Dhaka
ranks third on the list of cities with the most polluted air. As of 9 am on
Tuesday (September 17), the Air Quality Index (AQI) score for Dhaka was 141.
Lahore, Pakistan, and Delhi, India, hold the first and second positions with
AQI scores of 194 and 151, respectively.
Generally,
an AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’. When the score is
between 101 and 150, the air quality is deemed ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’,
while a score between 151 and 200 is categorized as ‘unhealthy’. Currently,
Dhaka's air quality is ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’.
In
Bangladesh, AQI is determined based on five key pollutants: particulate matter
(PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone (O3).
Dhaka
has long struggled with air pollution. The city’s air quality typically
deteriorates during winter and improves somewhat during the rainy season.
According
to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution increases mortality rates
due to strokes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. As a result, an estimated 7
million people die annually worldwide.