Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, recorded the third worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Sunday morning, once again highlighting the city’s persistent struggle with pollution.
According to the air quality and pollution city ranking, Dhaka registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 275 at 10:10am, placing it third on the list of cities with the most polluted air. The city’s air was classified as "unhealthy".
India’s capital Delhi topped the list with an AQI score of 605, while Pakistan’s Lahore secured the second position with an AQI of 297, both indicating extremely poor air conditions.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered "moderate", usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups", between 150 and 200 is "unhealthy", between 201 and 300 is said to be "very unhealthy", while a reading of 301+ is considered "hazardous", posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues.
Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
