The pollution in the industrial sector is caused by multiple factors. There is hardly any industry in the country that has a firm waste management policy, to say nothing of one that is backed by any allocated budget. Recycling of waste material is virtually non-existent. Problems are further aggravated by the haphazard growth and operation of industrial units in and around the city. The way effluents from tanneries are threatening the lives of people is but too well known. Another leading polluter is the readymade garment factory, particularly its washing plants that are gurgling effluent into the nearby water bodies.

The pollution caused by garment factories, though not readily visible, partly due to their not being confined to any marked industrial zone but their negative impact on the surrounding localities is quite extensive. Of concern is also the waste disposal by hospitals and clinics, which are not only threatening our environment but also posing a direct threat to the lives of city dwellers. On the other hand, gas emissions from motor vehicles and their hydraulic horns continue to be yet another major polluter. Although the arrival of the CNG-operated three wheelers improved the situation to some extent, the continued presence of the decades-old, diesel-operated buses and minibuses continue to be a major source of air pollution.

In the not-too-distant future, Dhaka will be one of the biggest mega-cities of the world. It is high time we gave our utmost attention to the current state of city environment. The government must act here and now and deal with the issue both at the policy level and, more importantly, through monitoring and enforcement of law on the ground.

Unabated environmental degradation has far-reaching effects on both the physical and mental health of the people and by implication on the future of the country.