Kathmandu's Air Pollution Drops as Wind Blows Faster

On April 4, as the wind speed increased, the level of air pollution in Kathmandu went down. After a rise in air pollution levels over the past few days, the Kathmandu Valley has seen a drop in the levels, According to Air Quality Index (AQI) data, AQI in the valley has dropped to 147, a significant drop from 348 (Thursday noon). 

According to the air quality index of the government, AQI of 0-50 is  good, 51-100 is moderate, 101-150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 is very unhealthy and above 301 is hazardous. Director-general of the Department of Environment, Gyanraj Suvedi, stated that due to the increase in wind speed today, the pollution level decreased, and Kathmandu, which had featured as the "most polluted city" according to some rankings, dropped to the seventh place in the global AQI index.

He explained, "Kathmandu is bowl-shaped. When it rains, the pollution on the surface falls down, and when the wind blows, it carries away the accumulated pollution." He added that the department has been prioritizing public awareness to reduce pollution and giving suggestions along with instructions to those causing pollution. Suvedi also emphasized the need for coordination between the Department of Environment and other concerned bodies, as per RSS.