Waste burning is getting worse. The air quality in the valley
In Kathmandu, seeing a clear sky has almost become an urban legend. For locals, it seems more and more uncommon to look up and see a clear sky devoid of the dense smog. Many find that the only way to breathe fresh air is to travel to the valley’s outskirts, where the hills provide a moment’s respite from the valley’s pervasive haze. Winter dryness brought on by a lack of rainfall in Kathmandu results in pollution and wildfires. Health risks are associated with this poisonous air. Upadhya is concerned that the authorities have not done enough to effectively address this problem. He emphasizes the need for significant change to improve the living conditions of Kathmandu residents and calls for a thorough and workable plan that could address the underlying causes of the city’s air pollution.
Successful tactics have already been put into place in cities like London, such as establishing “low emission zones” to prevent older, more polluting cars from entering and charging for congestion to promote carpooling and public transportation use. The air quality has greatly improved thanks to tax breaks and the promotion of green spaces for electric vehicles; this could be a model for Kathmandu’s pollution control efforts. People in Kathmandu might soon be able to identify one another by the color of their face masks rather than their faces if the current trend keeps up. Before the city’s air quality gets too bad to ignore, now is the time to take action.
