With an aim to improve air quality in the capital, the government is working to address two main sources of air pollution, emissions from vehicles and brick kilns.
The government is running a project “Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project” funded by the World Bank (WB), says a press release.
Currently, brick kilns use firewood and low quality coal causing severe air pollution.
The project aims at reducing emissions from the kilns by adopting cleaner and energy-efficient technologies.
The Department of Environment (DoE) will be purchasing six air quality monitoring stations to increase the current capacity of the air quality cell.
For the first time in Bangladesh the ‘Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln’ has been successfully piloted at Savar and a technology and information centre will soon be established to promote it.
The DoE will also start piloting two environment-friendly technologies, Zig-Zag Kiln and alternative building material in the brick industry by the end of this year. Twenty brick fields will be brought under this project.
The project also aims at reducing conflict between motorised and non-motorised transport, reducing congestion and providing safer and cleaner mobility for pedestrians in areas intervened by the project.
WB is providing $62.20 million for the 5-year project that started in October 2009.
