Dhaka, Dec 10 The Bangladeshi interim government has urged people with personal health risks to stay indoors due to worsening air pollution in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, while advising people to wear masks when outdoors.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the advisory in a release here Tuesday, saying that the air quality in Dhaka and its surrounding areas has deteriorated to an unhealthy and sometimes hazardous level (AQI above 250).
"In this situation, the public is advised to wear masks when outdoors, while sensitive individuals are requested to avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary," said the advisory, Xinhua news agency reported.
Controlling air pollution is a time-consuming process. The government, however, urged all the relevant stakeholders to extend possible cooperation in this regard, it added.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 241 at 9:00 a.m. local time Tuesday, Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with the most polluted air.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be "unhealthy" while 201 and 300 is considered "very unhealthy," and 301 to 400 is considered "hazardous," posing serious health risks to residents.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated 7 million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
--IANS
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