"precaution"

#13439097

13 March 2026

Swayambhunath temple appears faintly in the distance as thick smog blankets the Kathmandu Valley in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 13, 2026. The capital experiences severe air pollution, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 200 and 250, placing it in the ''very unhealthy'' category and ranking Kathmandu among the world's most polluted cities, according to the air quality monitoring platform IQAir's AirVisual. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the most dangerous airborne pollutant because it can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter--more than 25 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3--while PM10 levels stand at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved AQI scale, readings above 200 indicate very unhealthy conditions. The Ministry of Health and Population urges residents to take precautions, warning that prolonged exposure to polluted air can damage the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and may contribute to illnesses including asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other respiratory infections. Research shows that sustained exposure to high levels of particulate pollution significantly increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, particularly among children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health conditions.

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#13435199

12 March 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435204

12 March 2026

A thick layer of polluted haze covers Kathmandu Valley as seen from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, records at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435206

12 March 2026

People overlook the polluted haze covering Kathmandu Valley from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as the Air Quality Index of the bowl-shaped valley continues to dip. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435207

12 March 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435200

12 March 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435201

12 March 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as a polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435202

12 March 2026

People overlook the polluted haze covering Kathmandu Valley from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as the Air Quality Index of the bowl-shaped valley continues to dip. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435203

12 March 2026

A thick layer of polluted haze covers Kathmandu Valley as seen from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, records at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435205

12 March 2026

A thick layer of polluted haze covers Kathmandu Valley as seen from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13408715

6 March 2026

Shiite Muslims walk over a combined U.S.-Israeli flag bearing the message ''Down with America, Down with Israel'' placed on a street during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 6, 2026. Authorities impose severe precautionary restrictions for the fifth consecutive day in parts of Kashmir to stop protesters following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Schools and colleges remain closed until March 7, and internet services continue to be restricted with speeds throttled to 2G. The United States and Israel start striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf.

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#13408716

6 March 2026

A Shiite Muslim weeps next to a picture of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 6, 2026. Authorities impose severe precautionary restrictions for the fifth consecutive day in parts of Kashmir to stop protesters following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Schools and colleges remain closed until March 7, and internet services continue to be restricted with speeds throttled to 2G. The United States and Israel start striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf.

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#13408717

6 March 2026

A Shiite Muslim man holds a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as they shout anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 6, 2026. Authorities impose severe precautionary restrictions for the fifth consecutive day in parts of Kashmir to stop protesters following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Schools and colleges remain closed until March 7, and internet services continue to be restricted with speeds throttled to 2G. The United States and Israel start striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf.

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#13408718

6 March 2026

Shiite Muslims mourn the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as they protest after Khamenei is killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes, in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 6, 2026. Authorities impose severe precautionary restrictions for the fifth consecutive day in parts of Kashmir to stop protesters following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Schools and colleges remain closed until March 7, and internet services continue to be restricted with speeds throttled to 2G. The United States and Israel start striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf.

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#13408719

6 March 2026

Shiite Muslims shout anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 6, 2026. Authorities impose severe precautionary restrictions for the fifth consecutive day in parts of Kashmir to stop protesters following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Schools and colleges remain closed until March 7, and internet services continue to be restricted with speeds throttled to 2G. The United States and Israel start striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf.

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#13408720

6 March 2026

Shiite Muslims shout anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 6, 2026. Authorities impose severe precautionary restrictions for the fifth consecutive day in parts of Kashmir to stop protesters following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader in joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Schools and colleges remain closed until March 7, and internet services continue to be restricted with speeds throttled to 2G. The United States and Israel start striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf.

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