Dhaka Ranks Sixth in Global Air Pollution, Lahore Tops List
Air pollution in Dhaka has worsened further. On Thursday (November 12), the capital ranked sixth among 126 major cities worldwide on the list of cities with the most polluted air. As of this morning, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 158, indicating an ‘unhealthy’ level of pollution. At this level, breathing the city’s air poses health risks to residents.
Meanwhile, Lahore in Pakistan topped the list with an AQI score of 344, indicating ‘hazardous’ air pollution. The information was revealed in an index published on Thursday by Swiss-based air quality monitoring organisation IQAir.
India’s capital New Delhi ranked second on the pollution list, with an AQI score of 284, indicating a ‘very unhealthy’ level. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, ranked third with a score of 169. Algiers, the capital of Algeria, ranked fourth with 167, while Beijing, the capital of China, stood fifth with a score of 166.
According to IQAir’s standards, an AQI score of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality, 51 to 100 indicates moderate or acceptable air quality, and 101 to 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. A score of 151 to 200 is classified as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and above 300 as hazardous.
In Bangladesh, air quality is primarily assessed based on five types of pollutants. These include fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3).
According to various World Bank studies, major sources of air pollution in Dhaka include brick kilns, vehicle emissions, industrial discharges and dust from construction activities. Waste burning, power generation and the use of polluting fuels in households also contribute to air pollution. A 2024 analysis by the organisation stated that more than 272,000 people die prematurely in Bangladesh every year due to various environmental risks, including air pollution.
Sources: IQAir, World Health Organization and World Bank.
