DHAKA: Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka beat Pakistan’s second-largest city Lahore to become the world’s most polluted city in the Swiss Group IQAir live rankings.
According to the Swiss group IQAir’s real-time data, Dhaka’s air quality index (AQI) score was 262 on Friday morning categorising it as ‘very unhealthy’.
The Dhaka air pollution levels the concentration of PM2.5 pollutants—fine particulate matter that poses significant health risks—were recorded at 187.5 micrograms per cubic meter in Lahore which is over 37.5 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual air quality guideline value.
India’s national capital Delhi recorded an average of 214 AQI, making it the second most polluted city globally.
Pakistan second biggest city and home of 14 million people, has an AQI 262, placing it in a very unhealthy category and the third worst city in the world.
List of the world’s most polluted cities
Understanding AQI
An AQI below 50 is considered good ‘moderate’ between ’51 and 100′, ‘unhealthy for sensitive group’ at ‘101 and 150’, ‘unhealthy’ at ‘151-200’, very unhealthy at 201-300, 301 and above is ‘hazardous’.
According to this year’s Life Quality Index Institute report, compiled by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, the people of Lahore could have had their lives shortened by 7.5 years due to the poor air they breathe.
To control the smog crisis, the Punjab government last month closed public places including parks, zoos, playgrounds, joy/play lands, historical places, monuments, and museums in smog-hit districts including Lahore.
Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has described smog as a serious threat and said that it is likely to cause 250,000 premature deaths.
The provincial capital has been the most polluted city in the world for many days.
