Brick-kiln workers are unware of dust and smoke hazards

Kathmandu, Oct. 26

About three-fourth of the brick-kiln workers do not know about the chronic diseases caused by the dust and smoke while many of them are the victims of diseases like asthma, cough and pneumonia.

“About 75 per cent workers have no idea about the repercussions of the dust and smokes at the work place which has a severe impact on their health,” concluded a recent report published by the Resource Centre for Primary Health Care (RECPHEC).

Speaking at a programme organised to unveil the findings of the study, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security Sujan Joshi said that more than 200 people die every year in Nepal due to business related accidents. But it is not reported to the ministry.

He suggested conducting labour audit of every industry and business establishment to make the health and lives of the workers safe.

According to him, the lack of awareness in the part of the workers and inability in the part of the employers to implement the health and security measures at the workplace has resulted in the accidents.

“There is a provision that if a worker meets an accident and becomes disabled or is affected by business related diseases, he/she is entitled of monthly pension 60 per cent equivalent to his regular salary,” said Joshi.

Researcher Purna Bhakta Duwal said that the condition of workers at the brick kilns was pathetic since they did not have even a shelter to save them to rest during rain and excessive heat.

About 69.5 per cent workers who became sick due to work-related health hazards had paid the treatment cost themselves and the employers have been bearing a small part of expenditures in case of accidents.

Duwal said that about 33 per cent workers have no idea about the business safety and health.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 27 October 2019. 

HKH conference on air pollution starts in lalitpur

Lalitpur, June 13

With the aim of building a platform for stakeholders from the Hindu-Kush Himalaya region to share and enhance knowledge on air pollution and health, a two-day regional workshop on 'Air Pollution and Health in Nepal and HKH' kicked off here on Thursday.

It is also expected that the workshop will promote further collaboration and research related to air pollution and health impacts in the HKH region.

"The objectives of the programme are gathering existing knowledge and health within Nepal and facilitating south-south learning from elsewhere in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya region, identifying research gaps in air quality and health in Nepal and build future collaborations with likeminded people," said the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the organiser of the event.

Addressing the workshop, Dr. Om Prasad Kurmi, Professor at the Population Health Research Institute at the McMaster University in Canada, said that ventilation reduced the risk of major cardiorespiratory diseases, but the risk was still significant.

He said that the household air pollution was an independent risk factor to major cardiorespiratory outcomes.

"There is a dose-response relationship between duration of exposure to the household air pollution and major cardiorespiratory diseases. Switching to clean fuel reduces such risks," he said.

According to him, the government of Nepal should conduct study to measure whether the improved cookstoves have significant roles in improving public health. He also suggested to promote the use of clean fuel such as electricity. "There must be a concrete plan for the transition from solid fuel to cleaner fuel," said Dr. Kurmi.

Siva Praveen Puppala, an Aerosol Scientist at the ICIMOD, said that the workshop has brought together medical practitioners, atmospheric scientists, sociologists and policymakers from across the region to discuss and communicate the current scientific consensus on air quality and the health impacts of air pollution.

"Although air pollution has caught the attention of the public and policymakers, a considerable gap still exists in the general understanding regarding the health impacts of air pollution in the HKH region, considering the wide range of air pollution sources, pollution transport, exposure patterns, and the region's complex geography," he said.

According to him, the lack of coordination among different organisations working on similar air pollution-related research is a significant problem.

The University of Nottingham is partnering with the ICIMOD in organising the workshop.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 14 June 2019. 

Govt devising action plan to reduce air pollution

Kathmandu, Mar. 22:

The government is formulating an action plan to reduce air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley.

“As there is growing concern about the growing dust and smoke pollution in the Valley, the government has planned to conduct a detailed study and prepare a report on the solution by the end of this fiscal year 2016/17,” said Shankar Prasad Poudel, senior divisional chemist at the Department of Environment, while interacting with the journalists at an interaction on ‘Initiatives on air pollution control’ organized by the Nepal Forum for Environment Journalists (NEFEJ).

He also informed that with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) another such action plan would also be devised in order to contain air pollution across the country.

Southern plain, Terai, is more polluted than the capital city. According to the air pollution statistics of January this year, PM 2.5 concentration was 173 per microgram in Lumbini while it was 113 in Sauraha of Chitwan district and 109 in Ratnapark of Kathmandu.

“The situation is worst in Terai as compared to Kathmandu. But, as the capital city has more aware people including journalists and government officials, it has got more attention,” said Poudel.

“Besides the action plans, the DoE is planning to conduct sample pollution study of about 30 brick kiln in the Valley, developing a pollution monitoring mechanism and temporary solution of the dust pollution created due to pipe laying works for the Melamchi Water Supply Project,” said Poudel.

Recently, a task force has recommended 12 actions to address the dust and pollution in the capital. The report has been submitted to the National Planning Commission.

Dr. Arnico K. Panday, senior atmospheric scientist and coordinator of the Atmosphere Initiative at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said that one third of air pollution at Lumbini had been coming from India.

“There are more than 100,000 brick kilns in South Asia and Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have more than 30,000 kiln while the northern provinces of India are being industrialized in the recent years. These are the major contributors of the pollution,” said Dr. Panday.

According to him, the capital city is ranked as the 261^st among the 3,000 cities around the world in terms of air pollution, and there is more pollution during pre-monsoon and winter seasons.

“Air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley depends not only how much is emitted, but when. Winter months are most critical and monsoon least. Given observed unhealthy PM 2.5 levels, we must reduce emissions from sources like fires, vehicles, industries and diesel generators,” he said.

Rassu Manandhar of Clean Energy Nepal said that in order to improve the quality of air the country needed a clean air action plan, to improve public transportation, promote non-motorized transport, effective waste mechanism and stringent emission and fuel quality standards.   

Restoration of dug road to begin this week

Kathmandu, Feb. 17: The restoration of the road sections that have been dug to lay water pipelines in Kathmandu and Lalitpur is to begin in a couple of days.

“The reinstatement of the roads will be expedited so as to finish it by mid-May 2017,” said director of the Project Implementation Directorate (PID) at the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) Tiresh Prasad Khatri at a press conference on Friday.

He said that of the 200 km section of the main road, 150 km had been dug to lay the pipes.

"The Department of Roads will rehabilitate the roads that fall under its jurisdiction, the rest will be built by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City,” said Khatri.

“A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the concerned parties on this," said Khatri.

The KUKL and the financing partner,the Asian Development Bank (ADB),had called the press conference amidst growing criticism from the public that the road digging had led to extreme air pollution and dust in the city.

Executive director of Sharma and Company, one of the contractors involved in laying the pipeline for the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP), Ramesh Sharma said that the company had tried not to dig the roads, but then there was no alternative.

"We tried to lay the pipelines under the footpath, but that part of the road was cluttered with water pipes, fiber optics and other wires. So, we were left with no option but to dig the road," he said.

However, he said that during the construction of large infrastructure projects like the MWSP, the public must bear with some of the nuisances like dust and traffic disturbances.

Khatri said that the PID of KUKL was aware about the environmental hazardsthe people were having to encounterin the valley and said several measures had been taken to minimise them.

"We are aware that it is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act, 1997, to cause significant adverse impacts on the environment. And the PID-KUKL has adopted the best practices to prevent dust," he said.

According to him, the KUKL had taken the inconvenience and hardships being experienced by the residents of the valley due to pipe laying works and other sources of dustvery seriously, and was committed to taking strict measures to monitor the pollution.

Khatri said that more than 1200 workers were working at 40 different sites with a target to accomplish all the pipe laying works before the completion of the Melamchi tunnel work.

ADB country director Kenichi Yokoyama expressed concern about the growing air pollution due to the pipe laying works and urged the government to adopt the necessary measures.

"But it shouldn't be forgotten that the unprecedented pace of development like the MWSP might create some disturbances,yet the developers must comply with international standards to minimise the adverse impact on the people," he said.

Minister of State for Minister of Water Supply and Sanitation Dipak Khadka said that the government was serious to address the health hazards the people were having to face due to the dust and other pollutants.