Staff Reporter :
Inhabitants of the bustling metropolis of Dhaka are enduring the relentless scourge of traffic congestion, with individuals spending a staggering 46 minutes out of every two hours stuck in gridlock, according to a survey unveiled by the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on Wednesday.
These findings reveal that Dhaka’s urbanites lose approximately 276 hours per year simply waiting in traffic, underscoring the dire need for solutions to this pressing issue.
CPD Research Fellow Syed Yusuf Saadat presented the survey findings, titled “Reducing Pollution for Greening Cities,” in BRAC Centre in the capital.
The research study, part of the “Green Cities Initiative,” aims to amalgamate scientific evidence, economic analysis, and policy recommendations to combat these environmental challenges.
One of the most concerning revelations from the survey pertains to air pollution, with over 76 per cent of respondents expressing the belief that air quality in Dhaka has deteriorated significantly in the past two to three years.
The consequences of this decline in air quality are felt acutely by residents, who spend an average of Tk4,000 per year on diagnosing and treating symptoms associated with air pollution.
In stark contrast, the government allocates a mere Tk2,228 per person to healthcare in its fiscal year 2024 budget.
Around 73 per cent respondents thought that plastic pollution became significantly worse in the last two to three years and 57 per cent respondents reported that their local neighbourhoods exhibit extremely high levels of plastic pollution.
Approximately 34 per cent of the households confirmed a frequent practice of utilising plastic utensils with meals.
