However, the vast portion of pollution is generated locally. News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. There are dozens of varieties of masks available in the market, along with air purifiers that cost more than Rs130,000. The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate. The major effect of air pollution can be mainly observed in the cities such as Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Nepalgunj, and Lumbini. When will women lead big political parties? Prices range from Rs10 to Rs10,500. Download the latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. The paradox of air pollution in the Kathmandu valley 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. Air pollution is a silent killer and while it is difficult to quantify its heath impact, hospitalisation due to serious respiratory diseases has increased sharply in recent years, says chest specialist Raju Pangeni at HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu. Officials at Nepals only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. Only a year ago, snow clad mountains shone brightly in the winter and we could see the mountains and hills clearly. 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. 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. 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. The index stood at 214 as per DoE's data. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. New Study Finds Ocean Pollution a Threat to Human Health The polluter pays' principle was introduced in 1972 in order to address this issue. Find out about our mission, and our team, here. 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 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. 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. The leaves of plants are covered indust particles which limits the photosynthesis rate and affects the plants growth and natural beauty. Indeed, a long-term solution requires policy level intervention and coordination between all branches of government. 2426/077-78 Q : Emu bird is found in the country. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. Air pollution on the Nepali side is mostly locally generated.. 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. 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. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . New road Kathmandu. 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.. 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. At a time when Kathmandu's AQI was hitting record highs on Tuesday morning with 438, the New Delhi suburb of Noida recorded less than 151 ( AQI World map, below). Air pollution has been a major problem of 21st century for both developed and developing world. Similarly, Dhangadhi was third in line to have the most degraded air quality among the list of stations measuring the AQI. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters. Yet, 2022 could prove to be a seminal year for the environment, with . Air pollution hits alarming levels in Nepal, schools closed Once again, Kathmandu breathes world's most polluted air, AQI hits 303. Officials at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. Local pollution in Nepali border towns with high vehicular emissions and industrial pollution could increase due to pollution coming from across the border, he said. The governments standard level is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. A new disease caused solely by plastics has been discovered in seabirds. Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. I dont remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past, Khadka told Reuters. Southeast Asia has emerged as a hot spot for plastic pollution . 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. While the quality of air in some of these places has degraded tremendously, air quality in other places is becoming increasingly unhealthy. What's in the Air of Nepal? Filling Gaps in Pollution Data This may collapse the whole ecosystem in general. Phoenix Motorcars wins grant with Houston Metro and EasyMile for Q Or, download a free sample copy of a past issue of Resurgence & Ecologist. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan for mitigating these problems. 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. Water In Crisis - Spotlight Nepal - The Water Project 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. 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 (. For example, an EIA for a major highway would need . The environment of the industrial areas should be properly managed by the industries and concerned agencies. This is a very great decision taken by the government. 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. Nepal wildfires cause hazardous smog as pollution levels hit record 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. In 2013, a team of Cambridge University scientists were in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, developing a device to measure . Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes., Solution to pollution, Pallavi Pant and Anobha Gurung. But public health specialists discount their efficacy and stress that the best solution is to reduce air pollution at sources. 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 ). The country of 30 million people lies in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters. The garbage should be properly disposed and managed. Submissions 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. AQI is a composite measurement of the concentration . ? Yours sincerely, Rajesh. 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. Last modified on Fri 3 Mar 2023 20.17 EST. The EPI recently found Nepal to have the worst air pollution in the world. Kathmandu valley requireshalf of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. The coverage of environmental issues in FM radios in Nepal: the current AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. Iturges the polluters to pay for thedamage done to the natural environment. The Biden Administration will make $250 million in grants available to develop strategies to cut climate pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday. 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. The derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals upended a region of Ohio where generations of families could afford to buy acres of land, raise livestock and plant gardens. Because indoor air pollution levels are also high, ideally you would have to wear a mask 24 hours a day, says Pangeni. I have started wearing a mask whenever Im outdoors.. Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. And residents of the capital who smoke get a double whammy. Environmental pollution is one of the greatest threats of the world today. The same report ranked Nepal the eighth most polluted country in the world. 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. Environment pollution in Nepal - Efforts for improving air quality should be of utmost priority now so that safety of citizens' health can be ensured. To The Editor The . climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country. Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. Environment News, Earth News, Global Warming, Wild Life, Carbon Trading In recent years, cities in the Tarai have become infamous for the poor quality of their air, mostly because of the heavy presence of industries, dust from construction, and also trans-boundary pollution. Subsequent increase in number of vehicles is one of the main culprits of air pollution [ 33, 34 ]. 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. 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 . 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. Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45% . We've received your submission. It urges the polluters to pay for the damage done to the natural environment. A breakdown of whats known, and whats not, about the incident and its aftermath. D espite public awareness and relentless media coverage, Kathmandu's air quality has worsened in the past two years. Air pollution is cutting more than 2 years from billions of - CNN 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. Nifty-129.. NSE Gainer-Large Cap . Haze engulfs Kathmandu valley as the air pollution increases to unhealthy levels, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Air Pollution and Your Health - National Institute of Environmental Air Pollution - The New York Times 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). Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a population of around 3.5 million.