Staff Reporter :
Dhaka’s air quality has deteriorated alarmingly as winter intensifies, claiming the top spot on IQAir’s live global rankings for the world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday (December 24).
At 8:40am, the capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) score hit 239-classified as “very unhealthy” by IQAir standards and posing severe public health risks.
Cairo, Egypt, followed in second place with 197, while India’s Delhi (188), Iran’s Tehran (187), Bosnia’s Sarajevo (172), and Pakistan’s Karachi (167) rounded out the top six.
Experts warn that such high pollution levels are extremely dangerous for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or heart conditions. Environmentalists urge avoiding unnecessary outdoor exposure and wearing masks when venturing out.
They attribute the crisis to unchecked construction dust, vehicle emissions, and industrial effluents in the dry season, calling for urgent controls to prevent prolonged degradation.
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