AQI 157: Dhaka seventh on list of polluted cities, air worst at Baridhara’s Park Road
Photo: Collected
The first breath of winter can be felt in the air. When winter arrives, humidity usually drops, pollution levels rise and the air turns unhealthy.
On the website of IQAir, the Switzerland-based air quality monitoring organisation, Dhaka ranked seventh on the list of the world’s polluted cities this morning (Thursday, 22 October). In the 8am to 9am reading, Dhaka’s Air Quality Index (AQI) score was 157.
The top five on the list were Lahore in Pakistan (294, very unhealthy), Delhi in India (235, very unhealthy), Jakarta in Indonesia (174, unhealthy for everyone), Mumbai in India (173, unhealthy for everyone) and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia (172, unhealthy for everyone).
The real-time AQI station ranking shows pollution levels in some areas of Dhaka between ‘unhealthy for everyone’ and ‘unhealthy’. The most polluted air is in Baridhara’s Park Road area; its IQAir score is 166, indicating air that is unhealthy for everyone.
Also on the ranking list are Gulshan Lake Park, Baridhara Lakeside, the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Gulshan’s Base Edgewater Outdoor, Becharam Dewri in Old Dhaka, Eastern Housing, Grace International School, Rob Bhaban in Gulshan-2 and Goran.
The main cause of Dhaka’s poor air is PM2.5, or fine particulate matter. These ultra-fine particles, less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This significantly raises the risk of serious respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses such as worsening asthma, bronchitis and heart disease.
Responsible for this pollution crisis are winter weather patterns, unregulated emissions from vehicles and industries, dust from ongoing construction work and brick kilns in the surrounding areas.
By global standards, an air quality index below 50 means the air is considered clean, and 51 to 100 moderate. From 101 to 150 it calls for caution, or is unhealthy for sensitive people (children and the elderly); from 151 to 200 it is unhealthy for everyone, and from 201 to 300 very unhealthy. When the index goes above 300, the air is called hazardous.
Many people die every year from health problems caused by air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, the combined effects of household and ambient air pollution cause 6.7 million deaths a year.
What to do
Highly sensitive groups: children, the elderly and people with heart disease or breathing problems are best advised to avoid all outdoor activities.
Ordinary healthy people: reduce time spent outdoors and avoid strenuous physical activity.
If you must go out, be sure to wear an effective mask against pollution.
Run an air purifier to keep indoor air clean, and keep windows and doors shut to stop polluted air getting in.
