Air Quality Crisis Warrants Urgent Action

Recently, Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, consistently topped the charts for the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) for about a week, sparking concern, especially among its residents, and also across the nation. The city slipped into the spotlight as a symbol of disgrace in the news. Its bowl-like geography, once a defining feature of its charm, came to hold the filth spewed from exhaust pipes and industrial chimneys. The hills that had once echoed with birdsong now loomed like walls, closing in, trapping the poison in the air. The mountains that once stood magnificently on the horizon had seemingly ceased to exist—not only to the eyes but even to the mind.