KATHMANDU - The altitude of the Kathmandu valley has elevated by 80 centimeters following the April 25 massive earthquake, government authorities said on Thursday.

"The altitude of the valley increased by 80 centimeters as the Indian tectonic plate moved further to the Tibetan plate during the quake," said Madhu Sudan Adhikari, director general of the Department of Survey.

The Kathmandu valley is now situated at an altitude higher than what was 1,338 meters above the sea level before the quake.

According to a Global Positioning System (GPS) survey carried out by the Department of Survey, the altitude of the valley has risen slightly.

The 24-hour GPS survey was conducted from five control stations on hills surrounding the valley four days after the quake.