Dhaka, May 12 – Bangladesh capital Dhaka ranked worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the world on Tuesday morning. It had an Air Quality Index score of 163 at 09:04m. The air was classified as ‘unhealthy’.
Although Dhaka’s air was supposed to improve during the general holidays as public transports remained suspended for over one month, it remained unhealthy for days.
When the AQI value is between 151 and 200, everyone may begin to experience health effects while members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Pakistan’s Lahore and China’s Chengdu occupied the second and third positions in the list of cities with the worst air quality with AQI scores of 157 and 134 respectively.
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.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone (O3).
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon. – UNB
