The Department of Environments own measuring station in parts of Kathmandu showed the AQI staying above 400 all day on Monday. 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. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 Though the readings slowly became less alarming after the morning hours, at 10:00 am and onwards, the readings for Simara was still lingering above 300; others (stations mentioned above) showed the index between 151 to 200. The effect of dust is not limited to human beings, but is also felt by plants, particularly to those closer to the road. 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. , Change the direct speech to indirect speech; She said, "I am going to London today". The 24-hour average level of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can reach deep . Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. We human beings have been using the natural resources profusely. One hour later, at 9:00 am, the air quality at Simara was recorded at 354; second on the list was Bhaisepati in Lalitpur at 196 and third was Dhagadhi at 195 (Department of Environment). 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. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel in the valley. Air pollution is a familiar environmental health hazard. 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. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained: Many businesses have gone down due to high amount of road dust. Submissions I know..mom's got a lock on literally everythin so y we gotta wait..! In 2017, solar electricity costs dropped from $0.28 to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour for utility-scale photovoltaic solar power. The COP27 sponsor's products were the most commonly found items by volunteers researching plastic pollution. Nepali lawmakers tend to shun study and researchwith rare exceptions, Healthy youth presence perks up Lumbini Provincial Assembly. Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. The entire population is more likely to be affected. 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. Because indoor air pollution levels are also high, ideally you would have to wear a mask 24 hours a day, says Pangeni. Legal provisions should be made in order for people to manage solid wastes properly. The government slashed taxes on electric vehicles, butmuch of the supporting infrastructure required, likecharging facilities, uninterrupted electric supply and adequate parking lots, has not even been planned. 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. Ever since the lockdown started in Nepal, there has been a . The leaves of plants are covered indust particles which limits the photosynthesis rate and affects the plants growth and natural beauty. To The Editor The . Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. 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 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. AQ AirVisual, on Thursday, also ranked Kathmandu the ninth most polluted city in the world, with PM2.5 levels reaching 139 g/m3the level at which the air becomes unhealthy for sensitive groups, as per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality Index. The visibility in Kathmandu valley has degraded to a significant level. A man performs morning workout with smog covering Kathmandu, Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. 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. Their effectiveness also varies depending on the work place, environment and fitting. Motorcycles and passenger vehicles such as jeeps, cars and vansaccountedfor 92 percentof total registered vehicles in Bagmatiby the end of 2014-15. It has a negative impact on various environmental aspects which directly or indirectly affect the quality of human health. But the Narayani's problems go back further. The agency, along with local and . 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. Macrotech Developers Ltd. 997.35 152.6. Three members of the Paudel family followed suit, but they never gave much thought to the quality of the air they were breathing in. 22 September 2021. 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. Vehicular emissions or traffic related particulate matter has serious health effects such as increased respiratory disease, reduced lung function, asthma, cardiac arrhythmias, heart disease etc. 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. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu 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 . 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. 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. Kathmandu valley requires half of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. 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. 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. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. 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.. 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.. , , , , . The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has also colour coded various AQI levels at Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple, and Maroon. These two are just representative examples of millions of people who are directly or indirectly affected by dust, a burning issue of the twenty first century. 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. Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. 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. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu . But so far, the government has done almost nothing to control air pollution.. 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. It was interesting to note that despite the manic traffic and lack of infrastructure many city roads were dirt tracks, with no traffic lights evident. 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. 1 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NEPAL Prof. Dr. Meen B. Poudyal Chhetri a and Anil Shakyab a Disaster Preparedness Network, Kathmandu, Nepal b Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Government of Nepal ABSTRACT Environmental degradation is a very big problem in Nepal which is causing human health Editor Online: Sahina Shrestha | Executive Editor: Sonia Awale FEATURED FUNDS. News about Air Pollution, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. At a time when Kathmandus, AQI was hitting record highs on Tuesday morning, with 438, the New Delhi suburb of Noida recorded less than 151 (. The strategy guiding the work for The Ecologist for the years 2023 to 2026 has now been published. The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan . The haze has become a part of our environment, impeding our view and lowering our visibility. Nifty-129.. NSE Gainer-Large Cap . I have started wearing a mask whenever Im outdoors.. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause many of the health conditions associated with increased vulnerability to Covid-19, such as diabetes and chronic heart and lung diseases, said the. A visit to East Palestine from the head of the E.P.A. "And it wasn't just the . This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby. Environmental Health issues are a not major risk factors for the Global Burden of Diseases. 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. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which . Q : Only continent in the world without a desert is. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled roadrelease huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained:Manybusinesseshavegone down due to high amount of road dust. Research on microplastic concentration in aquatic environment is attracting scientists from developing countries, but in Nepal no information regarding microplastic in freshwater system is available. Between 301 and 400 (maroon), the air quality is at a hazardous level; it has more severe health implications. Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local, said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. 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. Submissions No: 289512/78/079 VAT No: 610271654 Editor Ashok Silwal Email nepalnamcha@gmail.com, Copyright 2023, , All Rights Reserved | Designed with. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. Indeed, a long-term solution requires policy level intervention and coordination between all branches of government. For example, an EIA for a major highway would need . Q : Which one is the capital of Spain. The country of 30 . 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.