Shawdesh DEsk:

There is no respite for Dhaka dwellers from unhealthy air as it again ranked worst among cities in the world in the Air Quality Index on Sunday morning.

It had a score of 308 at 9:00am. The air was classified as ‘hazardous’ and in this condition, everyone may experience more serious health effects.

When the AQI value is more than 300, people are advised to avoid all outdoor exertion.

Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s Delhi occupied the second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 278 and 257, respectively.

Similarly, an AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups while a reading of 201 and 300 is said to be ‘poor’.

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.

Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.

As per the World Health Organisation, 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.