Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh. It should be the best place for living as it is the capital. But why Dhaka is not suitable for living? Well, there are many reason but the root cause of all other reasons is pollution. Pollution of Dhaka is so bad that it’s hard to stand it for a normal person. Dhaka has every type of pollution such as air pollution, water pollution, sound pollution and so on. The reason behind pollution is industries, vehicle emission, unplanned urbanization, construction work everywhere and so on.
Over population of Dhaka:
Mainly Dhaka is over populated. The capacity of this city is way low than it’s population. It is even called the most densely populated city. Each year nearly 300000 to 400000 people move to Dhaka for better life and opportunity. Many of them move because of flooding, river erosion, and a lot other climate related disaster. But the road, drainage system, hospital, school of Dhaka nothing is designed for this large scale. Mainly expansion is happening faster than planning. So, there is no room for correction. Most of these people are here to survive and this is why they do any kind of work for very little wages. As Dhaka is densely populated so Dhaka has cheap labor. Industries and Construction work are growing rapidly because of cheap labor. So this is why pollution is high.
Pollution of Dhaka:
Air pollution of Dhaka:
Air quality reports of IQ Air shows that the air if Dhaka, was the most polluted in 2023 among all of the cities of the world. It was 3rd most polluted in 2024 and 2nd most polluted in 2025. Basically the air quality is worst compared to all others cities. With the help of AQI[air quality index] system, air quality is measured. AQI system measures how much PM 2.5, PM 10, ground level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide is in the air.
PM 10 contains dust, mold and other stuff. PM 10 can bypass our respiratory system but does not go deep in our lung. On the other hand PM 2.5 contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and others. It also contains vehicle emission and chemical particle. It directly bypass our lung and enters our blood stream. Long term exposure cab cause stroke, heard attack, asthma attack, stinging eyes, trouble breathing and even weak mental health. If AQI range is 0-50 than it’s good. If it’s 50-100 than it’s moderate and livable. Among 101-150 means not good for sensitive people but other can live. But 150-200 range of AQI means unhealthy for all and this air will create serious health effect. 201-300 means very unhealthy. 301+ means hazardous and it’s a health emergency condition.
Result of air pollution:
Surprisingly AQI of Dhaka is around 194 which is not livable. Also it become 300+ in the winter season. Well the result is in front of us, worldwide one out of ten kids suffer from asthma but in Dhaka one out of four kids suffer from asthma. Even around 80000 people die for air pollution annually. Poor air quality of Dhaka reduce life span by 7 years. Almost all people of industrial zone and slums suffer from respiratory problem, specially under 10 years old children. Even one study found that one day breathing in Dhaka city is equivalent to smoking 25 cigarette. Air of Dhaka is mixture of coal, smoke, heavy metals, dust, pollution. So, lung diseases is very common in Dhaka.
water pollution:
Just like air, water of Dhaka is not drinkable. 80-90 percent waste of Dhaka directly go to river. People treat rivers as dump yard. Also industrial wastage and unfiltered chemicals directly goes into rivers. As surface water of Dhaka is contaminated. Government of Bangladesh decided to dig well in different places of Dhaka . But after digging they realized almost all of the well water contains arsenic. Arsenic effect nervous system, cause skin cancer and lung diseases. So, government remove arsenic from water and sell them. Bus those who can’t afford it, they drink arsenic water directly. If the river water was not polluted people could drink water from river without buying water. Three river around Dhaka is biologically dead. One is Buriganga river. A lot of people used burigangas water for drinking and doing other works. There is no fish in those rivers because of chemicals and wastage.
Sound pollution:
Industrial sound, construction sound ,vehicle sound and a lot of other sound is mainly sound of Dhaka. The pollution of sound is this extreme that is causes permanent deafness, stroke, mental problems.
Elaborate discussion about causes of pollution:
Industries and factories:
Unplanned industrialization is causing every type of pollution. Dhaka has 1500+ brick factories. Which uses old machine and produce a lot of pollution and sound. It produce PM 2.5, PM 10, carbon dioxide, carbon mono oxide, sulfur dioxide. About 40% of PM 2.5 in air of Dhaka comes from these brick factories. Brick factories of Dhaka is 60% responsible for air pollution.
Bangladesh is 2nd giant of textile. All the factories is in Dhaka. So the wastage of factories such as chemicals, detergents, dyes, metal[lead, chromium] end up in the river. Factories produce a lot of sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Toxic chemicals in the river, toxic particle in the air which are going to human body eventually. People are having fish from these toxic rivers, meat are washed with this toxic water, small and harmful particle are coming in contact of this fish and meat because people sell this things in open markets.
Vehicles:
Vehicle emission has a huge rule behind air pollution. Dhaka has 3 million registered motor vehicle along with not registered one. Also it has over 1 million rickshaws along with buses, trucks, CNG, cars. This is why Dhaka has most complex traffic system. To cross little distance people loss their one/two hour in traffic jam. Also vehicle are causing more emission while sitting in one place in traffic jam. Most of the vehicle of Dhaka are old, poorly maintained. Which contributes to the air pollution with hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide, black carbon etc. Which directly enters to blood via lung and causes respiratory, cardiovascular diseases and even can cause cancer. And vehicle emission produce high level of PM 2.5.
Construction:
Because of unplanned and quick urbanization construction work is everywhere. Everyone is breaking old building on the other hand making new building and same with roads. This is one of the main source of PM 10.
Conclusion:
Well among all the problem people are living in Dhaka. Even a lot of new people are coming to Dhaka every year just for 2 times food. For this they are betting their health and living quality. Everyday 350 tones of garbage are dumped into the rivers. So drinking water from these river means drinking poison because the chemical and arsenic level is high. People eat fish from these rivers so it’s going into their body very easily. We will find meat and fish are sold in places near to railways, industries, factories and this is how PM 2.5 and PM 10 and all the other particle goes into these meant and fish surface. People have to eat to survive in Dhaka.
By paying high rent some families are living in one house, they are sharing toilet and using a single source of water. While this water source may be contaminated. Around 270000 people die because of pollution. 50% of them are children. Living in Dhaka increases chances of heart diseases and stroke by 20%. It also effect brain, can cause Alzheimer also. So mainly Dhaka does not function depending on any system instead it functions because of the sacrifices of it’s people. Sacrifice of health, life span, family time, basic need everything. Read more.
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