Apr 03, Kathmandu- The government has urged people to stay at home as much as possible due to the high level of air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement on Thursday urging people to stay at home as much as possible.

The Authority has requested to encourage office work to be done from home if it is possible to manage it from home, to reduce the use of vehicles, to pay attention to the cleanliness of houses, roads and public places.

The Authority has also urged that construction work that emits excessive dust and smoke be temporarily suspended and regulated in an environmentally friendly manner.

"The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) sincerely requests everyone to properly manage waste and avoid burning waste, prevent forest fires and carefully control them, take special care of children, the elderly and those with sensitive health problems, and use safe masks when going out during periods of increased pollution", the statement said.

As it is expected that air pollution will not improve for another week, the authority has also appealed to the relevant responsible bodies to take necessary steps to improve the air pollution situation and protect vulnerable groups from possible impacts.

The statement mentioned that due to the increasing number of forest fires and fires due to the increasing summer season, dust particles released during construction work including road construction, vehicle pollution, garbage and garbage burning, the geographical location of the Kathmandu Valley, reduced winter rainfall and the absence of the monsoon, air pollution in major cities of the country including the Kathmandu Valley has approached the danger level in the past few days.

Similarly, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached a very unhealthy level, the risk of respiratory problems, asthma and lung infections has increased in people. Physical and mental health problems including dry cough, itchy throat, burning eyes, dry skin, allergies and irritation, headaches, fatigue and other health problems are increasing.