Dhaka's Air Unhealthy Today: Fifth on the World's Polluted Cities List, Lahore on Top
Dhaka stands fifth today on the list of the world's cities with polluted air. The capital's score on the air quality index is 168, categorised as 'unhealthy'. At the top of the list is Pakistan's Lahore, with a score of 238.
The information appeared on the Switzerland-based air quality website IQAir at 10 am on Monday (19 October). Like every day, the international list painted a worrying picture of Dhaka's air.
In air pollution, India's Mumbai is second on the day's list of the world's polluted cities, with a score of 183. India's capital New Delhi is third with a score of 173.
Uganda's capital Kampala is fourth with a score of 171. Right after it comes Dhaka with 168 — meaning that alongside South Asia's big cities, an African city also features in the day's top pollution list.
The Switzerland-based organisation IQAir provides the live or instant index of how clean or polluted a city's air is. The daily ranking of world cities is arranged according to that index.
Under the organisation's standards, a score between zero and 50 is considered good air quality. A score of 51 to 100 is considered moderate or tolerable.
A score of 101 to 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. A score of 151 to 200 is considered 'unhealthy' — Dhaka's score of 168 today falls exactly in this bracket.
A score of 201 to 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. Lahore's score of 238 today is at this level — meaning the condition of the top city on the list is even worse than Dhaka's.
A score above 301 is considered 'hazardous'. No city reached that level on today's list, but the air of every one of the top five cities is at a level risky for health.
Dhaka's air being in the 'unhealthy' bracket means extra caution is needed for all residents, including children, the elderly and people suffering from breathing problems. On such days, the general advice is to avoid staying outdoors for long and to avoid heavy physical exertion.
Air pollution in the capital has now become an almost regular occurrence — Dhaka sometimes rises towards the top of the list as well. Today's fifth place is another example of that continuing picture.
Residents will be watching which way Dhaka's score moves in the coming days — whether it drops from the unhealthy bracket back to a tolerable level, or climbs even higher.
