When Do Kell And Lila Kiss, Articles N

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. China will be the host nation and will showcase its dramatic progress in cutting pollution. Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. News about Air Pollution, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. There are dozens of varieties of masks available in the market, along with air purifiers that cost more than Rs130,000. At a time when KathmandusAQI was hitting record highs on Tuesday morningwith 438, the New Delhi suburb of Noida recorded less than 151 (AQI World map, below). Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. 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. Q : Which country has the highest number of time zones. Besides the quantity of fuel consumption, the poor road conditionof older vehicles istriggeringair quality problems in the valley. About three months later, at the present time, the pollution seems to have worsened. , 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 into the lungs, was 214 micrograms per cubic metre in the upscale area of Bhaisepati in Kathmandu on Sunday, Department of Environment data showed.That compares with the government's standard level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Subsequent increase in number of vehicles is one of the main culprits of air pollution [ 33, 34 ]. I have started wearing a mask whenever Im outdoors.. 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. I dont remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past, Khadka told Reuters. Air pollution shortens lives more than any other external cause. There has also been a 25% increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. Furthermore, the life expectancy in the Kathmandu Valley is four years less than that of other Nepalese regions. I know..mom's got a lock on literally everythin so y we gotta wait..! Legal provisions should be made in order for people to manage solid wastes properly. put Kathmandus pollution level at 487 the highest among cities in the region. The average exposure for the officers was 51.2 g/m 3, with an hourly maximum of more than 500 g/m 3. In 2017, the Department of Environment had drafted an action plan to tackle the deteriorating quality of air in Kathmandu Valley. 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. The major effect of air pollution can be mainly observed in the cities such as Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Nepalgunj, and Lumbini. 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. 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). A road-widening spree, earthquake destruction and delays in fixing streets . 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. Coca-Cola is named world's worst plastic polluter for a fifth year. However, two years later, the action plan has neither been finalised nor enforced. However, the vast portion of pollution is generated locally. Afforestation should begin and deforestation should come to an end. Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. The moves reflect residents deep-seated mistrust of government screenings of toxic chemicals and fears of long-term effects from the train derailment. We've received your submission. Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. 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. Submissions 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. By Sophie Wodzak,Emily Cochrane and Lisa Friedman. The victims of air pollutionurgently requirean appropriate action plan for mitigating these problems. 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. 18/11/2022. That compares with the governments standard level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Air pollution is slashing years from billions of people's lives around the world and is a greater threat to life expectancy than smoking, HIV/AIDS or war, a report published Wednesday shows.. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. The visibility in Kathmandu valley has degraded to a significant level. A mask at best is a temporary solution and does not block harmful gases. , : Which country has the most number of lakes. 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. Haze engulfs Kathmandu valley as the air pollution increases to unhealthy levels, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. 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. The 24-hour average level of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can reach deep . But public health specialists discount their efficacy and stress that the best solution is to reduce air pollution at sources. 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 values between 151 and 200 are categorised as unhealthy. ? Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. It is a call to mobilize, say the authors who . 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. 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. 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]. 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. The leaves of plants are covered indust particles which limits the photosynthesis rate and affects the plants growth and natural beauty. The Art of Dealing with Breaking Up: Get over those blues and Take Break-Ups Lightly. For example, an EIA for a major highway would need . Q The size of dust particles are larger compared to biomass burning or vehicular emissions. This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby. For many influencers across the political spectrum, claims about the environmental effects of the train derailment have gone far beyond known facts. Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local," said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. 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. , , , , . Taking action to tackle the pollution in Nepal 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. This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. The World Health Organization (WHO) reportsfine particulate matter of up to 140 g m-3 - which is aroundtentimes higher than the WHO limit. Dealing with a problem that is transboundary in nature requires strong regional cooperation, she said. But poor air quality from as far as New Delhi cannot penetrate deep into Nepal.. EIAs must be submitted to Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) for approval, whereas IEEs can be approved by other relevant ministries. We all have been well aware about the problem of environmental pollution which has been very petrifying to the living beings. Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes., Solution to pollution, Pallavi Pant and Anobha Gurung. Because Nepals national government and municipalities have done little to reduce risk, citizens have adopted their own methods of personal protection: wearing masks, installing air purifiers at home and office, cancelling morning walks, and monitoring air pollution levels on apps before allowing children to play outside. We can classify pollution in many categories such as soil pollution, air pollution, water pollution, and noise . Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained:Manybusinesseshavegone down due to high amount of road dust. A man performs morning workout with smog covering Kathmandu, Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. But it shall be helpful only if it is implemented. It is now causing heart attacks, kidney diseases, osteoporosis and dementia. 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. Under the US Clean Water Act, the EPA regulates wastewater discharge from meat and poultry plants into . Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local, said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. This level is considered hazardous, and can lead to serious aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly, [along with] serious risk of respiratory effects in general population, according to the United States Environment Protection Agency. The high mountains around the Kathmandu valley allows air pollution to accumulate in the city. The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan for mitigating these problems. 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 . This company thinks bacteria can help fix fashion's water pollution problem. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which . 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.. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a population of around3.5 million. 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. 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 . Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT, A screenshot showing Air Quality Index (AQI) for various cities as measured at 8 am on Thursday, March 25, 2021. 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]. Air pollution has had a massive impact on Nepalese people. Located between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters, the Himalayan nation is seeing the worst pollution levels since 2016. This means Kathmandus pollution has been 15 times higher than the WHO standard. Some air pollution is not seen, but its pungent smell alerts you. Air pollution is even more dangerous than previously thought, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned . 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. Atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. If there is any health advisory from the government, our family will stop going on regular morning walks, said Sunil. A Love Beyond Measure: The Unforgettable Reunion, , . The haze has become a part of our environment, impeding our view and lowering our visibility. purely b. wisely c. competentlyd. 25th Jan, 2023. systema Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking. Microplastics are man-made pollutants which have been detected in surface water and groundwater. Only a year ago, snow clad mountains shone brightly in the winter and we could see the mountains and hills clearly. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel inthe valley. 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. Health alert must be imposed on everyone as everybody is prone to experience more serious health effects. Green sticker = green light to pollute, Sonam Choekyi Lama. 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. Nepal's Environment Protection Rules 2020 (2077) lists projects that need IEEs under Schedule 2, and those that need EIAs under Schedule 3.