The recent Environmental Performance Index 2016 has suggested increase in overall PM 2.5 in Nepal over the last decade. On Monday night, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Kathmandu crossed 500, according to measurements at theUS Embassy measuring stationat Phora Darbar. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has also colour coded various AQI levels at Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple, and Maroon. Subsequent increase in number of vehicles is one of the main culprits of air pollution [ 33, 34 ]. 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. 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. Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. 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]. Bhushan Tuladhar, an environmentalist who closely watches levels of air pollution in the country, agrees that there is a minimal chance of pollution from Delhi and northern India reaching Kathmandu, although cities in the Tarai are already dealing with poor air quality coming from across the border. Most make various performance claims based on lab tests but factors like the masks fit play important roles. Air pollution is a chronic problem in . Additionally, problems like littering and excessive carbon emissions are causing problems for both people and the environment. Environmental Health issues are a not major risk factors for the Global Burden of Diseases. AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. 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. This is also indicated in maroon. Espaol. 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. 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 has a negative impact on sectors that are critical to many economies, including tourism, shipping and fisheries. 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. Environmental pollution is one of the greatest threats of the world today. Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. It urges the polluters to pay for the damage done to the natural environment. With neighbouring India and China committed to manufacturing only electric automobiles by 2030, Nepal will be forced to go electric. Last modified on Fri 3 Mar 2023 20.17 EST. Department of Information Registration No. (left). Legal provisions should be made in order for people to manage solid wastes properly. 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. This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby. 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. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. Q : Only continent in the world without a desert is. 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. "And it wasn't just the . The strategy guiding the work for The Ecologist for the years 2023 to 2026 has now been published. We are mainly responsible for the destructive changes in the environment. And residents of the capital who smoke get a double whammy. In 2013, a team of Cambridge University scientists were in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, developing a device to measure . The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which . Researchers at the University of Edinburgh recently concluded that surgical masks blocked 80% of particles sized 0.007 microns. The study sounds the alarm that the growing global problem, which scientists are only beginning to understand, requires urgent and immediate action. 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. In this level of air quality, everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. 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. Air pollution is even more dangerous than previously thought, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned . The visibility in Kathmandu valley has degraded to a significant level. Atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. 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. 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. Nifty-129.. NSE Gainer-Large Cap . According to Tuladhar, New Delhi was able to immediately swing into action because it had an action plan to deal with the crisis. The moves reflect residents deep-seated mistrust of government screenings of toxic chemicals and fears of long-term effects from the train derailment. 25th Jan, 2023. Rather than benefits, morning walks could have serious health impacts, Sunil said. Of course, a masks effectiveness depends on how well it fits on the face, but a simple, disposable surgical mask can be more cost-effective than those fancy looking expensive ones. The air in Kathmandu, already dubbed one of the most polluted cities in the world, gets worse once the winter sets in. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. 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. Every year, 35,000 people in Nepal die from illnesses related to air contaminants. There has also been a 25% increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. The country of 30 . "Trans-boundary pollution can affect our air quality too as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, connected to Nepal, are also polluted. A mask at best is a temporary solution and does not block harmful gases. On Wednesday, the daily average PM 2.5 level for the western city clocked around 200, which is deemed unhealthy. According to Poudel, the pollution level in the border towns of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar can slightly influence pollution along the border area. Kathmandu valley requires half of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. 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 . Furthermore, the life expectancy in the Kathmandu Valley is four years less than that of other Nepalese regions. Write a newspaper article on environmental pollution in Nepal to be published in a newspaper. Why this advert is dangerous to people and nature and shows advertising needs new controls. The views expressed in the articles published on this site may not necessarily reflect those of the trust, its trustees or its staff. 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. The moves sets the stage for the agency to issue tighter controls on mercury, a neurotoxin emitted by power plants. Similarly, Dhangadhi was third in line to have the most degraded air quality among the list of stations measuring the AQI. The size of dust particles are larger compared to biomass burning or vehicular emissions. 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. The average exposure for the officers was 51.2 g/m 3, with an hourly maximum of more than 500 g/m 3. 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. newspaper article on environmental pollution in nepal Posted by July 3, 2022 morenci area schools staff on newspaper article on environmental pollution in nepal By Sophie Wodzak,Emily Cochrane and Lisa Friedman. The World Health Organization (WHO) reportsfine particulate matter of up to 140 g m-3 - which is aroundtentimes higher than the WHO limit. 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. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Q : Which country has the highest number of time zones. In . Smog has blanketed huge swaths of Nepal as air pollution in the Himalayan country soared to hazardous levels. While the quality of air in some of these places has degraded tremendously, air quality in other places is becoming increasingly unhealthy. 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. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. In Nepal, COPD is the second major cause of death after Ischemic Heart Diseases. A man performs morning workout with smog covering Kathmandu, Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. 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. Q : Emu bird is found in the country. Nepal's Environment Protection Rules 2020 (2077) lists projects that need IEEs under Schedule 2, and those that need EIAs under Schedule 3. Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. The haze has become a part of our environment, impeding our view and lowering our visibility. From his home in Kathmandus Chabahil, Basudevs walks take him around Pashupatinath Temple and the Guheshwori area. With New Delhi and parts of northern India suffering under hazardous pollution levels, Nepal needs to take heed and prepare accordingly, environmental activists say. We human beings have been using the natural resources profusely. 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 (. Taking action to tackle the pollution in Nepal 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. 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. Yours sincerely, Rajesh. 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. Or, download a free sample copy of a past issue of Resurgence & Ecologist. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Modern day Nepal is one of the most polluted and impoverished places in the world. 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. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. 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. Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. Sunil Paudel, Basudevs son, stopped going on morning walks last year after learning that Kathmandus air quality was reaching unsafe levels. Reuters. Site By: Hiti Design, The first step in reducing air pollution is to let, Nepali scientist returns to pinpoint hazards of dirty air, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IudF3qNM-xE&feature=youtu.benobha Gurung could have had a distinguished international career in, Sonia Awale s winter sets in and air quality deteriorates,. 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. Q That compares with the governments standard level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained:Manybusinesseshavegone down due to high amount of road dust. Despite public awareness and relentless media coverage, Kathmandus air quality has worsened in the past two years. Three members of the Paudel family followed suit, but they never gave much thought to the quality of the air they were breathing in. 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. But the Narayani's problems go back further. It remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. A road-widening spree, earthquake destruction and delays in fixing streets dug up to replace water mains has turned the Valley into a dust bowl. Air pollution shortens lives more than any other external cause. Between 301 and 400 (maroon), the air quality is at a hazardous level; it has more severe health implications. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. Whilstthis shows an improvement over the course of one year, when observing datataken from the capital city . Majorities express "a great deal" of worry about the pollution of both drinking water (56%) and rivers, lakes and reservoirs (53%). 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. Yet, 2022 could prove to be a seminal year for the environment, with . 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. 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. 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 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. Air pollution on the Nepali side is mostly locally generated.. 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 . 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. Phil Murphy but which has yet to take full effect should prevent the . 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. Only a year ago, snow clad mountains shone brightly in the winter and we could see the mountains and hills clearly. It is a major threat to global health and prosperity. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 The Ecologist is an environmental news and analysis website with a focus on environmental, social and economic justice. 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. The World Air Quality Project's index stood at 515 at that time while that of the Department of Environment (DoE) stood at 490. 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 leaves of plants are covered in dust particles which limits the photosynthesis rate and affects the plants growth and natural beauty. systema 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. But public health specialists discount their efficacy and stress that the best solution is to reduce air pollution at sources. 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. Besides the quantity of fuel consumption, the poor road condition of older vehicles is triggering air quality problems in the valley. and a White House pledge to lend more support were met with skepticism in the community. Use of pesticides and fertilizers must be controlled. Ironically, World No Tobacco Day falls on 31 May, just four days ahead of Environment Day. Sonia Awale May 31, 2019. Submissions The EPI recently found Nepal to have the worst air pollution in the world. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 Our environment determines our health and civilization. The traffic on the most part seemed to move along without any fuss. 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. Collective action from many sectors is needed to assure that everyone can breathe clean air.. Nepal, especially Kathmandu, in the current situation, is observing rapid urbaniz 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. Around 100 people die every day in Nepal because of air pollution. Fri 3 Mar 2023 06.19 EST. In Press, Journal Pre-proof, Available online 25 February 2023. The index stood at 214 as per DoE's data. Efforts for improving air quality should be of utmost priority now so that safety of citizens' health can be ensured. 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. Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. A breakdown of whats known, and whats not, about the incident and its aftermath. The government should really take a closer look at what their decision might lead the environment and the whole country to in the future. Introduction. 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 remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu There are dozens of varieties of masks available in the market, along with air purifiers that cost more than Rs130,000. . The funds are the first . Indeed, a long-term solution requires policy level intervention and coordination between all branches of government. To receive the magazine, become a member now. Therefore, this study investigates the presence and abundance of microplastic in lake surface water . 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. Students participate in activities such as program evaluation and monitoring, public health surveillance, program development, risk assessments and analysis, development of policy briefs . It is a call to mobilize, say the authors who . 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 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. Trans-boundary pollution can affect our air quality too as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, connected to Nepal, are also polluted. Spain. 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]. In Nepal, 35,000 people die annually due to illnesses caused by polluted air. put Kathmandus pollution level at 487 the highest among cities in the region. Thanks for contacting us. 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. 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. 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. EIAs must be submitted to Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) for approval, whereas IEEs can be approved by other relevant ministries. Rapid and haphazard urbanisation in the last few decades has resulted in the degradation of the environment, predominantly in terms of air pollution. Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local, said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. Afforestation should begin and deforestation should come to an end. The latest edition of Resurgence & Ecologist is out now, and available to buy. Coca-Cola is named world's worst plastic polluter for a fifth year. The effect of dust is not limited to human beings, but is also felt byplants, particularly to those closer to the road. But poor air quality from as far as New Delhi cannot penetrate deep into Nepal.. 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. That said, old diesel vehicles are contributing significantly to the poor air quality in the city. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the world's biggest polluters. 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 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. A new disease caused solely by plastics has been discovered in seabirds. 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. These are the key points that needs to be followed in order to bring a positive change in the environment. Other global AQI measurement sites likeIQAirput Kathmandus pollution level at 487 the highest among cities in the region. Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. 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. says that 100% of the population in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline. More than 65% of all deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in 2019 were linked to air pollution in Nepal. 2022: Emergency mode for the environment. The garbage should be properly disposed and managed. Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. This means Kathmandus pollution has been 15 times higher than the WHO standard. 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. AQI is a composite measurement of the concentration . Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45% . 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. Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. 12 February 2021. The Department of Environments own measuring station in parts of Kathmandu showed the AQI staying above 400 all day on Monday. The World Health Organisation ('WHO') has reported that PM2.5 levels of particulate matter in urban areas of Nepal . 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. Even before Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that poorair qualityin northern India and the Tarai was already thereducing average lifespanof tens of millions of people by 3.7 years. At times, it feels like my eyes are burning, said 34-year-old Sunil. World news on global warming, climate change, wildlife, pollution, carbon business and climate politics.

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