Khairul alam, Dhaka: Dhaka ranks fifth among 118 cities globally for air pollution on Friday morning, despite it being a holiday.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), Dhaka scored 168 at noon, indicating unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups of people.
In such situations of air pollution, the Swiss-based organization IQAir regularly monitors and alerts people.
IQAir provides real-time information about air quality, indicating whether the air in a specific city is clean or polluted, thereby alerting individuals.
Currently, Tashkent in Uzbekistan and Chiang Mai in Thailand rank first and second respectively in global air pollution. Their scores stand at 274 and 226 respectively.
According to the standards set by IQAir, a score between 51 and 100 is considered moderate or acceptable air quality.
Scores between 101 and 150 are deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups, while scores between 151 and 200 are considered unhealthy. A score between 201 and 300 is very unhealthy, and anything above 301 is hazardous.
Today’s report by IQAir highlights that fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution is the main contributor to air pollution in Dhaka. The concentration of this particulate matter in Dhaka’s air is more than 16 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standards.
This situation emphasizes the pressing need for measures to address air pollution in Dhaka to safeguard public health and the environment.