Dhaka’s air quality remained in the ‘unhealthy’ category on Friday morning, continuing to pose health risks to residents, according to the latest air quality monitoring data.

At 8:15 AM, the capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 161, ranking 11th among the world’s most polluted cities.

India’s Delhi topped the list with an AQI of 615, followed by Lahore in Pakistan with 275 and Kolkata in India with 252.

An AQI reading between 151 and 200 is considered unhealthy, meaning everyone may experience health effects, while sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart conditions are at greater risk.

When the AQI value ranges between 50 and 100, air quality is considered moderate; between 101 and 150, it is unhealthy for sensitive groups; between 201 and 300, very unhealthy; and any reading above 301 is classified as hazardous, posing serious health threats.

The AQI measures the concentration of five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO?), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO?), and ozone (O?). It provides an indication of how clean or polluted a city’s air is and what health impacts may arise as a result.

Dhaka has long been grappling with high pollution levels, particularly during the dry winter months, when dust, vehicle emissions, and industrial activities contribute to poor air quality.

The situation typically improves during the monsoon season as rainfall helps to clear pollutants from the atmosphere.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes around seven million deaths worldwide every year, primarily due to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

Experts continue to call for coordinated action to reduce emissions, strengthen pollution control measures and adopt sustainable urban development practices to ensure cleaner air for Dhaka’s residents.