The capitals of India and Bangladesh see thick layers of toxic smog, \u2018very poor\u2019 air quality and normal lives
\nDhaka
\nThe capitals of India and Bangladesh are blanketed by a thick layer of toxic smog, as air quality plummets in both New Delhi and Dhaka.
\nDhaka briefly emerged as the world\u2019s most polluted city on Wednesday, with a \u201chazardous\u201d index level of 325, according to Swiss climate monitor IQAir.
\nBy midday, however, conditions improved slightly, with the index dropping to 177 \u2013 still in the \u201cunhealthy\u201d range.
\nThe air quality in Dhaka, one of the world\u2019s most crowded cities with more than 20 million residents, has worsened in recent years as fossil fuels are overused, bringing health problems for the people.
\n\u201cWe often suffer from asthma, fever and allergies while operating rickshaws on the streets,\u201d said Rafiq Mondal, who drives a vehicle for a living. \u201cIt is often very painful.\u201d
\nWhile authorities in Dhaka spray the streets with water to help the dust settle, residents want additional steps taken.
\n\u201cThe air pollution is taking its toll,\u201d said resident Wasim Akhter.
\n\u201cWith all the mega projects like the metro rail overhead, there is a lot of construction material everywhere \u2026 Measures must be taken more seriously.\u201d
\nThe World Bank has urged Bangladesh to coordinate more closely with its South Asian neighbours to clean up the air.
\nAir pollution, which is often a mix of solid particles, liquid droplets and gasses, accounts for one-fifth of deaths in the country each year, it said in a report.
\nIn New Delhi, which often leads the world\u2019s most polluted list, the AQI index on Wednesday read 378, according to the Central Pollution Control Board \u2013 a rating of \u201cvery poor\u201d.
\nThe dense fog in the Indian capital and across northern India led to the delays of more than 100 flights and the disruption of rail services as visibility reduced to barely 50 metres (164 feet) in some areas.
\nDense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants, according to the weather department, which warned of the impact this may have on the health of the city\u2019s tens of millions of residents.
\nOther parts of north India, including the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana reported similar weather conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The capitals of India and Bangladesh see thick layers of toxic smog, \u2018very poor\u2019 air quality and normal lives Dhaka The capitals of India and Bangladesh are blanketed by a thick layer of toxic smog, as air quality plummets in both New Delhi and Dhaka. Dhaka briefly emerged as the world\u2019s most polluted city on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-377171","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n