The High Court on Thursday issued three-point directives to protect the dwellers of the capital city from the pollution of the dust.
The court directed the Director General of the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department to take necessary measures to sprinkle water at various points of the city including the gateways like Gabtoli, Jatrabari, Purbachal, Keraniganj and Tongi.
At the same time, the two city corporations of Dhaka have been instructed to sprinkle water on the streets of Dhaka from above so that the dust accumulated in the small trees on the side of the roads is cleaned.
The court directed the Managing Director of Dhaka WASA to supply water to the two city corporations of Dhaka in case of water shortage.
The High Court has asked to implement the order and submit a report in the court in one month.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order after holding hearing on a petition filed in this regard.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared in the court on behalf of the writ petitioner, while Advocate Amatul Karim represented the Environment Department.
Advocate Sayed Ahmed Raza appeared for the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Barrister Toufiq Inam Tipu appeared for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar appeared for the state.
Later Advocate Manzill Murshid said that the High Court in January last year gave nine-point directives to prevent air pollution in and around Dhaka. Later in February, when action was taken, air pollution was somewhat reduced. But in recent months air pollution has increased again, said the lawyer.
In this circumstance the writ petitioner filed a supplementary petition with the High Court seeking directives upon the respondents to take steps to prevent air pollution in and around Dhaka. After hearing the petition the High Court passed order.
Following a writ petition the High Court on January 13 in 2020 directed the government bodies to seize the vehicles which are emitting black smoke exceeding the limit.
In its order, the court also directed the government to take steps to fix the economic life of different vehicles as per Section 36 of Road Transport Act-2018 and prohibit those vehicles having no economic life to run on the roads.
The court also directed the respondents to take appropriate steps in one month to stop burning of different tiers without having environment license and also to stop vehicle battery-recycling at any place without approval of the environment department.
It also directed the authorities of the two city corporations of Dhaka to take steps to ensure that all the market owners to keep their daily garbage in a safe bag and during closing down those will be dumped at a designated area.
It directed the respondents to spray water in the morning and evening every day in the area which has not been covered till today by the two city corporations and to ensure that all trucks plying on roads in Dhaka city with sand or mud or waste must use covering.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the writ petition on January 27, 2019, seeking necessary order from the High Court to prevent air pollution.
