In the News
December 13, 2024
With an aim to make metropolis denizens aware of the consequences of worsening air quality, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has decided to launch a month-long awareness drive in its jurisdictions.
The move of the Environment Department of the city office comes amid the rise in air pollution in various places across the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley.
“We have decided to launch a month-long awareness drive against the negative impacts of polluted air in our metropolis,” said Sarita Rai, chief of the department. “The campaign, which will start on December 16 [Poush 1], will continue until January 13 (Poush 29).”
With the start of the dry season, Kathmandu’s air quality has been deteriorating of late. According to IQ AirVisual, a Swiss group that collects air-quality data from around the world, Kathmandu ranked 10th in the list of the world’s most-polluted cities with PM2.5 levels reaching 159 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) on Wednesday morning.
PM2.5 refers to particulate matter (solid or liquid droplets) in the air that is less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter. It is among the most dangerous pollutants that can get past the nose and throat to penetrate the lungs and even the bloodstream. PM2.5 particles are small and are also likely to stay suspended in the air for long, increasing the chances of people inhaling them.
As per the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality index, when air quality reaches 151–200, it is considered unhealthy; everyone may experience problems, with sensitive groups feeling more severe effects.
Studies carried out in the past show that polluted air has been shortening people’s lives. Nepali lives are being cut short by around five years, according to a report by the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), which converts air pollution concentration into an impact on life expectancy. AQLI is a metric produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.