Dirty and dangerous

Nepal perhaps needs a policy-level overhaul to cut air pollution from vehicles.

It is no secret that fossil fuel-powered vehicles pollute the air and harm public health. They spew noxious greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. These emissions add to Nepal’s mounting air quality crisis, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, which often tops the global ranking of the most polluted cities. This is evident from a preliminary test of diesel vehicles conducted by the traffic police in coordination with the Department of Environment and the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) in the Babarmahal area in Kathmandu last Monday. Of 20 vehicles tested, only 14 passed the test, while the rest released black smoke beyond permissible levels. But it is not as easy as it seems to phase out these chemical-spewing vehicles off our roads.