Dhaka ranks first on list of cities with most polluted air today

Dhaka has again topped the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality this morning (5 December).

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 392 at 9am, Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with the most polluted air, reports UNB.

An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be 'unhealthy' while 201 and 300 are considered 'very unhealthy', and 301 to 400 are considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar, India's Kolkata and Pakistan's Lahore occupied the second, third and fourth places with AQI of 229,215 and 206 respectively.

Earlier, last month record-breaking levels of thick, toxic smog have enveloped eastern Pakistan and northern India. A massive cloud of grey smog blanketed Pakistan's Punjab province and extended eastward into India, covering the capital New Delhi and surrounding areas, according to NASA Worldview. 

The severe pollution prompted authorities in Pakistan to shut down schools and public spaces, as the acrid air poses a serious health threat to tens of millions of people.

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 issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.