Dhaka's air quality 3rd worst in the world this morning

Dhaka ranked third on the global list of cities with the poorest air quality, registering an AQI index of 181 at 10:58am this morning.

Dhaka's air was classified as 'unhealthy' today, according to the air quality index.

Nepal's Kathmandu and India's Delhi occupied the first and second spots on the list, with AQI scores of 257 and 238, respectively.

When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered 'unhealthy for sensitive groups', between 150 and 200 is 'unhealthy', between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

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 concern for them.

The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five 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.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.