Dhaka Ranks 6th Among World’s Most Polluted Cities Today

Dhaka ranked sixth among the world’s 126 most polluted cities on Wednesday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 167, indicating unhealthy air quality.

Lahore in Pakistan topped the list with an AQI score of 265, placing its air quality in the “very unhealthy” category, according to data published by Swiss air quality monitoring organisation IQAir on October 21.

Delhi in India ranked second with a score of 257, followed by Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with 182. Mumbai, another Indian city, ranked fourth with a score of 181, while Jakarta in Indonesia placed fifth with 176.

According to IQAir’s classification, an AQI score of 0–50 indicates good air quality, while 51–100 is considered moderate. Scores between 101 and 150 are classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, while readings from 151 to 200 indicate unhealthy air.

An AQI score of 201–300 is considered very unhealthy, while readings above 300 fall into the hazardous category.

Bangladesh’s AQI is determined using five major air pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3).

A 2019 report by Bangladesh’s Department of Environment and the World Bank identified brick kilns, vehicle emissions and dust from construction sites as three major sources of air pollution in Dhaka.

The World Health Organization says air pollution increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. Exposure to air pollution is associated with an estimated seven million deaths worldwide each year.