Kathmandu. Due to air pollution, Kathmandu Valley has been listed as the world’s most polluted city for a few days. According to the ‘Air Quality Index’ data, it was listed as the most polluted city by midday on Thursday, with air pollution reaching 348 AQI.
With the increase in pollution, various government agencies, environmental experts and doctors have expressed special concern and requested people to be vigilant and not to leave their homes except for essential work. Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh, who also holds the responsibility of the Prime Minister, met with stakeholders on Thursday and discussed how to stop pollution and reduce its impact.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health and Population issued a press release urging people to be on high alert as air pollution in the Valley increased. According to the government-approved air quality index, 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is moderate, 101-150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 is very unhealthy, and above 301 is considered dangerous.
Ministry spokesperson Dr. Prakash Budhathoki advised sensitive groups – children, the elderly, pregnant women and chronically ill people – to be especially vigilant as air pollution can cause asthma, lung diseases, eye problems, nose and throat allergies, skin problems, heart disease and long-term health problems.
Disaster management and climatologist Dr. Dharmaraj Upreti said that due to the weakening of the westerly wind, there is no rain and the air cannot move, so air pollution is accumulating everywhere.
‘At this time, the temperature is rising, agricultural products are being burned, forest fires, road dust is getting mixed in the atmosphere when there is no rain, and the westerly wind is weak, so there is no rain. If it had rained, the pollution accumulated in the atmosphere would have fallen to the ground and the pollution would have been removed,’ he said, ‘Therefore, due to the effects of climate change, there will be changes in the weather conditions, droughts will increase due to the lack of rain and fires will increase, and pollution in the air will not be removed, which will increase pollution.’
Meteorologist Pratibha Manandhar of the Weather Forecasting Division under the Department of Water and Meteorology said that although there is a possibility of rain this week, the weather will remain foggy.
‘There is a possibility of light winds from Thursday. “But there is no wind to remove the pollution,” she said. “It is also possible that rain will fall next week. But since the meteorological department only makes forecasts, the forecast may not be accurate for a long time. Because things can change by that time.”
Manandhar said that the lack of rain has increased environmental pollution and reduced visibility, affecting domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport.
According to Gyanraj Subedi, Director General of the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Forest and Environment, the lack of proper rainfall even after the pre-monsoon season, which has seen less winter rainfall for the past four years, increased forest fires and other fires, and failure to build environmentally friendly infrastructure have led to increased pollution.
‘Kathmandu is also bowl-shaped. When there is no rain, the pollution on the surface cannot fall down and there is no wind. Due to this, the pollution has accumulated in the valley itself,’ he said.
Air pollution high until Jestha
The department has urged people to be vigilant during this time, saying that air pollution is particularly high in Nepal from Mangsir to Jestha.
The department has stated that the main causes of air pollution are smoke emitted from industries, factories and vehicles, construction work, open burning of garbage and rotting remains, smoke emitted from houses, dust from roads and construction work, etc.
The department has requested that caution be taken as air pollution has a negative impact on human health, especially children, the elderly, asthmatics and pregnant women.
Pollution due to fires
Fire expert Sundar Sharma said that this year too, due to less rainfall in winter and the lack of rain even after the start of pre-monsoon, the incidence of fires has increased, which is increasing environmental pollution.
‘On Wednesday alone, 253 places were affected by fires. Although there is a risk of fires across the country, fires are particularly prevalent in 45 districts including Parsa, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Bara, Udayapur,’ he said. ‘We still have challenges due to the lack of adequate resources to control fires and the lack of manpower to control fires when the youth are not present. Until the fires are controlled, pollution will not be controlled.’
Heart patients are more affected
## Due to the recent increase in air pollution, it is especially affecting heart patients, says cardiologist Dr. Ranjit Sharma.
‘Heart patients have more breathing problems during pollution, may have heart attacks, have uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, chronic diseases, asthma patients should be more cautious,’ he said. ‘Pollution can affect them at any time, but since pollution is higher in the morning, people with heart disease should be especially careful when leaving the house, and should only go out when necessary. Masks should be used.’
Eye problems
Dr. Muna Kunwar, an ophthalmologist at Tilganga Eye Institute, urged caution, saying that bacteria or viruses in polluted air can infect the eyes and cause problems such as conjunctivitis (pink eye disease), and that pollutants in the air can affect the tear glands, causing itchy, burning, and red eyes.
‘Current pollution has caused problems such as blurred vision when the eyes become itchy or dry. Pollution can cause allergic reactions that cause itchy, swollen, and excessive watering of the eyes. “Even patients who come here say their eyes are burning,” he said. “Wear glasses or sunglasses in areas with high pollution, wash your eyes frequently with clean water, spend less time in pollution-affected areas, avoid going out of the house as much as possible, use medicine if your eyes are dry, eat nutritious food, and consult a doctor if the problem worsens.”
Skin problems too
Dermatologist Dr. Prajjwal Pudasaini said that pollution can cause various types of skin problems and suggested that people should be very careful during such times.
‘When pollution increases, chemicals and dust particles can cause allergies to the skin. Due to which the skin can become red, burn or get spots. Acne can also occur. The skin’s glow can disappear,’ he said. ‘Pollution can reduce the skin’s resistance to diseases, which can lead to various types of infections. It can cause dry and itchy skin, as well as skin cancer.’
Similarly, Pudasaini said that air pollution affects the skin of people who spend a lot of time in the sun and wind, and that pollution causes the skin to wrinkle at a young age and look like old age.
‘To protect the skin from pollution, it is necessary to regularly clean the face with clean water, avoid going out of the house as much as possible, wear sunscreen when going out, wear a mask when going out of the house, and take proper care to protect the skin from pollution,’ he said. ‘If skin problems persist for a long time, a dermatologist should be consulted.’
Pregnant women affected
Dr. Jitendra Pariyar, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Civil Service Hospital in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, says that air pollution affects pregnant women more than the general public.
‘Pregnant women should not smoke, just as smoking affects the child’s intellectual development, similarly pollution also affects the unborn child,’ he said, ‘The state should formulate a policy to reduce pollution and implement it effectively. During such times, pregnant women should not go out of the house as much as possible, and if they have to go out, they should use masks.’
Suggestions to declare an emergency with public awareness
Environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar says that the government should be ready to declare an emergency now, looking at the increase in pollution.
‘Nowadays, the air pollution level has crossed 300 AQI at times. There is a criterion to declare a disaster as soon as it crosses 300,’ he said. ‘Nowadays, there is no need to declare it when the pollution level fluctuates. But pollution is increasing. How to be vigilant? If pollution continues to increase with widespread public awareness, an emergency should also be declared.’
What is the right to a clean environment?
Senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma, who is also an expert in environmental law, commented that the lack of implementation of the fundamental right of citizens to live in a clean environment in a country with constitutional supremacy has violated human rights.
‘Pollution is increasing at a rapid pace these days. Even though the constitution gives the right to live in a clean environment, citizens are not being able to guarantee their fundamental rights,’ he said. ‘And is the fundamental right provided for in the constitution only for the state administrators? Have citizens been able to guarantee it? Now there should be an investigation into judicial impartiality.’
The right to a clean environment is guaranteed in Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal. Clause (1) of Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal provides for the right of every citizen to live in a clean and healthy environment.
Clause (2) of Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal ensures the right of the victim to receive compensation from the polluter for the damage caused by environmental pollution or degradation in accordance with the law. Clause (3) of Article 30 states that this Article shall not be deemed to prevent the making of necessary legal provisions for a proper balance between environment and development in the development work of the nation.
The state policy mentioned in Part 4 of the Constitution includes provisions on environmental balance, environmentally sustainable development, preparedness to minimize damage from natural disasters, rescue, relief and rehabilitation, conservation, enhancement and utilization of natural resources, environmentally friendly development, and increased participation in development.
What is the policy provision?
The Air Quality Management Action Plan for Kathmandu Valley, 2076 BS also states that a situation where the AQI value determined by the government is more than 300 will be considered a disaster.
The action plan to prevent this disaster includes stopping the burning of garbage, expanding the use of brooms and vacuums to clean roads, and issuing public notices to children, senior citizens, and the sick to take special precautions.
The government has a strategy to prepare and implement national standards for water, air, soil, sound, electromagnetic waves, radioactive radiation, and the prevention of hazardous chemical pollution to reduce pollution. The strategy states that air, water, and sound quality will be mapped by establishing and operating quality measurement centers in major cities, industrial establishments, and other areas at risk of pollution.
‘Provisions will be made for the treatment of polluted water coming from industrial and other areas. ‘Environmentally friendly technology will be implemented to manage the polluted smoke, dust, and water emitted from industries and other businesses,’ the policy states. ‘To reduce indoor air pollution, devices such as solar stoves, electric stoves, biogas, improved stoves, and chimneys will be promoted. Emphasis will be placed on energy-efficient building construction.’
National and international study reports are coming out that the air in the Kathmandu Valley is truly harmful and its quality is deteriorating rapidly. In the public ‘Environment Performance Index 2018’ study conducted in 180 countries, Nepal is among the five countries with the highest air pollution.
The Department of Environment has established pollution measurement centers in Dhulikhel, Pulchowk, Ratnapark, Tribhuvan University Kirtipur, Saibu, and Sainik Vidyalaya Bhaktapur, targeting the valley. Arrangements have been made to transfer data to a central system and allow the general public to obtain information about the pollution situation.
Long-term strategy needed
Environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar said that environmental pollution increases every year during winter and pre-monsoon, and that a long-term strategy for pollution reduction is needed across the country to reduce it and its effective implementation is necessary.
‘The government should be ready to do what to do immediately when pollution is increasing now. We should work to control wildfires, prevent open fires, increase public awareness, and take strict action against vehicles that emit smoke,’ he said. ‘In the long term, we should promote electric vehicles and give priority to improved stoves. Air quality action plans should be made immediately across the country.’
The National Census 2078 shows that 51 percent still burn firewood and three percent burn wood. ‘Indoor pollution affects women and children even more,’ Tuladhar said, ‘The latest study has shown that 48,500 people die annually in Nepal due to air pollution.’
Instructions not to pollute
Gyanraj Subedi, Director General of the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Forest and Environment, said that although strict action has been taken against those who pollute the environment, strict action has not been taken.
‘We have given instructions and suggestions to those who have polluted, so that they do not pollute. We are not able to take action against the polluters,’ he said. ‘We will also take action against those who do not follow the instructions to reduce environmental pollution.’
According to Director General Subedi, the department has given priority to raising public awareness to reduce pollution, and has given suggestions and instructions to those who cause pollution.
The department has suggested that since setting fires is a public crime, such acts should not be committed, household solid and plastic waste and agricultural residues should not be burned, vehicles should be regularly maintained, clean energy should be used in industries, factories and kitchens, and dust from roads and construction should be properly controlled.
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