Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The decrease in vehicular movement in the Kathmandu Valley has led to a significant drop in air pollution.

Today is a public holiday on the occasion of Gyalpo Lhosar. The air quality index (AQI) in the Kathmandu Valley had reached 191 at 13.00 pm on Tuesday and it has come down to 114 today. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), Kathmandu was the third most polluted city in the world on Tuesday. Today, Kathmandu has slipped to the 14th position. Pakistan’s Lahore is ranked first with an AQI of 193 while Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is second with an AQI of 192.

According to environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar, the transport sector plays an important role in increasing air pollution. “Vehicular fumes directly contribute to pollution. The brick kilns have come into operation since January 1 and the smoke and dust emitted from them is another cause of pollution,” he said.

According to him, the trend of burning garbage and the onset of fire season also pose a risk of increasing pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure timely preparedness, management of falls, control of fire, and strict enforcement of the standards as per the smoke test of vehicles.

Superintendent of Police, Naresh Raj Subedi, said the traffic congestion decreases by around 10 percent on public holidays. “It is true that public transport increases pollution. Gradually, the number of electric buses (EVs) is increasing, which is expected to have a positive impact”, he added.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, while an AQI between 51 and 100 is considered “cautionary”. Between 101 and 150 falls under the “unhealthy” category, which can especially affect respiratory and heart patients. Between 151 and 200 are considered “unhealthy”, 201 and 300 “very unhealthy”, and above 300 “extremely dangerous”.

According to the Air Quality Management Action Plan of the Kathmandu Valley, 2076, the government has termed the AQI above 300 as a disaster. In such a situation, there is a provision to stop the burning of garbage, increase the use of broomers and vacuums for street cleaning, and issue public notices to children, senior citizens and the sick to take special precautions.

The National Environment Policy, 2076 BS has prepared and implemented national standards related to water, air, soil, sound and other hazardous pollution levels for the reduction of air pollution. It has also stated that regular monitoring of air, water and sound quality would be carried out by establishing quality monitoring stations in major cities, industrial areas and pollution-prone areas.