Kathmandu ranks world’s second most polluted as AQI hits ‘very unhealthy’ 247

KATHMANDU: The air quality in Kathmandu has deteriorated sharply in the last 24 hours, with the city ranking as the second most polluted in the world, according to data released by IQAir.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Kathmandu was recorded at 247, placing it just behind Lahore, Pakistan, which topped the global list with an AQI of 381. An AQI level above 200 is considered very unhealthy and poses serious health risks to the general population.

Nepali capital Kathmandu, with an area of 413.69-kilometer square in the recent decade, has become a hotspot of air pollution. It has a population density of 12, 440 square miles with a population of 1,988,606 as per the 2022 census data.

Smoke from industries, houses, vehicular emissions and haphazard burning of wastes has been contributing to the increased pollution. Plies of vehicles which has failed the emission tests are further fueling the pollutants contributing to the industrial smokes. (ANI)

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