With the dry winter season now here, there is no getting away from the capital's toxic air pollution. Indeed, it is a sobering realisation, to learn that we are breathing in the worst air in the world. Yet whereas we've seen widespread, consistent coverage of Indian capital Delhi's problem with toxic air, ours has been mostly swept under the carpet over the years.

In the past, we can only say the Environment Ministry has failed miserably to provide us with any specific action plan to contain air pollution or play a decisive role to ensure results. The proof is right there in the air we breathe in. Can the interim government's environment adviser, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, with her background as probably the country's foremost environmentalist, make a difference? She chaired an important inter-ministerial meeting in this regard on Thursday (Dec. 12), after which she said a task force will be formed very soon and certain areas will be declared as "no brickfield zones" in a bid to control air pollution, among other initiatives.

The meeting focused on strategies to combat air pollution in Dhaka and surrounding areas during the dry season. Recognising that air pollution cannot be resolved overnight, the meeting encouraged people to wear masks. Rizwana said old vehicles will be removed from the streets within the next six months, and police have already been instructed to restrict open trucks from entering the capital.

"Sources of air pollution are being identified, and measures are being implemented. Strict steps are being taken to control dust from construction work, emissions from brick kilns, and vehicle exhaust," she said. The adviser emphasised the importance of raising public awareness, enforcing laws, and enhancing monitoring systems to address the issue effectively. She instructed the authorities concerned to spray water to reduce dust during construction, cover construction materials, and use protective barriers.

She stressed the need for regular use of vacuum trucks for cleaning roads, prompt road repairs, planting grass along roadsides, ensuring designated waste disposal areas, and banning the burning of waste. The meeting decided that effective laws will be implemented to control pollution, and regular monitoring will be carried out. All necessary steps will be taken, including regular spraying of water to control dust. The dry season is of course worse for air pollution due to the absence of natural moisture in the air, and this is meant to compensate for that absence.

A recent study of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) has found that the average life expectancy of people in Bangladesh is being cut short by 6.8 years due to their continuous exposure to polluted air. This is undoubtedly higher for residents of the capital. Given her life's work, there can be little doubt over the environment adviser's intentions to root out pollution and its toxic effect on our lives. The political reality however, suggests she may not get enough time. Given that is the case, we can only hope she focuses on what can be done, and leaves behind a framework for action that the ministry can work with even after she is gone.