Kathmandu has dangerous levels of air and water pollution, making certain regions of the city nearly unlivable. Iturges the polluters to pay for thedamage done to the natural environment. Many scientists and environmental specialists all over the world have studied the harmful effect of plastic in detail and all of them are of the same view regarding the degree of harm they represent. Electrified public transport would have been a good place to start, but 6 months after Prime Minister KP Oli launched an electric mobility action plan to turn at least 20% of public vehicles into battery-operated ones by 2020, progress has been slow. Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. The visibility in Kathmandu valley has degraded to a significant level. This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby. Q : Which country has the highest number of time zones. Reuters. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in tents, breathing air thick with pollutants unleashed from tombs of rubble, fearful that a new disaster could strike at any moment. Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. New Delhis AQI levels, which have been consistently high all winter because of crop residue burning as well as vehicular and industrial pollution, got a respite on Monday because of rainfall. Located between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters, the Himalayan nation is seeing the worst pollution levels since 2016. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 I would be very thankful to you if you publish my article on your esteemed daily.Hope the government will take immediate action on this matter. Scavengers help keep world clean, but left to plead for CO Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Murdaugh son collapsed outside court after sitting stone-faced through dad's 6-week murder trial: source, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims, Kelly Osbourne posts first photo of baby son as he hangs out with uncle Jack, Greys Anatomy alum Isaiah Washington retiring from acting: The haters have won, Max Scherzer's first look at the new pitch clock, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. "I don't remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past," Khadka told Reuters. The major effect of air pollution can be mainly observed in the cities such as Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Nepalgunj, and Lumbini. , : Which country has the most number of lakes. Introduction. Most make various performance claims based on lab tests but factors like the masks fit play important roles. The governments standard level is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. The Biden Administration will make $250 million in grants available to develop strategies to cut climate pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday. And with reports of Indias north and its capital New Delhi struggling with extreme air pollution, Sunil wonders how much worse the air will get this winter. Kathmandu: Nepal has ordered schools to close for four days after air pollution climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country. Kathmandus AQI has remained at the Maroon Hazardous level for two days in a row. But poor air quality from as far as New Delhi cannot penetrate deep into Nepal.. With a staggering 42 percent of the population living below the poverty line and only 27 percent with improved access to sanitation, there are quite a number of issues facing Nepal. There is now growing fear that the toxic air of India, which had 22 of the worlds most polluted cities in 2018, will reach Nepal and cause a similar health panic, especially as the country itself has been struggling to check its air pollution levels. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel in the valley. It may bring various adverse impact to the environment. On Monday night, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Kathmandu crossed 500, according to measurements at theUS Embassy measuring stationat Phora Darbar. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh recently concluded that surgical masks blocked 80% of particles sized 0.007 microns. Getting prepared now will make that transition smoother. World news on global warming, climate change, wildlife, pollution, carbon business and climate politics. Benchmarks . Barun Poudel, a senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division, says that the chances of pollution travelling as far north as Kathmandu from Indian cities are slim, but that Nepali cities bordering India have already seen some impacts. The latest edition of Resurgence & Ecologist is out now, and available to buy. Double whammy: air pollution and Covid-19, Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA n the past eight months of this, ir quality across Nepal has been deteriorating over the years., The first step in reducing air pollution is to let. "Trans-boundary pollution can affect our air quality too as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, connected to Nepal, are also polluted. This also adds to the risk of COVID-19, said Sher Bahadur Pun, a doctor at a tropical and infectious disease hospital in the capital. Thanks for contacting us. Site By: Hiti Design, On Monday night, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Kathmandu crossed 500, according to measurements at the. Similarly, a University of Massachusetts study found that the good old surgical mask blocked 60% of 0.03 micron particles, and over 90% of 1 micron and 2.5 micron particles. Department of Environment on January 5 had released a statement mentioning about the change in weather condition in the country and increasing level of pollution in Kathmandu valley. A new disease caused solely by plastics has been discovered in seabirds. Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. The environment has been in a better condition. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has also colour coded various AQI levels at Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple, and Maroon. The Geyh-Bouwer Trainee Practice Award recognizes students whose application of science demonstrates the betterment of the environment and/or public health. This is what we learned. A road-widening spree, earthquake destruction and delays in fixing streets . Similarly, one-fifth of the total diesel is used in Kathmandu. The high mountains around the Kathmandu valley allows air pollution to accumulate in the city. It remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. Your email address will not be published. That compares with the governments standard level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser, News article on environment pollutation in nepal to be published in newspaper, Describe a situation where you made a wrong decision and also explain how did you handle the situation?, Which one is the tallest tower in the world. Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45% . The World Health Organization (WHO) reports fine particulate matter of up to 140 g m-3 - which is around ten times higher than the WHO limit. As AQ AirVisual data shows, PM2.5 levels in Kathmandu saw a continuous rise last yearfrom 65.6 g/m3 in November, followed by 91.9 g/m3 in December, 92.5g/m3 in January and peaking at 96.3 g/m3 in February. In addition, residential and commercial-scale solar electricity expenses have dropped from $0.52 to $0.16 and $0.40 to $0.11 per kilowatt-hour, respectively. Moreover, Kathmandu is ranked as one of the most polluted cities in Asia: according to the airvisual.com, Kathmandu is the seventh most polluted city. "Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. There are cloth masks and surgical ones, some are disposable but many use replaceable filters. But public health specialists discount their efficacy and stress that the best solution is to reduce air pollution at sources. Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. The government has declared a public health emergency, asking schools to shut down and residents to avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening. Nepali lawmakers tend to shun study and researchwith rare exceptions, Healthy youth presence perks up Lumbini Provincial Assembly. . D espite public awareness and relentless media coverage, Kathmandu's air quality has worsened in the past two years. Copper multifaceted interferences during swine wastewater treatment in high rate algal ponds: Alterations on nutrient removal, biomass composition and resource recovery. In 2017, solar electricity costs dropped from $0.28 to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour for utility-scale photovoltaic solar power. I know..mom's got a lock on literally everythin so y we gotta wait..! Quantifying the socio-economic impact of air pollution on a country will be vital in raising awareness among the public as well as policy makers and leaders, but as we have seen in Nepal it does not immediately lead to policy change. But it shall be helpful only if it is implemented. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Human error eyed as cause of Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people, 2 Americans, 2 permanent US residents among 72 dead in Nepal plane crash, Father of flight attendant urged her not to work before Nepal crash left 70 dead, Nepal to send data recorder from crash to France. We should work for the betterment of the environment because the nature has provided a lot to us and we shouldnt be disgraceful towards it. But air pollution issues are continue to increase. Nepal isn't short of water, thanks to the monsoon rains and the rivers that bring meltwater down from the Himalayan glaciers and snowpack. Air pollution is even more dangerous than previously thought, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned . Environmental pollution is one of the greatest threats of the world today. Hemraj Bhattarai is agraduate student from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, and is currently working on air pollution issuesat Kathmandu Center for Research and Education, Nepal. Photo Courtesy: Department of Environment/Air Quality Montoring, A screenshot showing Air Quality Index (AQI) for various cities as measured at 9 am on Thursday, March 25, 2021. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel inthe valley. Required fields are marked *. There has also been a 25% increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained: Many businesses have gone down due to high amount of road dust. Air pollution is a chronic problem in the rapidly growing capital city of Kathmandu and an additional headache for the government that is struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic. 21 October 2021 Climate and Environment. of tens of millions of people by 3.7 years. At this level of air quality, it is better that active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Air pollution is a chronic problem in the rapidly growing capital city of Kathmandu and an additional headache for the government, which is struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Modern day Nepal is one of the most polluted and impoverished places in the world. Smog has blanketed huge swaths of Nepal as air pollution in the Himalayan country soared to hazardous levels. This trend is increasing rapidly and it is estimated that urban population will reach 60 million by 2040 [ 32 ]. There will be very less production of crops and the economy of the whole country can go downhill by this negative decision made by the government. This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. The rapid use of fossil fuels, increase in deforestation, unstable use of natural resources, overuse of pesticides and other chemicals, sewage and wastewater, nuclear waste, industrialization, urbanization, use of plastics and a lot more factors contribute to environmental pollution. The funds are the first . News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. The Department of Environments own measuring station in parts of Kathmandu showed the AQI staying above 400 all day on Monday. AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. The COP27 sponsor's products were the most commonly found items by volunteers researching plastic pollution. New Delhis AQI levels, which have been consistently high all winter because of crop residue burning as well as vehicular and industrial pollution, got a respite on Monday because of rainfall. Air pollution shortens lives more than any other external cause. Rapid and haphazard urbanisation in the last few decades has resulted in the degradation of the environment, predominantly in terms of air pollution. Since PM2.5 are so small, they are also likely to hang in the air for longer, increasing the chances that they will be inhaled. This means Kathmandus pollution has been 15 times higher than the WHO standard. An article by three Brazilian researchers published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research aims to contribute to progress in this field by proposing a novel perspective on particle . Other global AQI measurement sites like. The first step in controlling air pollution is with electric public transport because vehicular emissions make up the majority of pollutants in Kathmandus air, says environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar. However, the vast portion of pollution is generated locally. Because Nepals national government and municipalities have done little to reduce risk, citizens have adopted their own methods of personal protection: wearing masks, installing air purifiers at home and office, cancelling morning walks, and monitoring air pollution levels on apps before allowing children to play outside. Poor air quality in Kathmandu and inside rural homes due to smoky kitchen fires kill far more people across South Asia than SARS-CoV-2. 30 Mar 2021. Students participate in activities such as program evaluation and monitoring, public health surveillance, program development, risk assessments and analysis, development of policy briefs . WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. , Change the direct speech to indirect speech; She said, "I am going to London today". Butair pollution issues are continue to increase. We know what we're looking at when brown haze settles over a city, exhaust billows across a busy highway, or a plume rises from a smokestack. In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Nepal 177th out of 180 countries. Says Pallavi Pant, air quality scientist at the Health Effects Institute: Exposures to air pollution have been shown to affect the human bodys immune defence, making an individual more susceptible to respiratory infections such as pneumonia., Editor Online: Sahina Shrestha | Executive Editor: Sonia Awale Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. Rivers, ponds and lakes should not be polluted because it affects animals and plants lives too. As people fear another wave of Covid-19 a year after the government first imposed restrictions in the country, another health concern related to respiratory illnesses caused by toxins in the environment has come to the fore. This level is considered hazardous, and can lead to serious aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly, [along with] serious risk of respiratory effects in general population, according to the United States Environment Protection Agency. Submissions says that 100% of the population in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline. Trans-boundary pollution can affect our air quality too as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, connected to Nepal, are also polluted. Arjun Khadka, 65, who owns a grocery store in Kathmandu, said he experienced itching and burning sensations in the eyes and nose which could be due to pollution. Kathmandu valley requireshalf of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. Air pollution has been a major problem of 21st century for both developed and developing world. However, two years later, the action plan has neither been finalised nor enforced. But the Narayani's problems go back further. The Art of Dealing with Breaking Up: Get over those blues and Take Break-Ups Lightly. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which . The government has also decided to sell the natural minerals like sand, rocks, mud etc to India. When a vehicle passes by, dust is released into the air and pollutes the clothes that are kept for selling and the customers do not like the polluted ones. Over the weekend, pollution levels hit their highest in the capital since the government began keeping records in 2016, government official Shankar Paudel told Reuters news agency. Rapid and haphazard urbanisation in the last few decades has resulted in the degradation of the environment, predominantly in terms of air pollution. The World Health Organisation ('WHO') has reported that PM2.5 levels of particulate matter in urban areas of Nepal . Coca-Cola is named world's worst plastic polluter for a fifth year. World news on global warming, climate change, wildlife, pollution, carbon business and climate politics. The haze has become a part of our environment, impeding our view and lowering our visibility. Basudev Paudel is in his late fifties and at his age, he believes that regular morning walks are important for keeping healthy. Collective action from many sectors is needed to assure that everyone can breathe clean air.. One of the cheapest energy sources. AQI is a composite measurement of the concentration of particulate matter below 10 and 2.5 microns, carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen dioxide and ground ozone. . The birds identified as having the disease, named . Mass media have been a critical avenue to reach, communicate, and influence people on the alarming intensity and frequency of environmental problems [1, 2, 3].The world is facing a multitude of environmental problems, ranging from biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, spread of the vector-borne diseases and climate change at varying spatial and temporal scales [4]. Editor Online: Sahina Shrestha | Executive Editor: Sonia Awale Air pollution is slashing years from billions of people's lives around the world and is a greater threat to life expectancy than smoking, HIV/AIDS or war, a report published Wednesday shows.. The website is owned and published by The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity. Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. We can develop our own action plan to combat air pollution and also introduce other measures like enforcing green stickers for vehicles, among many others.. In Nepal and Kathmandu the annual premature death due to air pollution hit 37,399 and 9943 respectively, according to a Republica news report published on 23 November 2019. Microplastics are man-made pollutants which have been detected in surface water and groundwater. Majorities express "a great deal" of worry about the pollution of both drinking water (56%) and rivers, lakes and reservoirs (53%). With neighbouring India and China committed to manufacturing only electric automobiles by 2030, Nepal will be forced to go electric. The Department of Environments own measuring station in parts of Kathmandu showed the AQI staying above 400 all day on Monday. Find out more. Measurement of air quality through the Air Quality Index (AQI) in city areas of the centralised valley, along with few areas of the Tarai region, shows that air pollution has become rampant. In countries such as China, India and Nepal, air quality may have slightly improved in recent years, but the health risks due to PM2.5 haven't changed much, he said. Also, news . To The Editor The . In Nepal, 35,000 people die annually due to illnesses caused by polluted air. The garbage should be properly disposed and managed. The leaves of plants are covered in dust particles which limits the photosynthesis rate and affects the plants growth and natural beauty. The rapid use of fossil fuels, increase in deforestation, unstable use of natural resources, overuse of pesticides and other chemicals, sewage and wastewater, nuclear waste, industrialization, urbanization, use of plastics and a lot more factors contribute to environmental pollution. Motorcycles and passenger vehicles such as jeeps, cars and vans accounted for 92 percent of total registered vehicles in Bagmati by the end of 2014-15. The US Environmental Protection Agency gave the all clear for residents to return home shortly after the February 3 derailment and controlled burn that followed. EIAs must be submitted to Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) for approval, whereas IEEs can be approved by other relevant ministries. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Department of Environment on January 5 had released a statement mentioning about the change in weather condition in the country and increasing level of pollution in Kathmandu valley. Recently the government has decided that the plastics that are less than 40 microns will be banned from use from the month of Shrawan 2078. The 24-hour average level of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can reach deep into the lungs, was 214 micrograms per cubic metre in the upscale area of Bhaisepati in Kathmandu on Sunday, Department of Environment data showed. The PM 10 concentration in major cities such as Kathmandu is . People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to update its water pollution rules for slaughterhouses for the first time in nearly 20 years, the agency . The CPV power plant operates in Woodbridge N.J. on Feb. 27, 2023. Sunil Paudel, Basudevs son, stopped going on morning walks last year after learning that Kathmandus air quality was reaching unsafe levels. Because indoor air pollution levels are also high, ideally you would have to wear a mask 24 hours a day, says Pangeni. Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service, : Nepal has ordered schools to close for four days after. Besides the quantity of fuel consumption, the poor road conditionof older vehicles istriggeringair quality problems in the valley. However, the record-breaking pollution this winter will add to the risk of the coronavirus. As we see the readings from air quality metres located in various stations of the country, we find that Simara has the poorest air quality. Officials at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. This year, I have already started feeling different. Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife. ONTARIO, Calif., Sept. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kickstarting the autonomous bus revolution in the US, the city of Houston is set to receive the first Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Buy America-compliant mid-size autonomous bus in the US. Despite the fact that most people in our country are breathing the air with such perilous level pollution, we still lack the vigour to act responsibly against the situation. Air pollution is a chronic problem in . Kakhara Madhyam Pvt. All living being birds, animals, insects, plants and even human beings are victims of pollution. The air pollution emergency in Kathmandu puts the elderly, those with asthma and other respiratory ailments at high risk, and would be especially dangerous to those with Covid-19. Nepal has ordered schools to close for four days after air pollution climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. El descarrilamiento en East Palestine, Ohio, se ha convertido en uno de los incidentes ms mediticos y ms politizados de su tipo en los ltimos aos. In recent time it has been seen that the pollution is increasing day by day.