Dbarta24 Report – In a rare brief respite for city residents, Dhaka’s air quality registered in the “moderate” category on Wednesday morning.
According to real-time air monitoring data, the Bangladesh capital ranked 31st globally among major cities with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 81, offering temporary relief from the city’s persistent pollution struggles.
Dhaka routinely grapples with severe air pollution, with atmospheric conditions deteriorating significantly during the dry winter months.
Data trends reveal that even seasonal rainfall often fails to maintain acceptable air quality standards over extended periods, leaving urban dwellers continuously exposed to environmental hazards.
According to data collected at 9:00 AM on Wednesday by IQAir, the Swiss-based air quality technology company, Kinshasa—the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo—topped the global list of most polluted cities with an AQI score of 226, classified as “very unhealthy.” Lahore, Pakistan, followed in second place with a score of 175, while Kuwait City ranked third with 164.
On the other end of the spectrum, Stockholm (Sweden) and Dakar (Senegal) recorded the cleanest air globally with an impressive AQI score of 11. They were closely followed by Sydney and Canberra in Australia, alongside Lisbon, Portugal, all scoring 14.
Under the standard AQI scale, scores between 0 and 50 represent “good” air quality, while readings from 51 to 100 indicate “moderate” conditions.
Scores between 101 and 150 are classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” 151 to 200 as “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 as “very unhealthy,” and anything above 301 is considered “hazardous.”
While an AQI score of 81 marks a positive departure from Dhaka’s usual “unhealthy” rankings, environmental experts emphasize that sustained measures and policy interventions remain critical to long-term air quality management in the capital.