Urban health and pollution issues

Mismanagement of municipal solid waste alone causes 42 vector diseases. People around dump side have four times more risk of developing bladder, lung and leukemia than others

Air pollution, improper management of waste, industrial effluence, discharge of sewage, hydrophobia and impure water are responsible for affecting health of about 55 million urban people of Bangladesh. Mayors’ versatility was fostered trustworthy to bring about improvement in these areas of concern.
Vehicular smoke, dusts on roads, brick kilns etc. are the main sources of air pollution in cites. Fine particulate matters (PM) the most serious threat to public health are generated from two-stroke engines, heavy duty diesel engines, combustion of solid fuels (biomass) and use of low quality of lube oil. PM generated from vehicles having radius of 5 microns can keep floating on the air. The effects of PM depend on its size; the finer particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) cause the most damage. The transport related fraction of PM10 at Dhaka is 27% on the average rising to 41% during dry months. A local Daily reported in April 2016 that the air quality index value in March 2016 was at 331 against standard up to 50.  Wind and storm help the parasites spread germs of different diseases with dusts and affect people exposed to it.
Air pollution causes pulmonary disease, headache, burning of eyes, pains in throat, heart disease, kidney disorder etc. Mismanagement of municipal solid waste alone causes 42 vector diseases. People around dump side have four times more risk of developing bladder, lung and leukemia than others. Residents and workers of tanneries suffer from 14 fatal diseases like gastric ulcer, tuberculosis, skin disease etc. Exposure to medical waste mixed up with toxic, radioactive, pathological, clinical and similar substances cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorder, and even death. Sewage pipes of domestic houses of many municipalities are unscrupulously directed to surface drains to let running excreta open causing obnoxious physical environment, spread of diseases and serious health risk to the scavengers exposed to it. Hydrophobia, a disease caused by bite of mad dog is found rampant in the municipality due to ban on killing mad dogs. It seems letting mad dog bite people to suffer or die. Surface and underground sources of water of many municipalities content heavy metal, iron, saline sediment and arsenic substances. The river goes contamination due to discharging of solid waste and industrial effluents. Water bodies must be saved from contamination not for getting safe water alone but for other environmental issues-free space for aquatic life, ecological balance and aesthetic value of rivers.   
School children, day laboruers, passersby, non-motor vehicle pullers, drivers of open vehicles, traffic police, residents of waste dumping areas, children play around, waste pickers, labors, hospital staff and patients are mostly exposed to these deleterious conditions.   
The government has directed installation of catalytic converter and diesel particulate filter in the vehicles to control harmful gases. Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has banned production, blending, import and marketing mineral oil without refining. It has also started marketing lead free petrol, octane as well as diesel of minimum sulfur content (0.5% wt. max). Government orders remain asleep if not imposed. The initiatives then came to little use. Spraying of water on construction sites & roads and immediate removal of debris & drain sludge could be easy efforts to minimize flying dusts. Much has been talked and less has been done for hygienic disposal of municipal solid waste. Sufficient attention on standard landfills, 3R strategy, composting, and waste to energy program can bring about improvement in waste management. Relocation of tanneries to Savar should not be kept swinging in spite of an Order of the High Court 15 years ago. Again, the government directives for installation of effluent treatment plant with industries generate harmful wastes need implementation. The ban on killing mad dogs should be reviewed before worsening. Mayors’ uncompromised stringent would prevent sewage from discharging to drains. Disconnection of service lines and stop issuing certificates to the violators may help improve sewage condition.
Both government and NGOs have extended urban medical infrastructure down to a small municipality. Urban Health Strategy 2014 is an impetus for obliterating constraints from the track of way forward. 150 beds Sarkari Karmachari Hospital, for example offers medical facilities free of costs but only Taka 10 for admission. Urban Primary Health Care Services Delivery Project has set up hundreds of windows serving millions.
The government would set up health care unit in every municipality; 11 have started functioning. Interventions, however needed to have clinics on own buildings, supply of adequate medicine and delivery of quality services.
Transcendent envision: ‘cities-the engine of growth’ would actualize rapid urbanization in next 25 years. The urban people must be better productive that calls better health for driving the engine.  Mayors’ prerogative diligence is obviated for better urban health.

The writer is a retired Secretary of the Government of Bangladesh and can be contacted at [email protected]

Urban health and pollution issues

Mismanagement of municipal solid waste alone causes 42 vector diseases. People around dump side have four times more risk of developing bladder, lung and leukemia than others

Air pollution, improper management of waste, industrial effluence, discharge of sewage, hydrophobia and impure water are responsible for affecting health of about 55 million urban people of Bangladesh. Mayors versatility was fostered trustworthy to bring about improvement in these areas of concern. Vehicular smoke, dusts on roads, brick kilns etc. are the main sources of air pollution in cites. Fine particulate matters (PM) the most serious threat to public health are generated from two-stroke engines, heavy duty diesel engines, combustion of solid fuels (biomass) and use of low quality of lube oil. PM generated from vehicles having radius of 5 microns can keep floating on the air. The effects of PM depend on its size; the finer particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) cause the most damage. The transport related fraction of PM10 at Dhaka is 27% on the average rising to 41% during dry months. A local Daily reported in April 2016 that the air quality index value in March 2016 was at 331 against standard up to 50. Wind and storm help the parasites spread germs of different diseases with dusts and affect people exposed to it. Air pollution causes pulmonary disease, headache, burning of eyes, pains in throat, heart disease, kidney disorder etc. Mismanagement of municipal solid waste alone causes 42 vector diseases. People around dump side have four times more risk of developing bladder, lung and leukemia than others. Residents and workers of tanneries suffer from 14 fatal diseases like gastric ulcer, tuberculosis, skin disease etc. Exposure to medical waste mixed up with toxic, radioactive, pathological, clinical and similar substances cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorder, and even death. Sewage pipes of domestic houses of many municipalities are unscrupulously directed to surface drains to let running excreta open causing obnoxious physical environment, spread of diseases and serious health risk to the scavengers exposed to it. Hydrophobia, a disease caused by bite of mad dog is found rampant in the municipality due to ban on killing mad dogs. It seems letting mad dog bite people to suffer or die. Surface and underground sources of water of many municipalities content heavy metal, iron, saline sediment and arsenic substances. The river goes contamination due to discharging of solid waste and industrial effluents. Water bodies must be saved from contamination not for getting safe water alone but for other environmental issues-free space for aquatic life, ecological balance and aesthetic value of rivers. School children, day laboruers, passersby, non-motor vehicle pullers, drivers of open vehicles, traffic police, residents of waste dumping areas, children play around, waste pickers, labors, hospital staff and patients are mostly exposed to these deleterious conditions. The government has directed installation of catalytic converter and diesel particulate filter in the vehicles to control harmful gases. Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has banned production, blending, import and marketing mineral oil without refining. It has also started marketing lead free petrol, octane as well as diesel of minimum sulfur content (0.5% wt. max). Government orders remain asleep if not imposed. The initiatives then came to little use. Spraying of water on construction sites roads and immediate removal of debris drain sludge could be easy efforts to minimize flying dusts. Much has been talked and less has been done for hygienic disposal of municipal solid waste. Sufficient attention on standard landfills, 3R strategy, composting, and waste to energy program can bring about improvement in waste management. Relocation of tanneries to Savar should not be kept swinging in spite of an Order of the High Court 15 years ago. Again, the government directives for installation of effluent treatment plant with industries generate harmful wastes need implementation. The ban on killing mad dogs should be reviewed before worsening. Mayors uncompromised stringent would prevent sewage from discharging to drains. Disconnection of service lines and stop issuing certificates to the violators may help improve sewage condition. Both government and NGOs have extended urban medical infrastructure down to a small municipality. Urban Health Strategy 2014 is an impetus for obliterating constraints from the track of way forward. 150 beds Sarkari Karmachari Hospital, for example offers medical facilities free of costs but only Taka 10 for admission. Urban Primary Health Care Services Delivery Project has set up hundreds of windows serving millions. The government would set up health care unit in every municipality; 11 have started functioning. Interventions, however needed to have clinics on own buildings, supply of adequate medicine and delivery of quality services. Transcendent envision: cities-the engine of growth would actualize rapid urbanization in next 25 years. The urban people must be better productive that calls better health for driving the engine. Mayors prerogative diligence is obviated for better urban health. The writer is a retired Secretary of the Government of Bangladesh and can be contacted at [email protected]