Dhaka: Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked 5th among the world’s most polluted cities on Thursday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 134 at 09:14 am. The air was classified as ‘Unhealthy for sensitive groups’, indicating potential risks for people with underlying health conditions, children, and older adults, while the general public is likely unaffected, according to the AQI scale.
According to United News of Bangladesh, India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore, and Indonesia’s Jakarta were the three most polluted cities globally, with AQI scores of 172, 156, and 154, respectively. An AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while scores between 151-200 are deemed ‘unhealthy’. Levels from 201-300 are regarded as ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 301 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks.
The AQI is a measure of daily air quality, indicating how clean or polluted the air is and the potential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is
based on five main pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with severe air pollution, a condition that typically worsens in winter and improves during the monsoon season.
The World Health Organization reports that air pollution is responsible for approximately seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily due to stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, and acute infections.