Dhaka second worst in Air Quality Index

The capital city of Dhaka has ranked second worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI), said UNB.

Dhaka had a score of 258 at 9:00am on Sunday, indicating that the air quality was very unhealthy, UNB said.

India’s Kolkata and Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia reportedly occupied the first and third spots respectively.

An AQI value between 201 and 300 means negative health impact for city dwellers.

The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants - Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3). The Department of Environment has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These standards aim to protect against adverse human health impacts.

Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, has been faring poorly in the Air Quality Index for a long time.