HC seeks list of activities mainly responsible for air pollution

The High Court today directed the authorities concerned of the government to identify and make a list of the activities, which are mainly responsible for air pollution across the country.

In response to a writ petition, the HC asked the authorities concerned to prepare a time-bound mitigation plan for setting up air quality monitoring system in appropriate places and introduce a system to save people from the exposure to unhealthy air.

The authorities concerned have also been directed to develop an action plan about switching to alternate of burnt bricks and to submit a report to the HC after complying with the directives in four months, petitioner's lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan told The Daily Star.

The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why their failure to mitigate air pollution and to save public health should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzaaman issued the directives and rule following the writ petition filed by rights organisation Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) seeking necessary directives on this issue.