MUSTANG: The Department of Environment, Government of Nepal, has established an air quality measurement center in Mustang.
The center is located at Shaligram Udhyan Park near the District Administration Office in Jomsom.
Director General Gyanraj Subedi said the government installed the necessary infrastructure and technology to set up the 31st air quality measurement center in the country.
The center aims to maintain environmental cleanliness, control pollution within acceptable limits, support sustainable development, and protect human health.
Subedi added that the department has established five such centers worldwide at altitudes above 3,000 meters, with two of them in Nepal — one at Rara in Mugu and now this one in Jomsom, Mustang.
“Previously, we had set up air quality centers in 30 districts across Nepal. Over Rs. 10 million was invested to install this technology in Mustang,” he said.
The center operates on 2,000 kilowatts of solar power and has access to electricity and internet services. Puff panel houses have been constructed to house the equipment, which will help formulate future strategies for improving air quality and environmental cleanliness.
Director General Subedi also shared that during the test run of the equipment, the air quality score was just three.
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air quality is considered good up to an average of 50 points, and we consider up to 40 points good. A score of three here indicates excellent air quality — almost zero pollution,” he said.
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