Air pollution: Dhaka tops in global ranking surpassing Delhi, Karachi

India’s capital Delhi or Pakistan’s Lahore and Karachi have topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities on most days during the current dry season.

Among them, Delhi’s pollution has been particularly severe, at one point prompting attempts to reduce pollution by inducing rainfall.

However, surpassing both Delhi and Karachi by a wide margin, Dhaka ranked first for air pollution at around 8:00 am on Thursday.

At that time, Dhaka’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 271, a level categorised as “very unhealthy”.

In several parts of the city, however, air quality levels were almost double that figure, with readings exceeding 400 in some locations. Air quality was recorded as extremely poor at nine sites across the capital.

Karachi and Delhi ranked second and third respectively in terms of air pollution, with AQI scores of 218 and 203.

This information has been reported by Switzerland-based organisation IQAir, which regularly monitors and publishes data on air pollution.

Its live air quality index provides real-time information on how clean or polluted the air is in a given city and issues public health advisories.

Based on Dhaka’s current pollution levels, IQAir has also issued several recommendations to help residents protect themselves.

There are no signs of any improvement in Dhaka’s air quality; on the contrary, pollution levels are steadily worsening. Throughout December, and on almost every day of the current month of January, Dhaka has featured among the world’s most polluted cities.

An AQI above 200 is considered “very unhealthy”, while a level of 300 or more is classified as “hazardous”.

Air pollution is increasing across the country. In some cases, pollution levels outside Dhaka are now even higher than those within the capital.

Although most air pollution control measures are Dhaka-centric, these initiatives have so far produced little tangible impact.

Severe pollution at 9 locations in Dhaka

On Thursday morning, air quality at nine locations in Dhaka was recorded as extremely poor. These locations are: ASL Systems Limited, Nikunja (416); Dhanmondi (326); South Pallabi (289); Eastern Housing (288); Becharam Deuri (280); Kalyanpur (278); Bay’s Edgewater (267); Grace International School (246); and Goran (237).

Various projects have been undertaken over the years to address air pollution in the country, and discussions around new initiatives continue. Despite this, the overall air pollution situation continues to deteriorate.

According to IQAir’s guidance, given today’s air quality in Dhaka, residents should wear masks whenever they go outdoors.

Outdoor exercise is strongly discouraged, and people are advised to keep windows closed as much as possible while indoors.