Wind brings some relief as Kathmandu Valley’s air pollution goes from worst to bad

April 4, Kathmandu: Kathmandu Valley has seen a drop in air pollution levels as wind speeds increased on Friday, offering residents a much-needed respite.

The valley, which had been ranked as the world’s most-polluted city just a day earlier with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 348 on Thursday afternoon, slipped to seventh place by Friday. Data showed that the AQI had fallen to 147, a level considered unhealthy only for vulnerable groups, down from the hazardous category above 301.

According to Nepal’s air quality standards, an AQI of 0-50 is deemed good, while anything over 201 is classified as very unhealthy. Officials from the Department of Environment noted that the improvement stemmed from stronger winds dispersing pollutants. They emphasized that efforts had been ramped up to boost public awareness about reducing pollution and stressed the need for better coordination with other agencies to sustain this progress.