Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. 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 . This trend is increasing rapidly and it is estimated that urban population will reach 60 million by 2040 [ 32 ]. The index stood at 214 as per DoE's data. One of the cheapest energy sources. 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. All of these vehicles degrade the air quality byemitting huge quantitiesof smoke into the ambient environment. In Chabahil, Sunil remains concerned for his fathers health, who continues to take his walk despite the morning haze. While the quality of air in some of these places has degraded tremendously, air quality in other places is becoming increasingly unhealthy. This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. Find out about our mission, and our team, here. 2426/077-78 Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. 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. All of these vehicles degrade the air quality by emitting huge quantities of smoke into the ambient environment. Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel inthe valley. says that 100% of the population in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline. 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 Dealing with a problem that is transboundary in nature requires strong regional cooperation, she said. Q : Which one is the capital of Spain. 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. 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. Nearly two weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, confusing messages from government officials have frayed locals trust. 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. That compares with the governments standard level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. 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. 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. 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. I dont remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past, Khadka told Reuters. Sunil Paudel, Basudevs son, stopped going on morning walks last year after learning that Kathmandus air quality was reaching unsafe levels. 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. Students participate in activities such as program evaluation and monitoring, public health surveillance, program development, risk assessments and analysis, development of policy briefs . News about Air Pollution, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. 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. The COP27 sponsor's products were the most commonly found items by volunteers researching plastic pollution. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled roadrelease huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. 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. Haze engulfs Kathmandu valley as the air pollution increases to unhealthy levels, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Macrotech Developers Ltd. 997.35 152.6. Submissions We could barely see the birds flying around before but nowadays we can see the birds chirping and flying up in the sky due to decrease in air pollution. Coca-Cola is named world's worst plastic polluter for a fifth year. Tags: environment, pollution, Philippines Coronavirus Bulletin Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. 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. 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. It is now causing heart attacks, kidney diseases, osteoporosis and dementia. It remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. 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 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. This is what we learned. New road Kathmandu. The Department of Environments own measuring station in parts of Kathmandu showed the AQI staying above 400 all day on Monday. 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. 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.. AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. Reuters. 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. "Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. This is a very great decision taken by the government. 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. 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 ]. Despite public awareness and relentless media coverage, Kathmandus air quality has worsened in the past two years. 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. D espite public awareness and relentless media coverage, Kathmandu's air quality has worsened in the past two years. Air pollution regularly exceeds recommended safe levels. put Kathmandus pollution level at 487 the highest among cities in the region. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Modern day Nepal is one of the most polluted and impoverished places in the world. We chartered a train to Glasgow for COP26 and took 500 people with us. 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. The values between 151 and 200 are categorised as unhealthy. This indicates, around a quarterof the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. 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). Find out more. Our environment determines our health and civilization. 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. In Nepal, a Cabinet decision last year adopted the Department of Environments guidelines for air pollution to declare a health emergency if AQI exceeded 300 meaning the government can ban open burning, close factories, and take measures to reduce vehicles on the roads. Also, news from United Nations. The funds are the first . In 2000 / 2001 there were 24,003 vehicles registered in Kathmandu and this has increased dramatically to 79,822 in 2015 / 2016. The environment of the industrial areas should be properly managed by the industries and concerned agencies. Sonia Awale May 31, 2019. Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. The views expressed in the articles published on this site may not necessarily reflect those of the trust, its trustees or its staff. Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. 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. 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. More than 65% of all deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in 2019 were linked to air pollution in Nepal. The Art of Dealing with Breaking Up: Get over those blues and Take Break-Ups Lightly. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled road release huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. We've received your submission. 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.. I know..mom's got a lock on literally everythin so y we gotta wait..! This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. 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. The Ecologist is an environmental news and analysis website with a focus on environmental, social and economic justice. In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Nepal 177th out of 180 countries. It is a call to mobilize, say the authors who . PM2.5, or Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns thick, are among the most dangerous of air particles as they can get past the nose and throat to enter the lungs and even the bloodstream. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which . Environmental Health issues are a not major risk factors for the Global Burden of Diseases. 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. 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. But air pollution issues are continue to increase. ? 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 . The garbage should be properly disposed and managed. 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. Nepal isn't short of water, thanks to the monsoon rains and the rivers that bring meltwater down from the Himalayan glaciers and snowpack. Required fields are marked *. These two are just representative examples of millions of people who are directly or indirectly affected by dust,a burning issue ofthe twenty firstcentury. The size of dust particles are larger compared to biomass burning or vehicular emissions. Thereportsays 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. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. In this level of air quality, everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. 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. Introduction. Write a newspaper article on environmental pollution in Nepal to be published in a newspaper. Air pollution frequently causes osteoporosis, heart attacks, dementia and kidney diseases. This is also indicated in maroon. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. 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. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a population of around 3.5 million. The smoke generated from the wildfires worsened the pollution, according to an officer at the Division. Kathmandu valley requireshalf of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. Other global AQI measurement sites like. 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. Ever since the lockdown started in Nepal, there has been a . To receive the magazine, become a member now. About three months later, at the present time, the pollution seems to have worsened. That said, old diesel vehicles are contributing significantly to the poor air quality in the city. Furthermore, the life expectancy in the Kathmandu Valley is four years less than that of other Nepalese regions. The level between 401 and 500 is very hazardous. The average global citizen loses 2.2 years of life with today's levels of air pollution and, if nothing changes, that adds up to . Taking action to tackle the pollution in Nepal Besides the quantity of fuel consumption, the poor road condition of older vehicles is triggering air quality problems in the valley. 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]. Around 100 people die every day in Nepal because of air pollution. It may bring various adverse impact to the environment. 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. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained:Manybusinesseshavegone down due to high amount of road dust. According to AQ AirVisual, a Swiss group that collects air-quality data from around the world, the annual average PM2.5 level for Kathmandu in 2018 was 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m3), an increase from 45.9 g/m3 in 2017. 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. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. 2426/077-78 The high mountains around the Kathmandu valley allows air pollution to accumulate in the city. Green sticker = green light to pollute, Sonam Choekyi Lama. Espaol. Editor Online: Sahina Shrestha | Executive Editor: Sonia Awale Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Health alert must be imposed on everyone as everybody is prone to experience more serious health effects. , : Which country has the most number of lakes. Department of Information Registration No. The polluter pays' principle was introduced in 1972 in order to address this issue. 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. The latest edition of Resurgence & Ecologist is out now, and available to buy. This may collapse the whole ecosystem in general. Q : Emu bird is found in the country. News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. Basudev Paudel is in his late fifties and at his age, he believes that regular morning walks are important for keeping healthy. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. 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. 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. Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local, said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. But there is a difference between the nature of air pollution in New Delhi and Kathmandu, said Tuladhar.