Home ›› Environment
Dhaka, one of the most populated cities in the world and the capital of Bangladesh occupied the third position in the air quality index (AQI).
In the air quality index, Dhaka scores 173 which indicates that the city continues to be unhealthy for the dwellers.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered "unhealthy", particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be "poor" and 301 to 400 is considered to be "hazardous" that poses serious health risks to residents.
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first two spots in the AQI.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what kinds of effects the quality might have on the human body.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria -- 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.
A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites as the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka.
With the commencement of the winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for fatal diseases and disability worldwide.
Breathing polluted air increases the chances of heart diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer, according to several studies.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year causing stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
