The standard of air and noise quality of Cox’s Bazar area is much lower than normal. The air of the coastal city is highly polluted along with acute sound pollution compared to the national standard.
The information was disclosed at a special webinar organised jointly by Coastal Research Unit (CRU), Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka and Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh in the city on Sunday night (December 26).
Prof Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Director of CAPS, was the keynote speaker at the webinar titled “Status of Air and Noise Quality in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh: A Study in Cox’s Bazar Area”. Prof Dr M Shahidul Islam, Team Leader of CRU chaired the session.
Prof Kamruzzaman mentioned that the air of the coastal city Cox’s Bazar is highly polluted along with acute sound pollution compared to the national standard.
Based on the information collected from 52 locations of the city covering seven land-use types, the study shows that PM1, PM2.5, and the PM10 level at Tarabniyar Bazar, Pattaya School Bazar, and Burmese Market (mostly commercial areas) of the city are 4.80 (PM1) and 4.445 (PM10) times higher than the national level and varies from 312.25 µg/m3 to 300.00 µg/m3 for PM2.5, 666.75 µg/m3 to 618.50 µg/m3 for PM10 and for CO from 7 ppm in the residential area to 111 ppm in sensitive areas which is also 1.3 to 2.64 folds higher than the national level.
He added that the average concentration of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 is beyond the standard level in the residential areas and road intersection areas.
The sound pollution of Bollia Para, Tarabaniyar Chora, and Madakoccopia National Park (mostly sensitive area and mixed area) varies from 94.00 dBA to 87.48 dBA which is also higher than the national value.
The main causes of air and sound pollution are construction work, industrial work, and tourism. Unless appropriate and adequate measures are taken in our tourism policy to reduce this high level of air and sound pollution, the sustainability of Cox’s Bazar as a tourist destination would be threatened.
The question and answer session was very vibrant with the active participation of CRU and CAPS members.
In the concluding speech, Prof Dr M Shahidul Islam highlighted the importance of water quality monitoring of the Cox’s Bazar coastal area. In that case, CRU and CAPS will work together in the future.
