<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Dhaka's air quality was marked as ‘moderate’ on Friday morning (September 29, 2023).</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 97 at 8:40am, Dhaka ranked 21st in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan’s Lahore, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 176, 159 and 158, respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A recent report by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) says air pollution in Dhaka is creating severe health concerns and increases the risk of stroke, heart diseases, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the report, air pollution in Dhaka has increased by 13 percent since 2020 which indicates that the respondents’ perception is in line with reality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Due to these diseases caused by air pollution, Dhaka residents spend more than Tk4,000 per person every year for the treatment of respiratory diseases.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to data from Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), residents in Bangladesh are expected to lose about 5 years off their lives on average if the current high levels of pollution persist. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div>