Fresh air, fresh lack in Kathmandu Valley

Citizens in the Nepali capital Kathmandu, tormented by a four-month fuel crisis and an unending power outage, recently find themselves surrounded by increasingly deteriorating air, a new inextricable labyrinth.

It is not easy to go out for a blow in Kathmandu where the spring wind often blows particles of dust around pedestrians, plastic bags billowing in the breeze. Many people, including motorists, have to wear anti-dust mask, a must even for some who run for exercise in the early morning.

Kathmandu Valley, surrounded by mountains on all four sides like a bowl, however, refuses to be made the whipping boy for the air pollution.

Road expansion drive launched by the government about half a year ago to ease traffic congestion in the Valley couldn't be a more obvious promoter. Many structures were pulled down, dozens of trees chopped and some green spaces demolished during the road widening.

The chance of finding a lung in the dry season is slim in the 50 sq km valley, which has become more crowded and more polluted due to urban settlements extremely popular in this landlocked nation and continually encroaching on the realm of fresh air.

Strolling about in a park, a common enjoyment for citizens in many other cities around the world, is a luxury in the Valley with only four major parks. They look lethargic, sucking too much exhaust gas.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City authority is reportedly planning to better the prevailing situation of those parks awaiting proper care and maintenance. But, to keep the air quality of the smoky valley at bay, there are more urgent things to do than to improve the very limited green spaces.

Stopping unnecessarily and avoidable burning is a tangible way on tap. Man and woman on the street in Nepal like to burn something, which is sowing dragon's teeth. They burn wood to keep warm or to cook. They burn garbage to keep clean or just for pleasure. Farmers burn off the fields. Protesters burn up tyres. Burning permeates their everyday life so commonly that smoke abatement becomes difficulty on the bowl-like landform.

Do not forget scientists' golden saying - Only a limited amount of air is forever available to us, the more you burn, the more you replace good air with bad.

(Xinhua released this story on March 20, 2012.)