A BracU Student’s Guide to Tackle Increasing Air Pollution

The bustling capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, has progressively been moving up on the scale of air pollution. Just a few months back, Dhaka topped the list of cities with the most polluted air, which raises excellent concerns regarding our health and well-being. Dhaka’s Air Quality Index (AQI) peaked as it crossed 200 with a PM( Particulate Matter) of 2.5, suggesting that the air is highly polluted and hazardous for continued inhalation. The grave situation is putting millions of people at a significant risk of developing chronic respiratory diseases, especially to the class of population who have to spend most of their time outdoors. A substantial proportion of this group happens to be students who are often exposed to the threatening pollution for long hours, primarily due to their daily commute to their respective institutions. The students of BracU have been no exception to this either.

Brac University’s new campus is at the heart of Merul Badda, which is densely crowded and thriving. Heavy construction work and the growing number of industries/businesses in the area are worsening the pollution situation. During the Fall 2024 semester, the students at BracU got the feels of “being amongst winter clouds” satirically only which in reality were heavy blankets of smog that ‘embraced’ our open-plan, spacious campus. This hampered the students’ health as they struggled with pollution almost daily.

Air pollution’s long-term and cumulative damage to our health is devastating. It causes us to develop diseases such as Asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Lung diseases, and bronchitis. We must take preventative measures to safeguard ourselves from the worst outcomes of this taint. These steps are simple and highly effective and promise much protection from harm.

Staying Indoors: The most important thing to do is ‘to avoid the problem entirely’;;; in this case, this means staying indoors during peak pollution hours, such as the morning and evening rush hours.

Wearing Masks: Students should always wear masks (mainly N95 for better effectiveness) when they are outside. This is an essential and often overlooked measure. 

Air Purifiers and Proper Ventilation: When indoors, it is crucial to maintain the room’s ventilation, which can be done by air purifiers or even regular dusting.

Staying Current: We must be aware of changing circumstances and well-informed through trusted sources. Failure to do so might create a sudden panic, which would be ineffective in tackling the situation.

With hopes and aspirations of a healthier future, it is as essential to raise awareness about the factors causing such immense damage as it is to comply with the preventions that can save us a lifetime of pain.