Dhaka, notorious for its poor air quality, saw a rare improvement on Tuesday morning thanks to rains from Cyclone Remal. The city recorded an air quality index (AQI) score of 38 at 9am, ranking it 77th globally for worst air quality—far better than usual.
An AQI score between 0 and 50 indicates good air quality. For context, scores between 51-100 are moderate, 101-150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, and 301+ hazardous, posing significant health risks.
On Tuesday, Delhi, Jakarta, and Lahore held the top three spots for worst air quality, with AQI scores of 216, 173, and 162, respectively.
The AQI measures air quality based on five pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka usually struggles with high pollution levels, particularly in winter due to emissions from construction, rundown roads, and brick kilns. Air quality typically improves during the monsoon season.
Air pollution is a leading global health risk, contributing to heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections, and cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million deaths annually due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
