Kathmandu Valley's Air Quality Crisis: A Pre-Monsoon Peril

The Kathmandu Valley faces hazardous air quality levels, with ICIMOD reporting 75 days of unhealthy air in three months. Forest fires, drought, and stagnating pollution worsen the situation. The Nepal government records alarming AQI levels, urging vulnerable groups to take protective measures against respiratory ailments.

The Kathmandu Valley is grappling with hazardous air quality conditions, according to a recent analysis by ICIMOD. This year, high pollution levels persist in Nepal, with inhabitants enduring 75 unhealthy air days over the past three months. Consequently, Kathmandu is now ranked among the world's most polluted cities.

ICIMOD experts attribute the alarming spike in pollution primarily to pre-monsoon forest fires in Nepal's western regions, where moderate to extreme drought conditions prevail. The Nepal government's Air Quality Monitoring dashboard recently recorded 24-hour AQI levels of 365 in Bhaktapur, with similarly high numbers across other areas in the valley.

Sagar Adhikari, an Air Pollution Analyst at ICIMOD, points to the combination of dry conditions, forest fires, and current meteorological patterns as factors exacerbating pollution stagnation over the valley. ICIMOD warns of the health risks posed by pollution, urging vulnerable groups to remain indoors when possible, wear protective masks, and avoid highly polluted areas.

(With inputs from agencies.)