Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The air quality in the Kathmandu Valley, which had risen sharply last week, has improved. The pollution caused by dry weather and forest fires has gradually started decreasing with the rainfall.
Last week, the air quality index (AQI) rose to 247, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). Experts have expressed concern that this level will be in the ‘very unhealthy’ category and will have serious implications for the health of the public. The AQI has now come down to 79, which falls in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Last week, Kathmandu was listed as the world’s first polluted city but now it is in the 15th position, according to the AQI data.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “moderate”, 101 and 150 “unhealthy”, 151 and 200 “unhealthy”, 201 and 300 “very unhealthy”, and above 300 “very dangerous”.
Director General of the Department of Environment, Gyan Raj Subedi, said that the air pollution has been controlled due to the storm accompanied by adequate rainfall in the recent period. “The pollution level is high due to the accumulation of dust and smoke in the atmosphere due to lack of rainfall for a long time, increase in forest bushfires and the smoke emanating from the resulting smoke accumulates in the Kathmandu Valley,” he said. ’
He also stressed the need for the bodies concerned to effectively implement sustainable and environment-friendly development measures to control pollution.
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