At 9:01 am on Thursday, Dhaka’s air quality took a concerning turn with an AQI score of 266, securing the second spot on the global list of cities with the most polluted air. Topping the chart were India’s Kolkata and Delhi, followed by Pakistan’s Karachi and Lahore with AQI scores of 303, 222, 183, and 183, respectively.
An AQI score ranging from 151 to 200 is deemed unhealthy, while 201–300 is categorized as very unhealthy, and 301–400 is considered hazardous, posing severe health risks. The AQI serves as a crucial index, offering insights into a city’s daily air quality and potential health impacts.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues, typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution claims an estimated seven million lives globally each year, primarily linked to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. The urgency to address Dhaka’s air quality concerns is evident in the context of these alarming statistics.
