No improvement in Dhaka’s air quality, still unhealthy

Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone on Wednesday morning. With an air quality index (AQI) score of 187 at 9:25 am, Dhaka ranked 7th in the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality. Pakistan's Lahore, Pakistan's Karachi, and India's Mumbai occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 319, 238 and 207, respectively. An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups. Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

That Dhaka's air quality is not conducive to a decent quality of life has been well known for a long time now, given just how dire the state of our air pollution is in the context of the whole nation.

However, according to a recent report published by the World Bank, exposure to our high levels of air pollution significantly raises the risk of breathing difficulties, coughs, lower respiratory tract infections, as well as depression and other health conditions both mental and physical.

Indeed, year after year, the depth of the need to clear up our air is all but ignored by the authorities. While promises are made every other month or so, overall, over time, we only see the air going from bad to worse. 

Unfortunately, issues like environmental pollution always take a backseat to all the policy talk of economic growth, infrastructural development, and petty politics. But a country can only be considered developed in any meaningful ways when a base level of health and quality of life are ensured for them.

To that end, governments, both past and present, have failed miserably.

But there are measures that can be taken in the here and now to correct our course. To reduce the impacts of air pollution on health, the World Bank report recommends the following measures to be taken at a policy level: Improving public health services and response mechanisms, improving air pollution data monitoring systems, investing in early warning systems, and engaging in further research surrounding air quality and factors which contribute to its deterioration.

This is not an issue to waste any more breath over, but one that needs to be acted upon with the most immediate of actions.