Kathmandu, April 3
Kathmandu’s heavily polluted air, which has worsened over the past few days, is expected to improve starting today.
For the past few days, Kathmandu has consistently ranked as the most polluted city in the world. On Wednesday, the city’s air pollution levels had exceeded the hazardous threshold.
Even today, pollution levels remained above the hazardous mark. According to IQAir data, Kathmandu’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Thursday morning measured 370 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particulate matter—three times the hazardous level.
Air quality is classified as unhealthy between 151 and 200, very unhealthy between 201 and 300, and hazardous if it exceeds 301.
However, IQAir has forecasted that the AQI will gradually decrease from hazardous levels starting today. As pollution levels have started to decline in highly polluted cities like New Delhi and Mumbai, Kathmandu is also expected to see some improvement.
According to IQAir, Kathmandu’s hazy conditions are likely to clear by this evening. The extreme pollution levels in the morning are expected to decrease from 2 PM onwards.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Department of Environment has advised residents to stay indoors due to the high pollution levels. It has urged people to wear masks and take necessary precautions if they need to go outside, as well as to avoid activities that contribute to pollution.
