by Ruma Paul
DHAKA (Reuters) – Dhaka’s air quality index plunged into the “hazardous” category on Wednesday as a large cloud of pollution (“smog”) enveloped the Bangladesh capital, as similar conditions prevailed in the capital of neighboring India, New Delhi.
Air quality in Dhaka, one of the world’s most populous cities with more than 20 million inhabitants, has deteriorated with the emergence of large projects and overconsumption of fossil fuels, leading to problems of health of many residents.
“We often suffer from asthma, fever and allergies while riding tuk-tuks on the streets,” said Rafiq Mondal, who uses these traditional two-wheeled vehicles to earn a living. “It’s often very painful.”
Drone footage shows a smog of pollution at 9 a.m. (3 a.m. GMT) putting Dhaka at the top of the world’s most polluted cities, with a “dangerous” index of 325, said Swiss group IQAir, which monitors air quality around the world.
However, conditions improved slightly at 1:35 p.m. (7:35 GMT) with the index falling to 177, in the “unhealthy” range.
City officials are spraying water on the streets to help dust fall to the ground, but residents are calling for more to be done.
“Air pollution is taking its toll,” said Wasim Akhter, one of them. “With all the megaprojects such as the skytrain, there are a lot of construction materials everywhere… Measures need to be taken more seriously.”
The World Bank has urged Bangladesh to coordinate more closely with its South Asian neighbors to clear the air, as smog briefly put Sydney on par with New Delhi.
Air pollution, often a mixture of solid particles, liquid droplets and gases, causes about a fifth of the country’s premature deaths each year, a World Bank report says.
In some areas of Dhaka, levels of fine particles exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) standards by up to 20 times, the report added.
In the Indian capital, New Delhi, pollution was also high, with an index of 378, according to the Central Pollution Control Board of the Indian Ministry of Environment, a “very poor” rating. .
More than 100 flights were postponed and train services disrupted by thick fog and low temperatures of 11 Co, Reuters partner news agency Ani reported.
(With contributions from Sam Jahan in Dhaka and Sakshi Dayal in New Delhi, French version Dagmarah Mackos, edited by Kate Entringer)
©2023 Thomson Reuters, all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies.