Rain improves Dhaka's air quality

I was in a bus on April 09, 2019 around 06:00pm when a storm hit Dhaka. The wind was ferocious, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Within just half an hour or so, rainwater had accumulated by the road side on some roads. Some low-lying roads in Mirpur, Bashundhara, Mohammadpur, Shantinagar and other areas went under water, following the half an hour or so of rainfall. Some trees were uprooted causing terrible traffic congestion in some parts of Dhaka.

It was still raining when I reached my bus-stop. I got down, took out my umbrella and had to sit at a nearby cafe till the rain stopped. Most people were having a hard time as they struggled through the mud and rainwater. While walking home, I enjoyed the cool breeze that comes after the storm.

Later, I read in the Financial Express that the rain has improved the air quality of Dhaka over the past few days. Dhaka's Air Quality Index (AQI) has dropped to 22nd position with a score of 82 at 7:02pm on April 09. This indicates that the air quality was moderate.

I hope that in the coming days, we get more rain, as it helps us to breathe easy. I do not want thundershowers and storms as these tend to cause severe problems for the citizens of Dhaka.

Akibul Javed,

Indira Road, Dhaka