Air pollution up at alarming rate in BD district of Comilla

Comilla, July 20 – Air pollution, especially emission of huge quantity toxic elements with black smoke from unfit vehicles and noise pollution are increasing day by day across the district. Recently, air pollution has taken a serious turn creating a grave threat to public health. But the concerned authority is yet to take any legal measures to bring it under control, locals alleged.
According to a recent investigation, eighty percent of air pollution is caused by the emission of huge quantities of toxic smoke from unfitness vehicles like cars, buses, trucks, taxies, minibuses, trains and other transports. Unfitness vehicles, especially, those having problems in engines are mainly responsible for the air pollution, said environment specialists.
Black smoke from unfitness vehicles contains sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides that are harmful to the human body, they said.
Besides, noise pollution is also increasing at an alarming rate. Noise pollution includes the noise of cars, buses, and trucks, loudspeakers used in different cultural and social programme, and many others high-intensity sound from different sources which are extremely harmful to living beings.
Along with air and noise pollution, setting up new welding factories without proper environmental safeguards are also damaging the environment affecting people’s health, environmentalists said.
Professor Dr Mosleh Uddin, president of Comilla Environment Movement and former professor of Comilla Medical College Hospital, said to a healthy environment is very important for human beings. “The next generation will face the threat of existence if we fail to control environmental pollution.”
The environment department has to be more careful in this regard and to create awareness among the mass people, he said.
Deputy Director of the Department of Environment in Cumilla, Samsul Islam said, “We are working to control noise pollution and taking necessary legal steps against unnecessary use of loudspeakers, hydraulic horn and welding factories that set up without fulfilling legal requirements.”
Besides, different social programmes have been taken to create awareness among the people and to make them understand the importance of a healthy environment, the official added. – UNB