Kathmandu. Nepal Engineers Association (NEA) in Pulchowk, Lalitpur has organized an interaction programme on the impact of climate change on water and air pollution. Air pollution levels in other parts of the country, including Kathmandu, have been extremely high over the past few weeks. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has set the maximum safe rate of air pollution at 15 per day, the Government of Nepal has declared up to 50 as safe.
But in the last few weeks, air pollution levels have exceeded 100 to 400, which is considered very unsafe for health. Although the level of air pollution has decreased slightly due to the rain in different parts of Nepal since March 28, the measurement is still around 100.
The keynote speaker of the interaction programme was Senior Advisor of ICIMOD, Dr. Arun Bhakta Shrestha said that there is a direct link between climate change and air pollution. He said that due to lack of air for a long time, the dryness of the air increases and the forest fires and the smoke from the fire will reduce air pollution.
Black carbon from vehicles and industries and carbon dioxide from burning agricultural materials in the field cause air pollution and climate change from that pollution, so climate change and air pollution complement each other. Arun Bhakta Shrestha said.
Chairman of The Water and Meteorologist Society Nepal (SOHAM) Engineer Prof. Dr. Hari Krishna Shrestha said that the soil scattered on the road due to the tires of the vehicles that can be removed from the construction site, the pitch road dug up immediately and the vehicles that remove black smoke have also increased air pollution in Nepal.
Air pollution is being monitored continuously in Nepal and the level of air pollution in Nepal is also very high from the monitoring carried out by organizations like NREN. Hari Krishna Shrestha.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Chandra Bahadur Shrestha stressed the need for policy reforms in transport operations to reduce air pollution. Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Drinking Water, Hari Prasad Sharma, highlighted the government’s measures to reduce the negative impacts of climate change and reduce air pollution and the progress made so far in this regard.
NeA Vice-President Engineer Prakash KC presided over the programme. NeA member engineer Mendra Gurung conducted the program while NEA member engineer Mendra Gurung and nea deputy general secretary Anil Manandhar managed the program.
