31/03/2021
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), as a result of wildfires raging throughout the region, the Valley's air quality has deteriorated dramatically. According to the MFD, wildfires have been registered in at least 54 districts including Chitwan, Parsa, Bara and Makwanpur. The AQI in Kathmandu crossed a hazardous level of 300 a few days earlier, and it is still alarmingly high.
The air in Kathmandu was already polluted. The lack of winter rainfall, wildfires in the Terai belt, and no wind even during this season have all led to the worst air quality. In response to increasing air pollution levels, the government has agreed to close schools across the country for four days.
According to Sanjay Sharma, a secretary at the Ministry of Education, because of the harmful impact rising air pollution can have on students' health, the government decided to close schools.
