Dhaka’s air remains unhealthy despite downpour at night

Dhaka experienced a heavy downpour last night, with hailstorm in some places, but its air still remains unhealthy this morning.

The meteorological department reported a rainfall of 28 mm in the capital city in the last 24 hours until Sunday morning. Such rainfall was supposed to purify the air in the city to some extent.

However, the IQAir described the air quality here as ‘unhealthy’ with a score of 152. Around 8:30 am, Dhaka was ranked at 11th spot among the cities with poor air quality. New Delhi of India stood first on the list, with a score of 273.

According to the IQAir, the particulate matter (PM2.5) is the prime source of air pollution in Dhaka as its current level in the city is 11 times higher than the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Swiss air quality monitoring agency advised the Dhaka people to take precautions, including wearing masks, avoiding outdoor exercise, and keeping windows shut to mitigate exposure to pollutants.