Nepalmountainnews Report | 3 Jul 2008
Air quality in Kathmandu valley had been improving from 2003 to 2006, but it has again started deteriorating.
Experts say, significant increase in the number of vehicles inside the Valley, narrow and poorly maintained road network, poor physical condition of vehicles and valley-centered industrialization are among the main reasons for decrease in air quality.
Government initiatives to clean the environment like introduction of environment friendly vehicles including Safa Tempos, removal of old polluting vehicles from the capital, ban on polluting brick kilns, strict monitoring policies and mass awareness during the three years in the past helped improve air quality.
However, according to officials, past initiatives taken to improve air quality lack further continuity and now the level of pollution is on the rise.
According to a report monitored by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MoEST), the amount of particulate matter is gradually increasing in the last one year as the government has stopped its earlier initiatives to control pollution.
The report said air pollution level was 134 micro grams per cubic meter in 2003. Similarly, the level slightly decreased to 129, 121 and 115 micro grams per cubic meter in the following years. However, the level increased to 117 in 2007. The national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for particulate pollutants is 120 micro gram per cubic meter.
"Though, the amount of particulate matter recorded annually is below NAAQS, the daily particulate amount being recorded at several monitoring stations is significantly higher than the national standard," said Bishwa Pudasaini, an official at Environment Standard and Monitoring Department of MoEST.
According to the weekly data of Putalisadak station, the amount of particulate pollutant was above 420 in the first week of January 2008. Similarly, the particulate matter climbed up to 450 in the second week of the same month.
Likewise, in Thamel, the particulate matter was calculated at above 150 micrograms per cubic meter in the first week of January 2008. Another station including Patan hospital and Bhaktapur also calculated the pollution level was more than the national standard in the same period. Only Matsyagaon, the only station away from the city recorded below national standard pollution level in the same period.
"Sources of pollutants are increasing significantly in the Valley," said Bhusan Tuladhar, chief executive director of Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO).
According to him, the major concern is PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 micrometer in diameter) that reaches the furthest parts of the lungs causing serious health diseases.
Pudasaini said, there is lack of manpower to monitor polluting vehicles in the Valley. Similarly, lack of infrastructure at three monitoring stations is also causing problem in monitoring air pollution level, he said.-Post
Related News
(Digg)
(Technorati)
(Blinklists)
(Del.icio.us)
Print 
RSS 
Comments(0)
