Air Pollution In Kathmandu City
I know air pollution irritates you a lot but you had already learned to compromise it.
Do you want to know, what causes more air pollution in Kathmandu and what can we do from our side to decrease it
Vehicle and industries involves most in causing air pollution.
Source; google
Dust fog in kathmandu-air pollution.
Photos: AMIT MACHAMASI
Air Pollution In Kathmandu City:
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental issue in terms of both health, and impact on climate change. Air pollution refers to the presence of chemicals and particulates in air. The air pollutants are emitted from various sources like transportation vehicles, power plants, factories and etc. So this word pollution has different meaning. Generally speaking, it is used to refer to human beings’ act of irreparably changing the normal physical, chemical and biotic characteristics of the Earth. So air pollution has no boundary but air can travel miles away from its original source. In this paper we will try to discuss nature of air pollution in terms of its sources, impacts on human health and what we can do to control it.
The increasing use of vehicles and other man made factors are responsible for the increasing amount of pollution in Kathmandu city. Such factors include the growing number of vehicles, rising population, lack of public awareness about air pollution and its horrendous consequences, polluting industries and construction activities. To control air pollution in Kathmandu city one must follow some easy steps including improving public transportation facilities for commuters; constructing open spaces; making follow up measurements to track the improvement over a period of time.
Air pollution is one of the major problems in Kathmandu city. The major sources of air pollution are the emissions from diesel vehicles, solid fuel burning, forest, crop and agricultural burning and industrial emissions. There are some other factors also like construction activities, high altitude, large population of Kathmandu city and growing vehicle use along with lack of government involvement.
While we breathe we not only inhale air but a lot of harmful chemical and particles.
Image source; google
Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal was once famously called “the eternal city” but the air pollution has reached such a high level that it poses a serious threat to human’s health. The release of carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides and other gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere is increasing day by day therefore resulting in increased concentration of ozone in the Kathmandu’s atmosphere.
Air pollution is a problem in most of the major cities of the world. In Kathmandu, the situation is made worse by the lack of public transportation and dependency on vehicles to take people to and from work. Climate change and increasing temperatures in the Himalayas are also threatening to cloud Kathmandu’s skies.
This city is home to over 1.1 million people with an additional 2 million in the metropolitan area. Population density is 20,288 per sq. km.
Air pollution is an issue of growing concern around the world, particularly in highly populated urban areas. At the moment, Kathmandu ranks as one of the most polluted cities in the world, with the annual concentration of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM 2.5) reaching up to 260 micrograms per cubic meter. This is more than double the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of less than 35 micrograms per cubic meter over a span of 24 hours.
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment in which they are placed.
Air pollution is the contamination of air quality by one or more substances. It may come in the form of gases, particles, or biologically generated agents.
Going to kathmandu or any city in nepal? Did you know that Kathmandu has the highest level of air pollution by car emission? Average pollution of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) is estimated to be 370 and 270 micrograms per cubic meter respectively, which is much higher than the Indian standard level. It is believed that various factors, such as growing numbers of vehicles and lack of road discipline among drivers are increasing air pollution in Kathmandu City. One of the ways to solve this problem is by not using cars for short distances.
As the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu is home to millions and millions of people on a daily basis. It also has experienced rapid growth in its population resulting in over-crowding, even larger traffic congestions and sustainable environment being threatened by rampant rising air pollution. The condition becomes more intense in winter when the temperature falls below freezing. The government authorities have been battling to control the air pollution with very little success. However, there is hope to improve air quality through small changes made by common citizens living in Kathmandu city area.
air pollution silent killer.
Source; google
Kathmandu is a beautiful city with many tourist destinations and places of interest to visit. However, air pollution in Kathmandu City is quite high due to a large number of vehicles and construction of buildings. The problem also arises mainly due to use of fuel-burners and kitchen stoves with firewood. The main reason for this pollution is the lack of options for people to burn anything at night. In addition, it can be said that there is no maintenance for the pollution control center.
Kathmandu is also one of the most crowded cities in Asia. Here, air pollution is so bad that more than 1.5 million vehicles have been on its street including 3 wheelers, scooters, motorcycles, electric rickshaws, lorries and trucks have caused a great deal of pollutants entering into Kathmandu’s atmosphere. Every day as many as 5,000 motor vehicle enter on Kathmandu’s main street alone.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City does not have any enforcement mechanism to control air pollution. So, this research paper has recommended the installation of modern pollution control devices at the fuel stations and in vehicles owned by Municipality of Kathmandu city.
Air pollution is a major problem in Kathmandu City. It is caused by the increased number of vehicles, fall in efficiency of fuel due to rise in the market demand, and huge construction sites that use diesel generators. All these factors lead to the unwanted level of deadly pollutants. In addition to that, large industrial units near the city consume huge amounts of energy, adds more burden on the environment.
Kathmandu is famous for its natural beauty, but the city has grown exponentially without regard for the environment. This has caused Kathmandu to be one of the most polluted cities in South Asia – a health threat to its residents. Our solution is a modular system that can be installed over tail-pipes of cars to convert them into bio-gas units while they park in the city.
stats:
Source; google
Kathmandu is the only city in Nepal that suffers from high-level air pollution problems. It has been reported by New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) that the levels of particulate matter (PM) are almost three times more than what New Delhi experiences, much higher than China’s capital, Beijing.
Nepal has been suffering from excessive air pollution due to lack of proper awareness and lack of regulations. The Kathmandu valley was considered one of the most polluted areas in the world based on concentration of toxic particulate matter (PM10) in the atmosphere. In 2010, World Health Organization estimated that Kathmandu residents experienced nine times more respirable suspended particles than acceptable levels. According to the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2011, 40%of deaths were caused due to respiratory diseases.
What can we do to manage it?
- Planting indoor plants.
- Making public parks to public to people.
- By not using vehicle for short distance.
- Government can invest in making filter tower for filtering air.
- By less using fossil fuels, managing industries, managing waste burn etc and many more…