KATHMANDU, Jan 6: Blame the extreme cold if you like - Kathmandu’s air pollution, which was already bad, has gotten even worse.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) the air pollution level in the Kathmandu Valley today is 181 AQI, up from 143 AQI on Sunday.
The AQI on Sunday fluctuated between moderate and unhealthy levels. The highest recorded AQI was 143 at 9:14 PM, indicating unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups, while the lowest was 82 at 7:14 AM, considered moderate.
The AQI is a numerical scale used to measure and report air quality. It indicates how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects for people in a specific area. The AQI is calculated based on the concentrations of key air pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5).
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The AQI is typically divided into categories, each with a specific color code and a description of the air quality’s impact on health. While 0–50 indicates that air quality is satisfactory and there’s little or no risk to health, AQI between 51–100 shows that air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants may pose a health concern for sensitive groups.
The AQI between 101 and 150 suggests that members of sensitive groups, like children, the elderly, or people with respiratory conditions, may experience health effects. While 151–200 AQI indicates that everyone may start to experience health effects, with sensitive groups being more seriously affected, the AQI between 201 and 300 suggests that everyone may experience more serious health effects. The AQI 301 and above suggests an emergency health warning as the entire population is likely to be affected.
Environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar explains that cold weather increases the likelihood of air pollution compared to summer. He says, "In cold weather, the air stays close to the ground for a longer period, which increases the chance of pollution. As the sun heats up the temperature during the day, pollution spreads in the air." He also points out that the practice of burning garbage, tires, and wood in cold weather contributes to the rise in pollution.
The AQI ranks the Kathmandu Valley as the fifth most polluted city in the world today. Lahore, Pakistan, holds the top spot with an AQI of 341.
Kolkata, India, ranks second with an AQI of 248, while Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, ranks third with an AQI of 238. New Delhi, India, holds the fourth spot with an AQI of 227.
Disaster management expert Dr Dharmaraj Upreti explains that an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good and is marked with a green signal. An AQI between 51 and 100 signals the need for caution. An AQI between 101 and 150 can cause respiratory problems and poses a risk for heart patients. He adds that an AQI between 151 and 200 is categorized as unhealthy, while air pollution above that level is considered extremely unhealthy.
The Air Quality Management Action Plan, 2076 BS for the Kathmandu Valley states that the Nepal government considers an AQI level exceeding 300 a disaster. To prevent this disaster, the action plan includes measures such as banning waste burning, increasing the use of brooms and vacuum cleaners for road cleaning, and issuing public notices advising special precautions for children, elderly citizens, and patients.
The National Environment Policy, 2076 BS, outlines the government's strategy to prepare and implement national standards for preventing pollution in water, air, soil, noise, electromagnetic waves, radioactive radiation, and hazardous chemicals.
The strategy mentions establishing and operating quality measurement centers in major cities and areas at risk of pollution, including industrial establishments, to map air, water, and noise quality.
