Dhaka's air quality was marked "unhealthy for sensitive groups" on Friday morning (June 16, 2023), as per Air Quality Index.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 102 at 8:45am, Dhaka ranked 14th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, according to IQAir.
Indonesia’s Jakarta, India’s Delhi and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 159, 154 and 135 respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered “unhealthy”, particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be “poor'”, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered “hazardous”, posing serious health risks to residents.
Also read: No respite from ‘unhealthy’ air in Dhaka
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how safe or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria 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.
Also read: Urgent, coordinated actions needed to curb air pollution in South Asia: World Bank
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.