KATHMANDU, MARCH 13
Air pollution that had blanketed major cities, including the Kathmandu Valley, for the past few days has begun to decrease gradually.
The air quality index (AQI), which had reached 178 on Thursday afternoon, has fallen to 149 as of this afternoon. Kathmandu, which was recorded as the second most polluted city in the world on Thursday, is now ranked 12th.
Director General of the Department of Environment, Gyan Raj Subedi, attributed the reduction in air pollution to rainfall on Thursday. "We have advised the relevant authorities to effectively implement sustainable and environment-friendly development measures," he stated.
Environment expert Bhushan Tuladhar emphasized the need for timely preparedness, proper management of leaf litter, forest fire control, and strict enforcement of vehicle emission tests and standards.
Similarly, Meteorologist Sanjeev Adhikari of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology noted that improved weather since Thursday, along with the rainfall, contributed to the decline in air pollution.
Adhikari added that the Weather and Hydrological Measuring Office at the Narayani Basin Field Office in Chitwan, Bagmati Province, recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours at 126.2 millimeters, followed by 102.2 millimeters at Lamjung Gharedhunga Centre (Gandaki Province) and 90 millimeters at Barpak Centre (Gorkha). Other significant rainfall included 98.4 millimeters at Katari (Udayapur) and 96.4 millimeters at Chandragadhi Airport Centre (Jhapa).
For context, AQI values are classified as follows: 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151–200 unhealthy, 201–300 very unhealthy, and above 300 hazardous.
(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)