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. This is what we learned. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. 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. Q Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. It remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. 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.. 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. A road-widening spree, earthquake destruction and delays in fixing streets . Such particles will not reach Kathmandu because it is surrounded by hills. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled roadrelease huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. More than 65% of all deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in 2019 were linked to air pollution in Nepal. The same report ranked Nepal the eighth most polluted country in the world. 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. Taking action to tackle the pollution in Nepal 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. However, two years later, the action plan has neither been finalised nor enforced. Since PM2.5 are so small, they are also likely to hang in the air for longer, increasing the chances that they will be inhaled. The Art of Dealing with Breaking Up: Get over those blues and Take Break-Ups Lightly. 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. Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45% . Smog has blanketed huge swaths of Nepal as air pollution in the Himalayan country soared to hazardous levels. The effect of dust is not limited to human beings, but is also felt byplants, particularly to those closer to the road. Air pollution is a chronic problem in . "And it wasn't just the . Legal provisions should be made in order for people to manage solid wastes properly. The average exposure for the officers was 51.2 g/m 3, with an hourly maximum of more than 500 g/m 3. 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 Motorcycles and passenger vehicles such as jeeps, cars and vansaccountedfor 92 percentof total registered vehicles in Bagmatiby the end of 2014-15. 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. Copper multifaceted interferences during swine wastewater treatment in high rate algal ponds: Alterations on nutrient removal, biomass composition and resource recovery. Under the US Clean Water Act, the EPA regulates wastewater discharge from meat and poultry plants into . Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan . Ever since the lockdown started in Nepal, there has been a little more positive change in the environment since the vehicles are barely on the road and people dont travel much. The Kathmandu Post : Find the latest breaking news from Nepal, opinion & analysis on Nepali politics, business, culture & arts, sports, movies, food & travel, books, education, auto & more at kathmandupost.com 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. 30 Mar 2021. 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. In . The Geyh-Bouwer Trainee Practice Award recognizes students whose application of science demonstrates the betterment of the environment and/or public health. 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. Officials at Nepals only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. It is a major threat to global health and prosperity. Similarly, one-fifth of the total diesel is used in Kathmandu. Submissions New road Kathmandu. This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. Required fields are marked *. 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. In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI)ranked Nepal 177thout of 180 countries. Around 100 people die every day in Nepal because of air pollution. Reuters. ? 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]. The values between 151 and 200 are categorised as unhealthy. , Change the direct speech to indirect speech; She said, "I am going to London today". Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled road release huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. purely b. wisely c. competentlyd. 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. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. 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 2426/077-78 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. 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 . 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. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service, : Nepal has ordered schools to close for four days after. Efforts for improving air quality should be of utmost priority now so that safety of citizens' health can be ensured. Officials for the railroad company pulled out hours earlier, infuriating some residents who said they wanted answers from the company. 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. Kathmandus AQI has remained at the Maroon Hazardous level for two days in a row. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters. In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Nepal 177th out of 180 countries. The high mountains around the Kathmandu valley allows air pollution to accumulate inthe city. Ironically, World No Tobacco Day falls on 31 May, just four days ahead of Environment Day. Your email address will not be published. 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. Nepali lawmakers tend to shun study and researchwith rare exceptions, Healthy youth presence perks up Lumbini Provincial Assembly. 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. There will be complications in irrigation facility, deforestation will take place and landslides may occur, the water resources will get soaked. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 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. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh recently concluded that surgical masks blocked 80% of particles sized 0.007 microns. Therefore, it is advised that everyone should avoid all outdoor exertions. 22 September 2021. 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 KathmandusAQI was hitting record highs on Tuesday morningwith 438, the New Delhi suburb of Noida recorded less than 151 (AQI World map, below). The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate. 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. Nepal isn't short of water, thanks to the monsoon rains and the rivers that bring meltwater down from the Himalayan glaciers and snowpack. 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 polluter pays' principle was introduced in 1972 in order to address this issue. Officials at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. 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 . 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. "We found that the pollution exposure was really, really high, suggesting potential for substantial health impacts of air pollution in this region," says Gurung, who is now a doctoral candidate at F&ES. 'We need to transform our commitment into action that will have an impact on the gases that drive climate change.'. Located between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters, the Himalayan nation is seeing the worst pollution levels since 2016. Advertisement Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained:Manybusinesseshavegone down due to high amount of road dust. 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.
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