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Approximately 42, 000 people die annually in Nepal due to air pollution, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. 

Ministry spokesperson Dr Prakash Budhathoki said that children under five years old comprise 21 percent of those deaths.

He stated that air pollution causes respiratory problems such as asthma, as well as heart disease and heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and memory weakness.

Experts have pointed out that due to pollution, children may experience respiratory problems, an increased likelihood of heart disease, higher rates of infant illness, risk of childhood cancer, delayed brain development and abnormal behaviour, as well as malnutrition.

Similarly, problems such as the birth of low-weight babies, anaemia, infertility, gestational diabetes, and mental health issues are seen due to high exposure to air pollution.

Dr Budhathoki, the spokesperson of the ministry, said that air pollution in Nepal is eight times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) standard. He stated that the air quality index in Nepal reached up to 185 on Thursday.

According to the WHO standards, the annual average amount of particulate matter considered harmful to health should not exceed five micrograms per cubic metre. 

Dr Budhathoki stated that if the fine particles are less than that, they can remain suspended in the air and reach the lungs during the breathing process.

He added that the pollution in Nepal is higher than the WHO standards.

Air quality index (AQI) from 0 to 50 is considered as healthy, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 150 as harmful for risk groups (elderly, people with chronic diseases and children). 

An air quality index above 151 is considered unhealthy. If it can be brought down to within WHO standards, it is estimated that the life expectancy of Nepalese will increase by 3.3 years every year.

Air pollution causes 7.9 million deaths across the world annually, and 90 percent of these occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Air pollution occurs due to vehicular emissions, industrial emissions, smoke from open burning of waste and organic matter, dust from roads and construction work, forest fires, and the use of pesticides and insecticides.

Air pollution that blanketed major cities including Kathmandu Valley for the past few days has started reducing gradually.

The air quality index had reached 178 till Thursday afternoon and it has decreased to 149 this afternoon.  Kathmandu was recorded as the second most polluted city in the world till Thursday afternoon. Now, it is ranked in 12th place this afternoon. 

Director General of the Department of Environment, Gyan Raj Subedi, said air pollution has reduced today due to rainfall that occurred on Thursday. 

"We have suggested to the bodies concerned to effectively implement the measures of sustainable and environment-friendly development," he mentioned.

Environment expert Bhushan Tuladhar suggested the need for timely preparedness, management of leaf litter, forest fire control and strict implementation of vehicle emission tests and standards.  

Similarly, Meteorologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Sanjeev Adhikari, said the weather has improved from Thursday and rainfall occurred on Thursday also helped to reduce air pollution.  

Adhikari added that Weather and Hydrological Measuring Office located at Narayani Basin Field Office, Chitwan, of Bagmati Province recorded the highest 126.2 millimeter rainfall in last 24 hours, 102.2 millimeter rain at Lamjung Gharedhunga Centre of Gandaki Province and 90 millimeter rain at Barpak Centre of Gorkha. 

Likewise, 98.4 millimeter rain was recorded at Katari of Udayapur and 96.4 millimeter rain at Chandragadhi Airport Centre of Jhapa. 

An AQI value between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 as moderate, 101 and 150 as unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 and 200 as unhealthy, 201 and 300 as very unhealthy and above 300 as hazardous.

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Nepal has signed agreements with four organizations to implement development initiatives under its Small Grant Development Project 2026, with total funding of EUR 86,330 aimed at supporting marginalized communities across Nepal..

Anurodh Nepal in Lahan Municipality will implement one of the projects, “Empowering Marginalized Women through Eco-Craft Skills and Cooperative Enterprise.”

The initiative seeks to empower marginalized Madhesi and Dalit women by providing training in bamboo and banana-fiber eco-craft production, entrepreneurship, and cooperative management, reads a statement issued by the Embassy of Germany in Kathmandu. 

The initiative will also promote women’s economic independence, reduce gender-based violence through awareness, and foster a sustainable, women-led cooperative for long-term livelihood generation. 

The embassy will contribute up to EUR 13,860 to the project.

In Pokhara Metropolitan City, the Nucleus for Empowerment through Skill Transfer (NEST) Pokhara will implement a program aimed at economically empowering women who serve as caretakers for persons with disabilities, mental illness, and other vulnerable family members in marginalized settlements of Wards 2 and 8. 

The project will establish cooperative-managed livelihood enterprises and provide skills training along with small-scale production equipment such as sewing machines and beekeeping kits. 

The embassy is supporting the initiative with up to EUR 24,300.

The project GreenRide to Prosperity by Lakshyadeep will focus on improving the livelihoods of marginalized households in Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City, Ward No. 15 (Padariya Tole), mostly from the Tharu, Risidev, Bishwakarma, Shah and other communities who struggle to meet basic needs. The project will train selected individuals in e-rickshaw driving, support them in obtaining driving licenses, and provide e-rickshaws to economically vulnerable families The German Embassy supports the project with up to EUR 24,270, according to the statement. 

Meanwhile, The Lutheran World Federation Nepal will implement a project to support newly arrived refugees by improving water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities while strengthening health services, psychosocial well-being, and livelihood resilience. The embassy is providing up to EUR 23,900 for this initiative.

“Germany and Nepal enjoy a strong partnership with many facets,” stated Ambassador Udo Eugen Volz. “These new small-scale grants are designed to complement our larger government-to-government collaborations by investing in smaller projects that are rooted in local communities and built for long-term impact. They specifically target support for marginalized groups across Nepal.”

The United States has temporarily waived sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea as Trump administration officials attempt to reverse a surge in prices that is causing mounting apprehension about global supplies, The Guardian reported. 

Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, announced a “temporary authorization” late on Thursday, allowing countries to buy the stranded Russian oil for 30 days. Trump is “working to keep prices low”, he said, after average US fuel prices rose by 65 cents per gallon in a month.

“This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction,” Bessent claimed, according to The Guardian.