Dhaka’s air quality improves significantly

UNB

The air quality in Dhaka showed a significant improvement on Wednesday morning with the capital city ranking 41st worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI), reports UNB.

It had an AQI score of 56 at 08:44 am and its air quality was classified as ‘moderate’ after rainfall.

India’s Delhi, China’s Hangzhou and Chengdu occupied the first three spots in the list of cities with the worst air with scores of 186, 124 and 122 respectively.

When the AQI value is between 51 and 100, the air quality is moderate and active children and adult and people with respiratory diseases are advised to limit prolonged outdoor excretion.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, has shut down all educational institutions, mass transport, restricted the movement of people and vehicles to tackle the spread of coronavirus. People have been asked to stay indoors.

This has significantly cut down air pollution in Dhaka which regularly ranks among top 10 cities with worst air quality.

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.

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves only during monsoon.