Sunday attaching the news and reports on air pollution in capital Dhaka.

Lawyer Manzil Murshid stood for the petitioner and he said the government has utterly failed to prevent air pollution.

Dhaka was ranked third on the World Health Organization’s 2019 list of most polluted cities.