KATHMANDU, April 9: Kathmandu, the federal capital, remains at the top of the list of the most polluted cities in the world. Measurements taken at 6:45 AM on Wednesday placed Kathmandu first in the IQAir list.
Although pollution decreased slightly compared to Tuesday, it remains high. At 7 AM on Tuesday, Kathmandu's AQI was 262. Today, it has dropped to 184, but this level is still harmful to health. An AQI of up to 50 is considered safe.
Kathmandu tops the list of polluted cities in the world
The concentration of PM 2.5 in the air is 20.4 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended standard. As air pollution rises, the number of sick people in Kathmandu has also increased. Experts advise against exercising outdoors, recommend wearing masks, and suggest keeping windows closed.
Western winds and local winds are currently affecting the country, along with humid air from the Bay of Bengal. At present, light to moderate rainfall with thunder and lightning is occurring in one or two places in the hilly areas of Koshi Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, and Lumbini Province. This rainfall is expected to reduce the widespread fog across the country to some extent.
After Kathmandu, New Delhi in India ranks second, and Wuhan in China ranks third. The top 10 cities are Kampala in Uganda, Jakarta in Indonesia, Baghdad in Iraq, Hanoi in Vietnam, Chengdu in China, Lahore in Pakistan, and Shanghai in China.
