Air, the ever present invisible entity that surrounds everything around us holds an utmost importance to our sustenance. It is unimaginable to imagine the existence of the ecosystem without it. Yet, it is becoming increasingly hazardous in Kathmandu, with the amount of harmful elements it now embodies in itself.

Kathmandu’s air quality index (AQI), which is an indicator that tells how clean or polluted the air in the city is, alternates between unhealthy for sensitive groups (people with respiratory ailments) and unhealthy for all people. The amount of air pollutants present in the valley’s air is often multiple times higher than what the World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes as healthy. This endangers the health of valley residents immensely.

“Air pollution is one of the major problems of Kathmandu; it is now among the most polluted cities in South Asia. As a result, health problems related to respiration are increasing at an exponential level,” says Pulmonologist Niraj Bam of the Institute of Medicine, Teaching Hospital.