Dhaka recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 87 on Friday, placing Bangladesh’s capital 19th among the cities listed by IQAir for air pollution. The reading falls within the ‘moderate’ or ‘acceptable’ category under the air-quality monitoring organisation’s classification system.
The data were published on Friday, 25 September, by IQAir, a Switzerland-based organisation that monitors air quality around the world. The figures indicate that Dhaka’s air was comparatively less polluted than that of several major cities included in the daily ranking, although an AQI in the moderate range does not mean the air is entirely free from pollution.
Pakistan’s Lahore topped the list with an AQI score of 187, putting the city in the ‘unhealthy’ category. The reading means that air pollution levels were considerably higher there than in Dhaka on the same day.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, ranked second with an AQI score of 181. Malaysia’s Kuching occupied third place with a score of 165. Doha in Qatar and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates jointly recorded an AQI of 160, placing them fourth and fifth respectively.
AQI readings can fluctuate throughout the day depending on weather conditions and the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere. Factors such as vehicle emissions, construction activity, industrial operations and other urban sources can contribute to deteriorating air quality. Weather and atmospheric conditions can also affect how pollutants disperse or accumulate over a particular area.
According to IQAir’s classification, an AQI score between 0 and 50 represents ‘good’ air quality. A score from 51 to 100 is categorised as ‘moderate’. Readings between 101 and 150 are considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while scores from 151 to 200 are classified as ‘unhealthy’.
The scale becomes more serious at higher levels. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading above 300 falls into the ‘hazardous’ category.
With Dhaka’s score of 87, Friday’s reading remained within the moderate range. People who are particularly sensitive to air pollution may still need to take precautions when pollution levels rise, even when the overall citywide reading does not reach the unhealthy category.
Dhaka’s position in the daily ranking should also be viewed as a snapshot of air quality at a particular time rather than a measure of the city’s long-term pollution situation. AQI levels can change considerably from one day to another as weather patterns, traffic, construction activity and other pollution sources vary.
The latest figures therefore show that Dhaka experienced moderate air quality on Friday, while Lahore recorded the highest pollution level among the cities included in the ranking.
