Environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Saturday asked city corporations to stop burning municipal wastes dumped at city landfills.
After visiting the Dhaka South City Corporation鈥檚 Matuail Sanitary Landfill, she said that the government would ensure a safe environment for the people living near the landfills.
The adviser acknowledged that immediate relocation of the landfill from Matuail is not possible.
She, however, mentioned that two nearby steel mills would be instructed to shut down, said a press release.
Palls of toxic smoke, billowing from the Matuail landfill, have been spreading over a large part of southern Dhaka, choking the residents of many neighbourhoods, including Matuail, Jurain, Jatrabari, Sayedabad and Maniknagar.
Rizwana firmly stated that burning batteries or extracting lead from them would not be allowed.
During the visit, the adviser said that air pollution in Dhaka had become a serious public health concern. She called for coordinated efforts among city corporations, the Department of Environment, and other relevant agencies to tackle the issue.
She also stressed the importance of public awareness alongside government initiatives and warned that violators of environmental rules would face penalties.
Rizwana also visited several air pollution-prone areas including Samadnagar in Jatrabari, Narsingdi Road, Chittagong Road, Kachpur, Sharifpara, and various locations under Dhaka North and South City Corporations.
Local people shared their health problems, including respiratory issues, caused by pollution with the adviser.
They demanded the speedy relocation of the landfill and urgent action to stop the burning of waste for the sake of public health.
The DSCC administrator Md Shahjahan Mia, Dhaka North City Corporation administrator Mohammad Azaz and others senior officials were present during the visit.