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. Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local," said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. I dont remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past, Khadka told Reuters. 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. The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan . Thefts of the pollution control devices from cars and trucks more than quadrupled from 3,389 in 2019 to 14,433 in 2020, and jumped dramatically again in 2021 . Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes., Solution to pollution, Pallavi Pant and Anobha Gurung. The 3rd leading cause of death in low and middle-income countries is COPD, 5th leading cause is Lower Respiratory Infections and seventh is Diarrheal diseases. Air pollution is also the main environmental risk factor for non-communicable diseases like cancers and lung diseases, concludes a recent report by the NCD Alliance and the Forum of International Respiratory Scientists: The challenge is great, but the cure is straight-forward it must be met by national, regional, local and personal responses. The company's plan to a second gas-fired power plant next to the existing one is being opposed by residents of the mainly minority and low-income communities around the plant who say an environmental justice law signed over two years ago by New Jersey Gov. Novel method of analyzing microplastic particle pollution can Other global AQI measurement sites likeIQAirput Kathmandus pollution level at 487 the highest among cities in the region. The values between 151 and 200 are categorised as unhealthy. However, the vast portion of pollution is generated locally. Nepal's schools close as air pollution hits alarming levels Ironically, World No Tobacco Day falls on 31 May, just four days ahead of Environment Day. Or, download a free sample copy of a past issue of Resurgence & Ecologist. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained: Many businesses have gone down due to high amount of road dust. A recent study by scientists from Peking University (China) and the University of Connecticut (USA) [1] has revealed that 1 in 15 lost pregnancies in South Asia may be due to air . However, the record-breaking pollution this winter will add to the risk of the coronavirus. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a population of around3.5 million. New road Kathmandu. "Trans-boundary pollution can affect our air quality too as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, connected to Nepal, are also polluted. The Ecologist is an environmental news and analysis website with a focus on environmental, social and economic justice. 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. According to the World Air Quality Report, Kathmandu is the seventh most polluted capital city in the world, based on its average yearly PM2.5 level. Once again, Kathmandu breathes world's most polluted air, AQI hits 303. Looking at the air quality data over the last few years, it appears that Nepal made amarked improvement from 2018 to 2019, with a PM2.5 reading of 54.15 g/m beingrecorded as an average over 2018 as compared to 44.46 g/m in 2019. Some air pollution is not seen, but its pungent smell alerts you. Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking. Environmental Health issues are a not major risk factors for the Global Burden of Diseases. A breakdown of whats known, and whats not, about the incident and its aftermath. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled road release huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. Getting prepared now will make that transition smoother. Controlling tobacco in Nepal is already such a big challenge, butKathmandus degrading air quality has doubled the disease burden, says health activist Shanta Lall Mulmi. Only a year ago, snow clad mountains shone brightly in the winter and we could see the mountains and hills clearly. South Asia News: KATHMANDU: Nepal has ordered schools to close for four days after air pollution climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home. New Delhi has seen a sudden spike whereas Kathmandu witnesses a gradual increase in pollution level starting from November and reaching peak levels in January.. Three members of the Paudel family followed suit, but they never gave much thought to the quality of the air they were breathing in. Plastic pollution on course to double by 2030 | UN News Your email address will not be published. Microplastics are man-made pollutants which have been detected in surface water and groundwater. US to Toughen Water Pollution Rules for Meat Plants Atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. Green sticker = green light to pollute, Sonam Choekyi Lama. The major reason for high ambient air pollution in Nepal is largely from traffic related with old . World news on global warming, climate change, wildlife, pollution, carbon business and climate politics. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 Every year, 35,000 people in Nepal die from illnesses related to air contaminants. Strong laws related to environment should be made and implemented. 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. Geyh-Bouwer Trainee Practice Award | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School 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.. Since the festival of Diwali ended last week, the air quality in New Delhi has drastically deteriorated, resulting in air pollution levels reaching nearly 10 times healthy limits. In this level of air quality, everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. The World Health Organisation (WHO)s guidelines state that AQI should be below 35, and the concentration of particles below 2.5 microns should be below 25 g/mover a 24 hour period. As reported by the World Bank, Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world with an estimated GDP per capita of US$470. 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. Similarly, household air pollution (HAP) was over 18-folds higherduring our survey in 2007 than the WHO recommended guidelines . It said that air pollution is dependent on weather system, and due to this fact, the pollution may last for some time or may worsen further with the passing of time. News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. WASHINGTON - Today the Environmental Working Group published an analysis of peer-reviewed data that for the first time shows the global scope of contamination by the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, which may be harming over 330 wildlife species around the world.. And even though the nature of pollution in New Delhi and Kathmandu is varied, Nepal needs to learn to deal with its own toxic air. Nestled between China and India - two of the world's biggest polluters - Nepal often . Due to the industrial revolution from the late 20th century the environment has been polluted to such an extent that now it has become a global issue. On hand was Marcia Bernicat of the US Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs. ? 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. 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. Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. 18/11/2022. Similarly, one-fifth of the total diesel is used inKathmandu. It is a call to mobilize, say the authors who . Kathmandus AQI has remained at the Maroon Hazardous level for two days in a row. 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. Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ). Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT, A screenshot showing Air Quality Index (AQI) for various cities as measured at 8 am on Thursday, March 25, 2021. As women play a significant role in the management and use of energy sources for household cooking, they are disproportionately affected by indoor air pollution [7]. Modern day Nepal is one of the most polluted and impoverished places in the world. Sunil Paudel, Basudevs son, stopped going on morning walks last year after learning that Kathmandus air quality was reaching unsafe levels. The size of dust particles are larger compared to biomass burning or vehicular emissions. The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate. Kathmandu valley requireshalf of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. There has also been a 25% increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. 25th Jan, 2023. 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. , : Which country has the most number of lakes. 2426/077-78 It has a negative impact on various environmental aspects which directly or indirectly affect the quality of human health. ? This is what we learned. essay on environmental pollution in 250 words-Nepal-2022 at Phora Darbar. A paper published in the December 2000 volume of the International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences on pollution in the Narayani placed the blame squarely on the Gorkha Brewery (and a paper mill that has since closed down) for much of the pollution in Nepal's third-largest river. Furthermore, the life expectancy in the Kathmandu Valley is four years less than that of other Nepalese regions. 1. How to clean up Kathmandus air, Anil Chitrakar, Poisoning the air we breathe, Sonia Awale. Nepal Air Quality Index (AQI) and Air Pollution information | IQAir To receive the magazine, become a member now. Letter to the editor of The Rising Nepal about the environmental No: 289512/78/079 VAT No: 610271654 Editor Ashok Silwal Email nepalnamcha@gmail.com, Copyright 2023, , All Rights Reserved | Designed with. When will women lead big political parties? Average life expectancy is reduced by at least four years in the worst-affected areas like Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and other parts of the Tarai. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. Last modified on Fri 3 Mar 2023 20.17 EST. Air pollution is a familiar environmental health hazard. Afforestation should begin and deforestation should come to an end. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. The traffic on the most part seemed to move along without any fuss. Plastic waste is a growing menace, and a wasted opportunity , Change the direct speech to indirect speech; She said, "I am going to London today". On Wednesday, the daily average PM 2.5 level for the western city clocked around 200, which is deemed unhealthy. A man performs morning workout with smog covering Kathmandu, Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. Dust from construction works, exhaust from old, poorly maintained vehicles and smoke from coal-burning brick kilns blend in a murky haze that hangs over the ancient city of four million people, raising the risk of cancer, stroke, asthma and high blood pressure, experts say. Coca-Cola is named world's worst plastic polluter for a fifth year. "Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. The government should really take a closer look at what their decision might lead the environment and the whole country to in the future. Prices range from Rs10 to Rs10,500. EIAs must be submitted to Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) for approval, whereas IEEs can be approved by other relevant ministries. These are the key points that needs to be followed in order to bring a positive change in the environment. The government, which has been engulfed in a crisis within the ruling party after Prime Minister K P Oli dissolved the Lower House and called for snap polls in April-May, seems to be too distracted to pay attention to the converging crises of Covid-19 and air pollution. Philippines Scrambles to Contain Oil Spill and Locate Sunken Fuel Tanker Smog has blanketed huge swaths of Nepal as air pollution in the Himalayan country soared to hazardous levels. The effect of dust is not limited to human beings, but is also felt by plants, particularly to those closer to the road. The Threat of Ambient Air Pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal Between 301 and 400 (maroon), the air quality is at a hazardous level; it has more severe health implications. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters. Plastic pollution: Effects on environment - The Himalayan Times Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Air pollution frequently causes osteoporosis, heart attacks, dementia and kidney diseases. Espaol. Air pollution shortens lives more than any other external cause. Thanking you. Spain. 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. Water In Crisis - Spotlight Nepal - The Water Project In Cities, Reducing Air Pollution Could Lower Cancer Rates At Similar The COP27 sponsor's products were the most commonly found items by volunteers researching plastic pollution. Anupamaas Nidhi Shahs off-screen glam looks, Top 10 T'wood actresses of the 80s and 90s, Shraddha Das rocks the thigh-high slit trend, Live: PM addresses post-budget webinar on Green Growth, Oscars to have Crisis Team after Will Smith slapgate, Adani's older brother plays key role at embattled dynasty, Terms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy. New Study Finds Ocean Pollution a Threat to Human Health People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Write a newspaper article on environmental pollution in Nepal to be published in a newspaper. Macrotech Developers Ltd. 997.35 152.6. Q : Only continent in the world without a desert is. Air pollution hits alarming levels in Nepal, schools closed Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. Winter inversion, vehicular emission, wildfires, and cross-border industrial pollution have combined to give Kathmandu Valley the worst air quality among cities in the world this week, adding to the risk of respiratory complications for Covid-19 patients. of tens of millions of people by 3.7 years. 'Enough pollution' in low-income NJ area with 1 power plant In 2000 / 2001 there were 24,003 vehicles registered in Kathmandu and this has increased dramatically to 79,822 in 2015 / 2016. 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. We need to be extra careful because by the time we reach peak pollution levels, we will be gearing up to launch Visit Nepal 2020, said Tuladhar. Rapid and haphazard urbanisation in the last few decades has resulted in the degradation of the environment, predominantly in terms of air pollution. Implication of Air Pollution on Health Effects in Nepal: Lessons from Thenumberofvehiclesin the valley during the last two decades has increasedninefold,and reached 922,900 in total during 2015, according to the Department of Transport Management inNepal. Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. I dont remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past, Khadka told Reuters. This is a grave threat to public health, the government should have declared an emergency and taken urgent measures to curb pollution, says environmental expert Bhushan Tuladhar. 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. In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI)ranked Nepal 177thout of 180 countries. The PM 10 concentration in major cities such as Kathmandu is . Ever since the lockdown started in Nepal, there has been a little more positive change in the environment since the vehicles are barely on the road and people dont travel much. As the new year gets underway, the world continues to grapple with a number of familiar challenges - the continued COVID-19 pandemic, resurgent wildfires, enduring crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Nifty-129.. NSE Gainer-Large Cap . The Threat of Ambient Air Pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal - ResearchGate 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. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to update its water pollution rules for slaughterhouses for the first time in nearly 20 years, the agency announced on Wednesday, following a lawsuit from environmental groups arguing current standards are too weak, according to Reuters. 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. Health alert must be imposed on everyone as everybody is prone to experience more serious health effects. 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. One of those rivers is the Melamchi, about 25 . Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45% . 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. The government should ban the use of old vehicles. Air pollution has been a major problem of 21st century for both developed and developing world. The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that in polluted urban areas, reducing air pollution could do as much as completely eliminating smoking would to lower rates of the 12 types of cancer most commonly associated with smoking, including lung cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer . About three months later, at the present time, the pollution seems to have worsened. The garbage should be properly disposed and managed. . I have started wearing a mask whenever Im outdoors.. With New Delhi and parts of northern India suffering under hazardous pollution levels, Nepal needs to take heed and prepare accordingly, environmental activists say. 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. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel in the valley. 'We need to transform our commitment into action that will have an impact on the gases that drive climate change.'. 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. For many influencers across the political spectrum, claims about the environmental effects of the train derailment have gone far beyond known facts. 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. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Similarly, Dhangadhi was third in line to have the most degraded air quality among the list of stations measuring the AQI. Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. Nepali lawmakers tend to shun study and researchwith rare exceptions, Healthy youth presence perks up Lumbini Provincial Assembly. Dealing with a problem that is transboundary in nature requires strong regional cooperation, she said. However, two years later, the action plan has neither been finalised nor enforced. The number of vehicles in the valley during the last two decades has increased ninefold, and reached 922,900 in total during 2015, according to the Department of Transport Management in Nepal. In Nepal, 35,000 people die annually due to illnesses caused by polluted air. This means Kathmandus pollution has been 15 times higher than the WHO standard. 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. When you can frame the problem in terms of how many people are dying and how much productivity is lost, then it becomes much more urgent.. Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby. The statement declared that the level of pollution in the valley is increasingly -- especially in the mornings and the evenings -- creating negative implications on people's health. The coverage of environmental issues in FM radios in Nepal: the current The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan for mitigating these problems. "I don't remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past," Khadka told Reuters. The US government held a meeting in Kathmandu this month of its embassy staff specialising in air pollution based in 30 Asian countries. Department of Information Registration No. At times, it feels like my eyes are burning, said 34-year-old Sunil. All living being birds, animals, insects, plants and even human beings are victims of pollution. Nepal closes schools as air pollution hits alarming levels - Al Jazeera This is a grave threat to public health, the government should have declared an emergency and taken urgent measures to curb pollution, says environmental expert Bhushan Tuladhar. Kathmandu Valley has seen a rapid increase in vehicle numbers in the last 15 years. Apex court orders acceptance of writ against PM, dubbed one of the most polluted cities in the world, air pollution levels reaching nearly 10 times healthy limits, 22 of the worlds most polluted cities in 2018, ranked Nepal the eighth most polluted country, PM2.5 level for Kathmandu in 2018 was 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m3, deteriorating quality of air in Kathmandu Valley, Overextraction and shrinking open spaces cause groundwater depletion in Kathmandu Valley, As season of forest fires starts, authorities alert public to risks, History and politics of Nepals school education, Insurgency-era victims of sexual crimes still unheard. "We found that the pollution exposure was really, really high, suggesting potential for substantial health impacts of air pollution in this region," says Gurung, who is now a doctoral candidate at F&ES. The average exposure for the officers was 51.2 g/m 3, with an hourly maximum of more than 500 g/m 3. Q Thanks for contacting us. 2022: Emergency mode for the environment - UNEP Environment pollution in Nepal - Air pollution on the Nepali side is mostly locally generated.. Air qualities in cities like Birgunj, Nepalgunj and Bhairahawa get worse due to local air pollution, supported by stagnation of air in this season where there is an inversion of temperature, a reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature in the troposphere, said Poudel, the meteorologist. Air pollution: Even worse than we thought - WHO - BBC News Air Pollution - The New York Times 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. Nepal's schools close as air pollution hits alarming levels These two are just representative examples of millions of people who are directly or indirectly affected by dust,a burning issue ofthe twenty firstcentury. A mask at best is a temporary solution and does not block harmful gases. Thereportsays that 100% of the population in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline. At the same hour, Bhaktapur's air quality degraded as low as 347 (according to The World Air Quality Project) while as per DoE's data it stood at 348. The gendered impacts of indoor air pollution in Nepal's - ICIMOD Officials at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. 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. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. 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.

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