DHAKA, (Bernama-UNB): It is getting harder to breathe in South Asia nowadays,
The United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported that Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 187 at Saturday morning.
Dhaka’s air was classified as 'unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking.
India's Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and Kuwait’s Kuwait City occupied the first, second and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 673, 336 and 183, respectively, according to the report.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy' and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents.
Bangladesh’s government focused on reducing dust to control air pollution in Dhaka.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is determined by measuring five major air pollutants - particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone (O₃).
South Asia has long been grappling with air pollution issues.
Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. - Bernama-UNB
