Savar Declared 'Degraded Airshed' as Pollution Levels Triple Bangladesh Standard

• The Bangladesh Department of Environment has officially declared Savar Upazila a "Degraded Airshed," a first-of-its-kind designation in the country.
• Annual ambient air quality in the region is nearly three times worse than national standards, largely due to hundreds of unregulated brick kilns.
• Starting September 2025, stringent bans will be enforced on non-compliant brick kilns and open waste burning to protect public health and the surrounding megacity of Dhaka.

Causes and Impact

• Brick kilns are the primary pollution source, accounting for 28% of national air pollution; over 100 kilns in Savar currently lack eco-friendly technology.
• Additional pollution sources include battery and lead factories, transport emissions, and intensive construction activities.
• Savar recorded 164 days of substandard air quality in 2023 and 160 days in 2024.
• Prevailing winds carry pollutants from Savar into Dhaka, severely degrading air quality for the capital’s 20 million residents.

Regulatory Measures

• Prohibition of brick burning in all kilns, excluding specific tunnel, continuous, or hybrid Hoffmann models.
• Ban on the open burning of solid waste.
• Mandatory locational and environmental clearances for all new industrial factories with potential air pollution impacts.

Context and Public Response

• Local residents and the Savar Nagarik Committee have urged the government to ensure these measures go beyond paperwork to effectively restore the damaged ecosystem and rivers.
• Bangladesh is among the world's most polluted nations, with air pollution reducing life expectancy by 5.5 years on average.
• UNICEF reports that air pollution contributed to the deaths of over 19,000 children under five in 2021.
• Experts, including those from the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), argue that a coordinated, multi-departmental national effort is essential to achieving sustainable improvements beyond isolated regional mandates.