City Desk :
Dhaka’s air ranked 12th most polluted among cities around the world on Thursday morning, as per Air Quality Index (AQI).
The air in Dhaka was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, with an AQI score of 112 at 8:53am.
India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and Nepal’s Kathmandu occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 286, 190, and 166 respectively, reports UNB.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301+ is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
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.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.