Worst Air Quality: Dhaka Ranked 3rd Today

Dhaka has ranked Third among the cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 167 at 10:00am on Sunday (October 15). India’s Delhi, United Arab Emirates’ Dubai and China’s Shanghai occupied the first, second and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 186, 172 and 164, respectively.

According to the air quality index, Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy’. On Friday and Saturday respectively Dhaka’s AQI score was 159 and 219, meaning the air was in unhealthy and very unhealthy zones.

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 and above is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.

The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter, 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.