Dhaka’s Air Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups This Morning

Dhaka's air quality is in the 'unhealthy' zone this morning (June 18, 2023).

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 121 at 9 am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked eighth in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, reports UNB.

Chile’s Santiago, Indonesia’s Jakarta, Pakistan’s Karachi and Lahore occupied the first four spots on the list, with AQI scores of 207, 163, 159 and 156, respectively.

When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 151 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 the winter and improves during the monsoon.