Black Mirror: The Buriganga

This picture was taken above the Buriganga, the main lifeline of Dhaka. In the past few weeks the pollution has become intolerable as many Dhaka residents swim, bath and drink from the river water.

The pollution is the result of industrial plants located along the river that do not treat the waste they dump into the river. The Daily Star put this picture on the front page yesterday, and had this to report:

"According to a study jointly conducted by the World Bank and the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), there are over 300 various effluent discharge outlets from nine major industrial clusters including Tongi, Hazaribagh, Tejgaon, Tarabo, Narayanganj, Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur and Ghorashal.

Of these, 19 outlets carry the major discharge of domestic and industrial waste.

Of the discharged untreated liquid waste, 61 percent are industrial and 39 percent domestic waste, the study shows. The lone Sewerage Treatment Plant (SWP) in Pagla in Narayanganj can treat only 10 percent of the industrial waste."

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The cost of development are high around the world. While the United States need to work to lose less energy and create less waste, there is at least some imperative to do so. In still developing countries like China and India, these regulations go largely unheeded. In the United States, we generally react with the sentiment "Hey! Stop pumping gunk into the air! That's our air!" The people who really suffer from untempered development are the people who it supposed to help the most. In addition, The current heat wave, lack of water and gas, the continuing mosquito infestation and a potential diarrhea epidemic (not to mention jaundice and heatstroke) are all descending upon the city's most destitute citizens.

It doesn't matter how high "a rising tide lifts all ships" if the water looks like it might burst into flame at the drop of a match.

105 and muggy... and no A/C

Well it's been nearly a month since I have posted, largely due to applying for jobs back in the states and travel. One factor has also been the increasing amount of time I am spending on a play outside of school. Yet there is also an important environmental factor, the rising the temperature and the falling hours of electricity.

It's hot in Dhaka. A few weeks ago I was able to convince myself that I could handle it. No longer. I went for a run to the American Club a few days ago, and it took me about twenty minutes instead of fifteen. I felt like I was running headfirst into a thirty mile and hour wind, but the air was perfectly still. I had set out thinking, "I will show this heat who's boss!" and finally reached the American Club thinking "Is there molasses in the air?" This last weekend the temperature peaked at 105 degrees Fahrenheit with about 70% humidity and absolutely no breeze.

In previous years, it has rained more and cleared the air and cooled the city. With the lack of rain this year, it has been brutal. I don't even consider sweat any more. After living in the north of the United States for 22 years I had become accustomed to sweating almost exclusively as a result of exercise, not sitting quietly. This city pulls the moisture out of your body like no place I've ever been. Luckily I can just throw on the A/C...

Well, not when my building is on generator, which is about three hours a night. Each night from 5-6, 7-8 and then 10-11 there is almost sure to be a power outage. Sometimes they move the hours a bit, sometimes there are only a couple of load shedding hours. However, at the top of our building, we are in the worst spot. At 11PM it is still 80 degrees. It really sucks the life out of you. Every movement is scrutinized, "do I really need to walk back to my room to get my phone?... maybe in a few minutes."

Of course, I am feeling the effects of this heat wave less than 99.95% of the population (putting me with about 75,000 other air conditioned folks). At least I am not carting around a rickshaw, smashing bricks or transporting mud in this heat. I gained an idea of how miserable any sort of strenuous activity would be by playing basketball outside from 8-10:30AM. By 9:30 it was a purely masochistic exhibition.