KATHMANDU: Air quality in the Kathmandu Valley has significantly improved due to rainfall and strong winds.

According to the latest Air Quality Index (AQI) data, the valley’s AQI dropped to 47 by 11:00 AM today, which falls under the “good” or healthy category.

A few weeks ago, Kathmandu had ranked as the most polluted city in the world. It has now improved and stands at 66th position globally.

As per AQI standards, values between 0–50 are considered “good,” 51–100 “moderate,” 101–150 “unhealthy,” 151–200 “unhealthy for all,” 201–300 “very unhealthy,” and above 300 “hazardous.”

On April 23, the valley’s AQI had reached 247, which falls under the “very unhealthy” category, posing serious health risks to the public. At that time, experts had warned that such high pollution levels could increase respiratory problems.

According to Director General of the Department of Environment, Gyanraj Subedi, prolonged dry weather leads to the accumulation of dust, smoke, and emissions from forest fires in the atmosphere.

He said that during the dry season, forest fires increase and the resulting smoke gets trapped in the valley, raising pollution levels. He also noted that polluted air from neighboring India can also affect Kathmandu’s air quality.

Subedi added that rainfall helps wash away dust and smoke particles while improving air circulation, which leads to better air quality.

He stressed the need for long-term, sustainable, and environmentally friendly development measures to control pollution effectively.

While the recent improvement has brought some relief to valley residents, experts say permanent measures are still needed to address air pollution in a lasting way.