Air quality worst in Gazipur, best in Madaripur: Study

Air pollution in Dhaka City - UNB

Dhaka, Feb 03 – Bangladesh’s worst polluted air is in Gazipur, but Madaripur district is blessed with the country’s best air quality, according to a countrywide study.

The study says the air pollutant concentration, PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5), is 263.51 microgram (which is considered as very unhealthy) in Gazipur, while it is 49.08 (healthy) in Madaripur.

Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) of Stamford University Bangladesh published the findings of the study titled “Countrywide Air Quality Study in 64 districts,” at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Thursday.

Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof Mohammad Ali Naqi presided over the function and CAPS Founder and Chairman Prof Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder presented the findings of the study.

Dhaka’s air is the second most polluted (252.93 microgram) and Narayanganj is the third most polluted (222.45 microgram).

Renovation and development work on streets, mega project sites, brick kilns, thousands of small and big industrial factories, black smoke emission from unfit vehicles and dust burning are noticed as major sources of the air pollution in the three worst cities -- Gazipur, Dhaka, and Narayanganj, said Prof Majumder.     

In terms of quality air, the second and third best districts are Patuakhali (51.42) and Meherpur (53.37) respectively, as per the scientific study conducted in 2021 with the samples collected from 3,163 spots in the 64 districts.

In the three districts with the best air quality, a huge number of plants and trees as well as natural water bodies are seen. Besides, no massive repair work was noticed on the roads there, said the CAPS chairman.

He said the average PM2.5 (particulate matter in every cubic meter) is 102.41 microgram, which is much higher than the daily standard level of PM2.5 of 65.

Besides, Habiganj (220.11microgram), Noakhali (204.01), Tangail (186.32), Cox’s Bazar (183.41), Chandpur (170.42), Chattogram (165.31) and Kishoreganj (165.13) were ranked from 4th to 10th worst districts respectively due to air pollution.

In the ten best districts with good quality air, Sirajganj (55.2), Pabna (56.22), Rajshahi (56.41), Rajbari (58.22), Joypurhat (58.24), Natore (63.19) and Kurigram (63.33) were in between 4th to 10th places.

In other districts, the PM2.5 is 154.81 microgram in Moulvibazar district, 149.02 in Laxmipur, 142.31 in Panchagarh, 138.11 in Mymensingh, 134.72 in Brahmanbaria, 128.41 in Feni, 125.32 in Thakurgaon, 121. 61 in Jamalpur,  111.12 in Jashore, 103.72 in Munshiganj, 101.91 in Manikganj, 100.42 in Sherpur, 99.63 in Netrakona, 98.58 in Barguna, 98.17 in Khagrachhari, 97.02 in Sylhet, 94.47 in Gopalganj, 93.65 in Narsingdi, 93.33 in Gaibandha, 92.07 in Rangamati, 90.3 in Chuadanga, 89.05 in Sunamganj, 87.93 in Pirojpur, 87.02 in Bogura, 86.77 in Cumilla, 86.01 in Magura, 86.01 in Lalmonirhat, 84.04 in Bandarban, 79.47 in Naogaon, 79.04 in Chapainawabganj, 77.05 in Jhalakathi, 78 in Bhola, 76.87 in Nilphamari, 76.5 in Shariatpur, 74.97 in Dinajpur, 74.58 in Jhenaidah, 73.64 in Barishal, 72.44 in Satkhira, 72.24 in Faridpur, 71.11 in Bagerhat, 70.13 in Rangpur, 70.07 in Narail, 70.03 in Kushtia and 67.01 in Khulna. - UNB