Dhaka’s air is unbearable during the holidays
Dhaka’s air pollution is still at a dangerously harmful level. According to yesterday’s (Friday, a weekly holiday) morning record, Dhaka has the highest pollution among 125 cities in the world.
The air quality has been recorded at 295, where air quality above 300 is considered a “Hazardous” environment for everyone. On the other hand, Lahore in Pakistan was next in line with unhealthy air, with air quality at 235.
At 6 a.m. on Friday, the top five cities with the worst air pollution were Delhi, India; Yangon, Myanmar; and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. IQAir, a Swiss company, monitors air quality by measuring pollution levels using the Air Quality Index (AQI).
According to their list, very small particles are the main source of pollution in Dhaka’s air. High levels of pollution cause serious health risks such as respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer in the long term.
According to global standards, air quality is considered clean if the air quality index is below 50. If it is 51–100, it is tolerable. If it is between 101 and 150, it is unhealthy for cautious or sensitive people (children and the elderly). If it is 151–200, it is unhealthy for everyone, and if the index is 201 to 300, the air is said to be very unhealthy. And if the index exceeds 300, the air is considered disastrous.
Many people die every year due to health problems caused by air pollution. A November 2023 study in the British Medical Journal found that air pollution from fossil fuels causes 5.2 million deaths globally each year.
The World Health Organization reports that 6.7 million people die each year from household and outdoor air pollution.
Due to prolonged air pollution in Dhaka, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recommends wearing masks outdoors. In addition, sensitive people have been requested not to go out unless absolutely necessary.
Brick kiln and factory owners, as well as the public, are urged to stop burning solid waste, set up canopies and fences at construction sites, cover construction materials and trucks, water construction areas twice daily, and avoid using old, smoke-emitting vehicles.
