Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the world's biggest polluters. If there is any health advisory from the government, our family will stop going on regular morning walks, said Sunil. 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. Even before Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that poor, in northern India and the Tarai was already the. When will women lead big political parties? But there is a difference between the nature of air pollution in New Delhi and Kathmandu, said Tuladhar. 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. 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. Our aim is to educate and inform as many people as possible about the wonders of nature, the crisis we face and the best solutions and methods in managing that crisis. The smoke generated from the wildfires worsened the pollution, according to an officer at the Division. 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. With New Delhi and parts of northern India suffering under hazardous pollution levels, Nepal needs to take heed and prepare accordingly, environmental activists say. But it shall be helpful only if it is implemented. In 2017, solar electricity costs dropped from $0.28 to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour for utility-scale photovoltaic solar power. 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. 2426/077-78 News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. Q : Emu bird is found in the country. AQ AirVisual, on Thursday, also ranked Kathmandu the ninth most polluted city in the world, with PM2.5 levels reaching 139 g/m3the level at which the air becomes unhealthy for sensitive groups, as per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality Index. Your email address will not be published. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Senate voted Thursday to make it harder for thieves to sell stolen catalytic converters, a crime that has skyrocketed across the country in recent years. The governments standard level is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. Kakhara Madhyam Pvt. - . "I don't remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past," Khadka told Reuters. 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 report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate. The victims of air pollution urgently require an appropriate action plan . Kathmandu: 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. 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's Environment Protection Rules 2020 (2077) lists projects that need IEEs under Schedule 2, and those that need EIAs under Schedule 3. Such particles will not reach Kathmandu because it is surrounded by hills. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. 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. However, two years later, the action plan has neither been finalised nor enforced. A new disease caused solely by plastics has been discovered in seabirds. Q : Only continent in the world without a desert is. Pollution means decline of the original qualities of the elements of the environment like air, water, land, etc. 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. Under the US Clean Water Act, the EPA regulates wastewater discharge from meat and poultry plants into . Air pollution on the Nepali side is mostly locally generated.. 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. 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 transport sector further contributes 30 percent of PM10 particles, which are smaller than a grain of sand and can easily pass through the hairs in our nose, second only to the construction sector, which emits 53 percent of the total PM10. Air pollution is even more dangerous than previously thought, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned . In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Nepal 177th out of 180 countries. Atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The theme for World Environment Day (5 June) is #BeatAirPollution. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. The PM 10 concentration in major cities such as Kathmandu is . One of those rivers is the Melamchi, about 25 . 2022: Emergency mode for the environment. The high mountains around the Kathmandu valley allows air pollution to accumulate in the city. Advertisement Sonia Awale May 31, 2019. Students participate in activities such as program evaluation and monitoring, public health surveillance, program development, risk assessments and analysis, development of policy briefs . 22 September 2021. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Ocean pollution poses a clear and present danger to human health and well-being, according to a new study from an international group of researchers. Similarly, the hotel business (khaja ghar) of Ram Karki has also slowed down majorly due to road dust emission. On Wednesday, the daily average PM 2.5 level for the western city clocked around 200, which is deemed unhealthy. Kathmandu Valley has seen a rapid increase in vehicle numbers in the last 15 years. 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. 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. 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. 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. PM2.5 levels of 403.72 g/m3 were recorded at 7pm on November 4 in Nepalgunj, the highest for the country in the past week. once done will text u on pint nd ins, I saw a fantastic film yesterday. Southeast Asia has emerged as a hot spot for plastic pollution . The major reason for high ambient air pollution in Nepal is largely from traffic related with old . 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. This is what we learned. It urges the polluters to pay for the damage done to the natural environment. "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. On Monday night, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Kathmandu crossed 500, according to measurements at theUS Embassy measuring stationat Phora Darbar. 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. Phil Murphy but which has yet to take full effect should prevent the . says that 100% of the population in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline. 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. 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. Therefore, this study investigates the presence and abundance of microplastic in lake surface water . Most make various performance claims based on lab tests but factors like the masks fit play important roles. There are cloth masks and surgical ones, some are disposable but many use replaceable filters. 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.. Butair pollution issues are continue to increase. Globally, air pollution results in around sevenmillion deaths annually. 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 . 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 World Air Quality Project's index stood at 515 at that time while that of the Department of Environment (DoE) stood at 490. On hand was Marcia Bernicat of the US Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs. EIAs must be submitted to Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) for approval, whereas IEEs can be approved by other relevant ministries. But this winter, the haze barely let us see through it. 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. 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. Nepal, especially Kathmandu, in the current situation, is observing rapid urbaniz Therefore, it is advised that everyone should avoid all outdoor exertions. The Department of Environments own measuring station in parts of Kathmandu showed the AQI staying above 400 all day on Monday. Health alert must be imposed on everyone as everybody is prone to experience more serious health effects. We are mainly responsible for the destructive changes in the environment. It is now causing heart attacks, kidney diseases, osteoporosis and dementia. Ever since the lockdown started in Nepal, there has been a . Q : Which one is the capital of Spain. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. 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. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 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. Legal provisions should be made in order for people to manage solid wastes properly. All of these vehicles degrade the air quality by emitting huge quantities of smoke into the ambient environment. But public health specialists discount their efficacy and stress that the best solution is to reduce air pollution at sources. These are the key points that needs to be followed in order to bring a positive change in the environment. A man performs morning workout with smog covering Kathmandu, Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu It remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. The funds are the first . 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. , , , , . Green sticker = green light to pollute, Sonam Choekyi Lama. 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. 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. 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. Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking. The level between 401 and 500 is very hazardous. Environmental Health issues are a not major risk factors for the Global Burden of Diseases. The website is owned and published by The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity. Every year, 35,000 people in Nepal die from illnesses related to air contaminants. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh recently concluded that surgical masks blocked 80% of particles sized 0.007 microns. For many influencers across the political spectrum, claims about the environmental effects of the train derailment have gone far beyond known facts. 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). However, the record-breaking pollution this winter will add to the risk of the coronavirus. A paper published in the December 2000 volume of the International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences on pollution in the Narayani placed the blame squarely on the Gorkha Brewery (and a paper mill that has since closed down) for much of the pollution in Nepal's third-largest river. 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. This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby.
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