In the midst of a relentless heatwave, Dhaka continues to battle poor air quality, marked once again as “unhealthy”.
At 9:09am on Saturday, Dhaka registered an air quality index (AQI) score of 153, positioning it as the seventh city worldwide with the most severe air quality issues.
Leading the list were Thailand’s Chiang Mai, India’s Delhi, and Pakistan’s Lahore, with AQI scores of 256, 210, and 201 respectively.
According to air quality standards, when the AQI falls between 101 and 150, it’s deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups”, while readings between 150 and 200 are categorized as “unhealthy”. AQI levels exceeding 200 are labeled “very unhealthy”, posing grave health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined by assessing five criteria pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.
Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution, typically worsening during winter and showing some improvement during the monsoon season.
Globally, air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution claims approximately seven million lives annually, primarily due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
