The High Court ordered the government’s concerned agencies to identify and compile a list of the activities that are the primary cause of air pollution in the country. In response to a writ petition, the HC ordered the involved authorities to develop a time-bound mitigation plan for installing air quality monitoring systems in appropriate locations and implementing a system to protect people from breathing harmful air.
• Making a list of the activities that are most responsible for air pollution ordered
• Call to prepare a time-bound mitigation strategy for installing air quality monitoring system
• Creating a method to protect individuals from breathing harmful air ordered
According to petitioner’s counsel Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the responsible authorities have also been asked to establish an action plan for switching to burnt bricks as an alternative and to submit a report to the HC after complying with the directions in four months.
The HC also adopted a regulation requiring officials to explain why their failure to reduce air pollution and protect public health should not be ruled unlawful.
Following the writ petition filed by the rights group Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) seeking essential guidelines on this subject, the HC panel of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzaaman gave the directives and rules.
