Wildfires increasing atmospheric pollution across country

Kathmandu, April16 : Air pollution has swelled throughout the country due to the wildfires taking place at various places since some days. The Department of Environment said atmospheric pollution has increased across the country including in the Kathmandu Valley due to the bush fires, leading to unhealthy air in Nepal since some days. According to the Department, the air pollution measurement stations in the Kathmandu Valley have indicated the polluted air even at present. It is said Kathmandu is in the second position among the world’s polluted cities. Kathmandu’s air quality index (AQI) measured at 9.30 am today showed that the federal capital is in the second place among the world’s polluted cities in terms of AQI. People with health vulnerabilities are at risk when the AQI is more than 50 and it is hazardous to all people when it is more than 100. Kathmandu’s AQI is 192 at present. Chiang Mai city in Thailand is said to be in the first position in the list of pollution index. Its AQI is 222. Similarly, India’s Delhi is in the third place, Dhaka of Bangladesh in the fourth place Kolkata of India in the fifth place in terms of the highest AQI.