Dhaka is the second most polluted city in the world. Dhaka's air quality was 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 182 at 6:15 am on Thursday (April 27).
An AQI score of 101 to 150 is considered 'unhealthy for sensitive groups'. An AQI score between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy'. An AQI score of 201 to 300 is considered 'very unhealthy' and an AQI score of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.
Today, India's New Delhi is at the top of air pollution in the world. The city scored 186, with air quality of 'unhealthy'. Third position is Kathmandu of Nepal, score 161. Vietnam's Hanoi is in fourth position, with a score of 158.
AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on five parameters of pollution, namely particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and ozone (O3).
Air pollution is a major problem for Dhaka. Three reasons are identified in bold for this. These are brick kilns, vehicle fumes and construction dust. A joint report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank has mentioned these three reasons.