Dhaka, August 9: Dhaka has secured the 15th position in the list of the world’s most polluted cities, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 95 on Sunday morning at 9:18 AM.
Earlier, on August 1, Dhaka’s air quality was relatively better, with an AQI of 86. By 9:35 AM, the capital had dropped to the 18th position among the most polluted cities globally.
Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kampala in Uganda, and Jakarta in Indonesia held the top three spots, with AQI scores of 188, 173, and 149, respectively.
According to the AQI scale, the air quality in Dhaka was categorized as ‘moderate,’ posing only a minor health concern for a small number of unusually sensitive individuals, such as those with asthma, heart conditions, or the elderly.
Additionally, Kampala topped the list of cities with the worst air quality globally, recording an AQI score of 185. Kuching in Malaysia and Jakarta in Indonesia followed, both scoring 161.
Manama, the capital of Bahrain, ranked third with an AQI of 156. AQI readings between 101 and 150 are considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups,’ while scores from 151 to 200 are deemed ‘unhealthy.’ Readings from 201 to 300 are classified as ‘very unhealthy,’ and levels above 301 are considered ‘hazardous,’ posing severe health risks.
The AQI indicates how clean or polluted the air is and its potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, which typically worsens in winter and improves during the monsoon season.
The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes approximately 7 million deaths worldwide each year, primarily due to strokes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
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