On Tuesday morning, Dhaka was ranked second among cities worldwide for the worst air quality. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 173 at 9am, indicating unhealthy air.
Delhi, India, topped the list with an AQI of 255, followed by Jakarta, Indonesia, and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, with scores of 167 and 163, respectively.
An AQI of 101-200 is considered unhealthy, 201-300 is poor, and 301-400 is hazardous, posing serious health risks. Bangladesh’s AQI is based on five pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka struggles with air pollution, particularly in winter, with improvements typically seen during the monsoon. Air pollution is a leading cause of death and disability, linked to heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections, and cancer.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths annually.
