<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e39ffe9c7e80680e0d7018jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365"/><figcaption>All Photos: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>All things considered, living in Kathmandu has been unusually pleasant this winter. The temperature has been relatively mild, visibility has not been too bad, and there are majestic views of Himalayan peaks to the north.Records show that even the air is relatively cleaner than previous winters when the Air Quality Index (AQI), sometimes, was as bad as 700 — 14 times higher than the WHO standard. Brick kilns are not operating, no major construction projects are starting soon due to the economic slump, and the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-is-going-up-in-smoke/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wildfire season</a> has not yet started in earnest.But we should not be fooled by all this. Hospitals in Kathmandu have seen a sharp increase in patients visiting for respiratory ailments this winter, even though Covid-19 cases are negligible.“From regular cold, cough and wheezing, to bronchitis, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD], we are seeing a marked increase in patients, primarily because of Kathmandu’s dry, cold and polluted air,” says pulmonary specialist at HAMS hospital, Raju Pangeni.He adds: “Children and elderly are at most risk, and I advise everyone to try not to undertake any activities that will worsen air quality or avoid those that will expose them to bad air.”Indeed, while AQI reading in Kathmandu is nowhere near breaking records, it exceeded the 200 mark some mornings this week in parts of the Valley. This is considered unhealthy for all populations. The air quality is much worse in Tarai towns bordering India because of transboundary pollution, local industrial emissions, as well as the thick and persistent fog that engulfed the Indo-Gangetic plains all week.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/no-smoke-without-fire-in-kathmandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open burning of waste</a> is one of the biggest sources of air pollution in Kathmandu in winter. During bitingly cold winter mornings, people huddle around garbage fires in street corners that give off carcinogenic gases like dioxin and carbon monoxide.A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32628470/#article-details" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 regional study</a> found ‘that garbage burning emissions could increase PM2.5 concentrations by nearly 30% in India and Nepal, and result in some 300,000 premature deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the two countries.’According to another <a href="https://old.risingnepaldaily.com/main-news/open-trash-burning-polluting-valley-environment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 research by Kathmandu University</a>, some 9% of the capital’s waste is burned, adding to its hazardous levels of pollution. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X18304963" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tribhuvan University survey in 2016</a> said that open burning in Nepal was three times as high as government estimates.“Compared to some of the other sources, the total contribution of garbage burning to levels of air pollutants is less well-understood but it is an important contributor, especially in urban areas,” says Pallavi Pant of the Health Effects Institute, a Boston-based non-profit specialising in research on the health effects of air pollution.She adds: “Open burning of waste can also contribute to ozone formation, and is a source of benzene, a cancer-causing compound. Recent studies in South Asian countries have included garbage burning as an important source of fine particulate matter or PM2.5.”Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/warning-breathing-is-hazardous-to-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WARNING: Breathing is hazardous to health</a>, Sonia Awale<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a0029c7e80680e0d7019jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1250" height="986"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Kathmandu and major urban centres in Nepal are seeing a worrying rise in the prevalence of non-communicable and chronic diseases, which in turn is making Nepalis poorer because they have to pay expensive medical bills. While there are multiple factors involved, exposure to carcinogens is one big risk.“By burning garbage we are not only inhaling toxins but contaminating our water resources and, in turn, our very food system. So without us ever knowing or even getting directly involved, carcinogens enter our lives often causing irreparable damage,” warns Raju Pangeni. “No wonder people who have never smoked are getting cancers or individuals with no family history of chronic illnesses are getting sick.”The irony here is that putting a stop to open garbage burning could be one of the easier things the Valley’s municipalities could do — instead of going after sidewalk vegetable vendors.“Our research over the past decade has shown that up to a quarter of winter-time air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley is from open burning of garbage,” explains atmospheric scientist Arnico Pandey who is now a central committee member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, the fourth largest party in Parliament and whose chair Rabi Lamichhane is the Home Minister.“This is a very low-hanging fruit to improve air quality … municipalities are empowered to stop garbage burning, but have shown very little interest to date. Stopping it would require both punitive action by the city police as well as better managed and predictably scheduled garbage pick-up services.”In November 2022, Kathmandu Metropolitan City banned open burning of waste. Back in 2018, the Supreme Court also prohibited open burning in the Valley. And yet, burning continues — another manifestation of the chronic implementation failure from which Nepal suffers.A blanket ban alone is not a solution. It is equally important to educate people about the dangers of burning trash and provide them with a better municipal waste disposal system.“The issue of garbage burning is complex, especially because it can be very widespread, and trends can vary significantly from location to location,” adds Pallavi Pant. “Similar to residential use of biomass, charcoal, dung, etc. as a cooking fuel, it is also important to consider socio-economic factors that prompt people to burn garbage.”Garbage burning in winter to keep oneself warm is tied to the  <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-still-dying-of-cold/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">economic status of people</a>. The very fact that Nepal witnesses hundreds of deaths every winter because of cold is proof enough that structural changes are required, not just a piecemeal approach.Says environmental activist Bhushan Tuladhar: “A ban on garbage burning is a good start but we need a sustained and strategic campaign to phase it out, backed by effective implementation of policies, public awareness and cleaner, healthier alternatives.”Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/no-smoke-without-fire-in-kathmandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No smoke without fire in Kathmandu</a>, Tom Robertson<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a0069c7e80680e0d701ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><h3>Garbage in garbage out</h3>Kathmandu Valley generates over 1,200 tonnes of solid waste every day. Of this, nearly 75% ends up in the landfill site in Nuwakot, while the rest is burned, left in open spaces, or dumped into the Bagmati.Municipal waste is an ecosystem of its own with perishables and non-biodegradable garbage often mixed together because of a lack of segregation. They can contain food items, plastics and paper, to metals and construction materials.When burned, plastics release toxic gases, like dioxins, furans (C4H4O), mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. Even a plain sheet of paper often contains chlorine which when burned also gives off dioxin associated with cancers and congenital defects.Similarly, dry ink in books and newspapers generates lead which in any amount is harmful to children and their mental growth. Burning heavy metals like cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) all produce carcinogens, while burning wood emits carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx).Solid waste management is becoming a huge concern for Kathmandu residents. The lack of a reliable municipal system has left people to fend for themselves, and most do not even segregate waste. Mayor Balen Shah’s announcement last year that he would mandate segregation of waste has been all but forgotten.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a00a9c7e80680e0d701bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="258" height="708">Even before segregating waste, Kathmandu residents could reduce, recycle and turn much of the household garbage into compost. Studies have revealed that Kathmandu’s waste can be reduced by as high as 80% if proper segregation, reuse and recycling were in place.

Sonia Awale

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Kathmandu's toxic trash

<figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c759c7e80680e0b786ejpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: ALEX PROIMOS/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS</figcaption></figure>Perhaps the most overlooked source of the tiny particulate matter that makes <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=bead8272edd0f2143&amp;q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/things-are-up-in-the-air-in-nepal/">Kathmandu’s air so hazardous</a> is the open burning of household waste. Even in wealthy areas, lawyers, teachers, and doctors burn yard waste and garbage, including plastics. In doing so, they endanger their own health and that of their neighbours.Most people -- even government officials – do not realise the scale of the problem. ‘Open burning of municipal solid waste,’ Tribhuvan University's <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X18304963" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bhubendra Das has written</a>, ‘is a poorly-characterized and frequently-underestimated source of air pollution in developing countries.’In a 2018 study, Das and his team discovered that Nepal has three times as much <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-is-going-up-in-smoke/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open burning</a> as officials think. The topic is often misunderstood. ‘Unlike vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions,’ Das writes, ‘the common public and elected officials are relatively unaware of the significance and harmful impacts of open burning.’A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32628470/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 study</a> found that garbage burning increased PM2.5 concentrations by nearly 30% in India and Nepal, and kills thousands upon thousands each year.Another recent study, by Kathmandu University’s Prof Khanal and Kundan Chaudhary, shows that <a href="https://risingnepaldaily.com/main-news/open-trash-burning-polluting-valley-environment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">9% of Kathmandu's waste is burned.</a> That means Valley residents burn one in every 10 plastic bags, toothbrushes, and plastic buckets, launching toxic contaminants into the open air. Imagine the putrid fumes of a fire with all these plastic bags, toothbrushes, and buckets in the open lot next to your house, blowing into your young child’s window. Read also: <a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/everest-garbage-caravan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Everest garbage caravan</a>, Sonia Awale<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Kathmandu-waste-management-problem-solution,1416">Waste should not be wasted</a>, Bhrikuti Rai <figure><img width="800" height="534" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c789c7e80680e0b786fjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>In Kathmandu, the open waste burning epidemic is tied to the city’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/a-load-of-rubbish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">waste disposal problem</a>. The two are linked. ‘People fail to realise that by burning waste, you are simply transporting the waste from the land to the air we breathe, which will ultimately affect our health,’ Shilshila Acharya, director at the waste management company Avni Ventures, recently told the <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/climate-environment/2021/12/11/open-waste-burning-rife-across-country-for-lack-of-management-mechanisms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kathmandu Post</a>.Much of Kathmandu’s<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-can-kill-you/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> deadly air</a> starts as waste  – the dried plant matter, plastics of all kinds, and other household items that we no longer find useful. Burning it becomes the easy way to get rid of it – except that it often returns as the tiny toxic particles that we breathe into our lungs.Traditionally, Kathmandu households collected waste in empty lots. The Newar scholar <a href="https://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/files/2015/04/Lewis-Punya-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Todd Lewis has written</a>, ‘have long designated certain small side courtyards as garbage dumping spaces called sāga, places that were to be cleaned out once a year.’ Government sweepers also helped clear away refuse.Over the decades, Mary Slusser observed, Kathmandu’s inner core, which sat on a bluff above the Bishumati, was extended outward by filling in low areas with refuse. Buildings erected on such unstable land sometimes collapsed during the rainy season.But, as early as the 1960s, Kathmandu’s garbage began piling up. In 1966, Gorkhapatra reported about ‘the heaps of garbage from courtyards and lanes’ endangering public health.1 ‘Some portions of the city,’ it warned, ‘are dirty and constitute a danger to public health. Prompt action is necessary.’Prompt action did not arrive.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/where-to-take-a-dump/">Where to take a dump</a>, Bhushan Tuladhar <figure><img width="850" height="638" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c7b9c7e80680e0b7870jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Increasingly, Kathmanduites turned to a convenient dumping ground: the Valley's sacred <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/backside/Unidentified-floating-objects,244" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">waterways</a>. ‘Domestic and shop refuse,’ a 1971 WHO report noted, ‘is either thrown into the street or allowed to accumulate in private courtyards.’ But refuse swept up from the streets ‘is carried in baskets to one of the rivers, where it is dumped in the river bed or on the bank, thereby attracting flies and rats, and causing foul odours, water pollution and the desecration of beautiful scenery.’Tourists, the report added, often complained about stench and eyesore. That was 1971, 50 years ago. Today, it is hard to imagine that Kathmandu's growing reputation as one of the world's most polluted places is attracting people to the city. It is astonishing that a city that makes its money from tourism pays so little attention to the pollution that tourists find so revolting. Kathmandu is hardly the first city that has struggled to dispose of its waste. In the US and other parts of the world, waste has long been a problem. But other places have built systems that keep the water and air cleaner.In mid 19th-century American cities, garbage was given to pigs or “swill children” who piled it in carts. These children scavenged edible parts, sold compost to farmers, and sold the metal, bones, and bottles to junk dealers. Ragmen sold rags for making paper. Women fed leftover scraps to chickens and pigs. But the system collapsed in the late 19th century: with industrialisation and new consumer items and packaging, the waste piles grew into mountains. City governments responded aggressively, taking control of waste management. Some cities burned, others dumped. Chicago dumped its waste into Lake Michigan, St. Louis and New Orleans into the Mississippi River. In 1886, New York City pitched 80% of its 1.3 million cartloads of garbage into the sea. Neither burning nor dumping was friendly to the environment.And despite these efforts, by the mid 20th century America’s waste situation had grown dire. As manufacturers began to build “planned obsolescence” into their products, and as Americans grew more and more obsessed with consumption, convenience, and disposability, waste exploded. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-covid-19-plastic-pandemic/">The COVID-19 plastic pandemic</a>, Sonia Awale and Ramesh KumarBetween 1940 and 1968, Americans doubled their per capita waste, from 2 to 4 pounds each year (about 1 kg to 2 kg per person). Much was plastic packaging. By 1964, the nation’s 192 million people each consumed 2,000 packages a year – 384,000,000,000 in total. In 1976, Americans purchased more plastic by volume than all steel, copper, and aluminum combined. Something similar happened in Kathmandu, only more recently. Indeed, just as the US and other countries were organising to clean their water and air in the 1970s, Nepal was beginning to drown under unmanaged solid waste, one cause of its dirty air. Nepal’s history is particularly tragic because, with waste, Kathmandu actually had many good traditions to draw upon. As late as the 1970s and 1980s, when I first came to Nepal, Kathmanduites survived without much stuff. They reused things. They turned plastic milk bags into flower containers. Little shops bundled goods in newspaper or old student homework. At celebrations, people served food on plates made from leaves, not plastic. With such gentle traditions, Kathmandu could have avoided the problems that plagued cities elsewhere. But Kathmandu lost these good habits. One friend recently marvelled to me how, when she was young, her family were so eco-friendly. They produced almost no non-biodegradable garbage. They recycled and re-used. They didn't have to reduce because they never used much in the first place. But, she eventually realised, these habits were not a product of environmental consciousness. They came by necessity, not by design. They grew not from an ecological awareness or sense of responsibility. No environmental sensibility was at work. Just as soon as her family found cheap plastic bags, plates, and cups easy to come by, they abandoned their environmentally-friendly ways to become champion polluters.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/what-will-nepal-do-with-its-e-waste/">What will Nepal do with its e-waste?</a>, Sonia AwaleEven if until not long ago Kathmanduites needed only a few things, most of which they found locally, recently their "needs" have mushroomed, usually driven or flown in from far away, sometimes hundreds and even thousands of kilometers away. ‘With more ‘stuff’ available to buy and more money to buy it,’ environmental journalist Cheryl Colopy writes in her excellent <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/regional-cooperation/south-asias-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Third Pole</a><a href="_wp_link_placeholder"> essay</a> "Why are South Asia's Rivers so Filthy," ‘there is more to throw away.’  And often, Colopy notes, the junk goes into rivers. But Kathmanduites have also found another convenient solution: burning. If the US is a "throwaway society," then Nepal is a "throw-it-and-burn-it" society. Burning is a familiar, easy option. And, for anyone who breathes, it’s also hazardous. <figure><img width="640" height="963" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c7d9c7e80680e0b7871jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>One reason why burning is so familiar is that most Nepalis, even in urban areas, come from rural areas. Agricultural societies routinely deploy fire. And in monsoon Nepal, where heavy rain leads to explosive plant growth, fire can be an essential dry-season tool. People have brought these habits to the city. ‘Nepal,’ <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/editorial/2020/04/12/it-s-the-brick-kilns" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a 2020 </a>Kathmandu Post editorial noted, ‘has a long history of open burning being culturally accepted. Every year, people throughout the country take the opportunity of a dry spring season to clear out the bramble and weeds that have encroached upon their lands over the previous year.’  All this burning adds up, especially in a big, dense settlement in a small, bowl-like Valley. ‘A few practicing such burning tactics would not be an issue. But with the population on the rise, this has become a significant challenge,’ notes <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/editorial/2020/04/12/it-s-the-brick-kilns" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the </a>Post.Most of the Valley’s open burning, the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X18304963" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research shows</a>, is concentrated on the city’s edge and in residential compounds. On the city’s outskirts, there’s more yard waste than in the city core but also insufficient and irregular waste disposal services. Indeed, in the Valley’s smaller towns, 50% of waste goes uncollected. This soon begins to smell and look foul. It attracts pests. Burning is one way to "solve" the problem, to make it go away.Ignorance and negligence also play a role. Many wealthy residents routinely burn their garbage, including plastics, and yard waste, even though they have other options. When neighbours complain, they give excuses, dismiss the problem, or blame their servants. It is clear that values need to shift, and the authorities need to step in. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/managing-everests-waste-problem/">Managing Everest's waste problem</a>, Alton C Byers <figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c809c7e80680e0b7872jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Reducing waste burning is one important way to clear up Kathmandu’s air. It’s not hard. Indeed, it’s "the simplest way to make improvements,” says Bhushan Tuladhar. “It is controllable."Three things would help: a better waste disposal system, with separation of waste at source; more awareness; and strict enforcement. "With a little strong enforcement, a big change is possible," adds Tuladhar.Open burning should not be so hard to stop in urban areas. Plumes of smoke can be seen from a distance. You can find the fires easily. And the Supreme Court ban on open burning in the Valley in 2018 has made it doable. But people still openly burn. Open burning seems another manifestation of Nepal’s implementation crisis.The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/wildfires-in-nepal-cause-air-quality-to-plummet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">burning of agricultural waste</a> in fields is more difficult. It is hard to dispose of stubble without fire. But yard waste and garbage burning is different. It’s the “low hanging fruit” in controlling air pollution. "Changing transport is hard. You need to change the whole system,” says Tuladhar. “It’s the same with brick kilns; you need to change a big industry. But open burning should be preventable."Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepali-entrepreneur-turns-trash-into-cash/">Nepali entrepreneur turns trash into cash</a>, Naresh NewarTom Robertson, PhD., is an environmental historian and creator of the “Mitho Lekhai” YouTube channel. His article “<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/conservation-at-the-crossroads/">Conservation at the Crossroads</a>” appeared in Nepali Times on 25 January 2022 and “<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/kathmandus-flash-floods-are-4-decades-in-the-making/">Kathmandu’s ‘Flash Floods’ are 4 Decades in the Making</a>,” on 25 July 2021.[1] “Public Health,” Gorkhapatra, May 22, 1966, as found in Regmi Research Project, 527/66.

No smoke without fire in Kathmandu

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111128/636cd3129c7e80680e08f94ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="641"/><figcaption>Photo: NEPALI TIMES ARCHIVE</figcaption></figure>Along with poor quality of education, unaffordable healthcare, lack of safe drinking water, crumbling infrastructure, Nepalis have learnt not to expect anything from any government.So, even if they are seething inside, there is no visible outrage over the toxic air we are all forced to breathe.In 2019 alone, 42,100 people died directly of air pollution in Nepal. Residents of Kathmandu will have lifespans reduced by up to four years due to dirty air. Even unborn babies are affected by their mothers’ long-term exposure to pollutants.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dirty-politics-dirty-air/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dirty-politics-dirty-air/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611204654166000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEaqcXQ35101er4kLPkBXJlJSmXdw">Dirty air</a> has increased chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-thickness-we-breathe/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-thickness-we-breathe/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611204654166000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGq-gT7u0iIkQAYH0Ttc3u9mspgSQ">asthma</a>, cancer, and cardiac arrest. Air quality in the capital is now so bad, Nepalis are becoming ‘pollution refugees’ – those emigrating to escape the poisonous air.Vehicular emissions, especially from diesel trucks and buses, make up 38% of pollutants in Kathmandu. There are nearly 1 million two-wheelers in Kathmandu that spew out deadly gases like carbon monoxide. Yet, the number of vehicles in the Valley is increasing at 22% a year. Nepal’s import of diesel has tripled in the past ten years.Annual emission tests are mandatory, but a green sticker <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611204654166000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGhwWcddEO6-dtGR64IhE9bPQHfvQ">can easily be bought</a>, and even home-delivered for the right price. There are no emission tests for vehicles like the breathalyser tests for drivers.A police campaign against drinking and driving brought down the number of traffic accidents all over Nepal by 90% in the past years, saving hundreds of lives. If driver exhalation can be checked for alcohol, why not vehicle exhaust for pollutants? Governance failure. Corruption.We know the causes of air pollution in Kathmandu Valley (vehicles, brick kilns, open fires, roadside dust, in that order). We know the solutions (emission checks, clean bricks, strict monitoring). It is not a lost cause to combat air pollution—all it needs is public pressure and the political will to implement known solutions.As clean air activist, Bhusan Tuladhar recalls in an interview with this week’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-is-hazardous-to-health/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-is-hazardous-to-health/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611204654167000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG4_jlgvySosjc9eGQzXIBG6YC7ZQ">Saglo Samaj</a>, Kathmandu’s citizens rose up against diesel Vikram three-wheelers in the 1990s. The government responded by replacing them with battery-operated ones. When neighbourhoods barricaded killer kilns in Bhaktapur, the government forced them to adopt cleaner technology.Since transportation is the main culprit, Kathmandu’s answer to clean air is an efficient and reliable mass transit system. Even better: electric public transport. The state has accumulated Rs7 billion from the prevailing Clean Air Tax on fossil fuels, use that for a clean energy transition.But the government has been taking one step forward, two steps back. Prime Minister K P Oli announced two years ago that 20% of vehicles in Nepal would be battery-powered by 2020. But his finance minister Yubaraj Khatiwada re-imposed taxes on electric cars last year.Polluting brick kilns are back in operation, but those will be eventually driven out by urban sprawl. Real estate prices will make land in Kathmandu Valley more valuable for housing than clay-mining to fire bricks. The other big contributor to Kathmandu’s increasing pollution is open garbage burning. In winter, about 5% of solid waste in the Valley is burnt in the open. Municipalities must have a workable solid waste management plan, and impose hefty fines for open garbage burning.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/air-pollution-is-more-dangerous-than-smoking/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/air-pollution-is-more-dangerous-than-smoking/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611204654167000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFWq5UP8P2EBdion6iA13A9x3Bi4g">Air pollution</a> in Kathmandu is a direct result of political failure. It shows a singular lack of accountability on the part of elected representatives to reducing it— even if they only did it to protect their own health.Air pollution is not just an environmental problem. When the Air Quality Index (AQI) hits 300 every day in winter, it is a public health emergency. It is an economic issue because it is proof that our economy is also going up in smoke. It is a political problem, and evidence that our democracy did not elect people who care for and protect citizens.The central government has failed miserably, it is the responsibility of mayors, metros and municipalities to step in. The Constitution has devolved decision-making to them, and they will be held responsible by the people if they fail to act.In summary, here are tried and tested solutions that all tiers of government can implement immediately:<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;">Invest in electric public transport, charging stations</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Conduct effective emission tests, enforce compliance</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Control open fires, manage and recycle solid waste</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Promote cycling, clear footpaths for walking</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Switch to clean bricks</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Promote electric stoves</li></ul>Read also: <a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-is-hazardous-to-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Breathing is hazardous to health</a>

Polluted politics

https://youtu.be/0E0s-5VtGU4Rekha Thapa of Dailekh, in far western Nepal had a job in Kathmandu after graduation, but she was not able to join. Not because it would mean distance from her family, but because of respiratory problems caused by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/air-pollution-is-more-dangerous-than-smoking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">severe air pollution in the capital</a>.“I have asthma,” says Thapa. “Dailekh may not have modern health facilities, but at least the air there is fresh.”Ram Bahadur Shahi, 65, is also an <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-thickness-we-breathe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">asthma patient</a>, and can breathe without problems in his home village in Kavre. But as soon as he comes to Kathmandu, the dust and the smog make him wheeze and he has difficulty breathing.We cannot measure the impact of air pollution directly, as we can with blood pressure or glucose level. Nonetheless, it kills as many people as does chronic diseases, if not more. One study showed that in 2019 alone, 42,100 Nepalis died directly due to dirty air, and the average lifespan of a resident of Kathmandu is cut by nearly 4 years.“Air pollution affects all parts of the human body and even unborn babies. It is carcinogenic and about 43% of asthma deaths are cases that are aggravated by dirty air,” says cardiologist, Bhagwan Koirala.But for something as lethal as that, what is surprising is the lack of public outrage. Clean air activist Bhusan Tuladhar attributes it to the lack of a direct causal link. “When a patient dies of respiratory problems, the hospital’s death certificate does not mention ‘air pollution’ as the cause of death,” Tuladhar said in a Saglo Samaj interview (see below).Air quality in Kathmandu <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/kathmandu-air-pollution-hits-record-high/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">is now so bad</a> that there are now ‘pollution refugees’ who have decided to emigrate to other parts of the country, if not abroad, for health reasons. “Parents visiting their children in Australia need no medication there but as soon as they return to Kathmandu, they have to be admitted to hospitals,” says pulmonary specialist, Raju Pangeni.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111128/636cd2fb9c7e80680e08f942jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Kathmandu's air pollution is hazardous to health. Photos: SAGLO SAMAJ</figcaption></figure>Two weeks ago, the Air quality index (AQI) in the capital hit record high levels. A <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dirty-politics-dirty-air/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dirty-politics-dirty-air/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611115453107000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE0zPVkVGIT59IE5o9KvcX7d0roKg">Nepali Times monitoring team</a> on 6 January morning, recorded AQI at 450 at Bagmati Bridge and above 300 in most parts of the city. And that was on a good day.Diesel vehicles are among the worst polluters in Kathmandu, and the number of buses and trucks are increasing exponentially. Ten years ago, Nepal’s annual diesel import from India was only about 500,000 kilolitres. Today, it is nearly 1,500,000 kilolitres. The number of vehicles in Kathmandu Valley is increasing every year by at least 22%.Green stickers can be bought under the counter, and there are no emission checks on the streets. There is a lack of political will to relocate brick kilns, among the major sources of suspended particulate matter. Municipalities have done little to nothing to control open garbage burning.Correct government policy interventions were allowed to lapse. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/a-walk-back-in-time-chandragiri-hatiban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cargo ropeways</a> to Hetauda used to transport up to 25 tons of cargo a day. The Kathmandu-Bhaktapur trolley bus system was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/kathmandu-bhaktapur-trolley-bus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">allowed to rot away</a> after serving commuters for over 30 years.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111128/636cd2fe9c7e80680e08f943jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="844"><figcaption>The once iconic trolley bus in ruins.</figcaption></figure>But there were examples of citizen action that forced politicians to reduce air pollution. Battery-operated Safa three-wheelers replaced diesel Vikram tempos, and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=bead8272edd0f2143&amp;q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/brick-factories-still-using-old-polluting-technology,2078&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj4rrKGl6fuAhVPzDgGHTAVDMoQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dMIeAXsjN47r_-9W_Tx01" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brick kilns</a> were regulated. But there has been no follow-up to encourage electric public transport, and the kilns are back. And after announcing two years ago that 20% of vehicles in Nepal would be battery-powered by 2020, Prime Minister Oli’s government <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-electric-shock-to-nepals-energy-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">re-imposed taxes on electric cars</a> last year.The biggest impediment to clean air is the lack of political will. After all, if Kathmandu could so effectively curb drinking and driving with breathalyser tests, why is it so difficult to conduct effective emission checks? There is now Rs7 billion accumulated from pollution tax, that could be invested in clean public transport and charging infrastructure.“Air pollution is not just an environmental problem” In an interview on the Saglo Samaj tv magazine program, urban planner and clean air activist, Bhushan Tuladhar explains the challenges of achieving better air quality. Excerpt:Saglo Samaj: Which parts of Kathmandu Valley are at more risk of air pollution?Bhushan Tuladhar: Everyone who breathes in Kathmandu is at risk. Some places are more polluted than others, but even the least polluted areas have pollution levels much higher than that recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). But neighbourhoods near traffic, brick kilns and firewood burning are most exposed.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111128/636cd3029c7e80680e08f944jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="844"><figcaption>Urban planner and environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar</figcaption></figure>Recently our team went out across the town with air pollution monitoring devices. Bagmati Bridge had the worst air quality.That is because Bagmati Bridge has constant flow of vehicles and traffic jams throughout the day. And most of these are from motorcycles, which make up 80% of vehicles in Kathmandu.  They emit invisible poisonous gases. What are the main sources of air pollution in Kathmandu?The main source of pollution is transport, followed by brick kilns, garbage burning and firewood for cooking. But during winter, an inversion layer traps smoke and dust in this bowl-shaped Valley with no outlet. And we keep adding to it until it suffocates us, which is what happened two weeks ago.What is the solution?Use of firewood for cooking is decreasing and brick kilns have also adopted cleaner technology. But people still burn their garbage in many places, including Kathmandu. So, local representatives can be mobilised to discourage garbage burning. We need an efficient and reliable mass transit system. The per capita emission of public transport is much lower. Only 27% of the rides in Kathmandu are on buses, we need to double it. And if we can convert to electric buses, it will be even cleaner.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111128/636cd3049c7e80680e08f945jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="844"><figcaption>Transport is the biggest source of air pollution in Kathmandu Valley.</figcaption></figure>If air pollution is so hazardous, why are people not outraged?Air pollution is a silent killer. When a patient dies of respiratory problems, the hospital’s death certificate does not mention ‘air pollution’ as the cause of death. So, people do not see the linkages between dirty air and dangerous diseases.Is there hope that elected local governments now have decision-making power?Municipalities have to take the lead now. The federal government should just backstop the measures and provide guidance. Air pollution is not just an environmental problem. It is a public health and economic issue and we have to treat it as such.This interview is based on the fourth episode of  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saglosamaj" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/saglosamaj&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1611115453108000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGZ6Kvd04aAdnsNvsEWbfXcRmfp-g">Saglo Samaj</a>, a tv magazine program produced by Himalmedia which is broadcast every Monday, at 8:30 pm on Dish Home Channel 130. Go online to watch a trailer of the program.

Breathing is hazardous to health

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1809c7e80680e08f8b9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="880" height="864"/>That Nepal’s political leadership does not care about the health of its people is abundantly clear from its handling of the Covid-19 crisis. However, they do not seem to worry even about their own health.In the past months, they have been attending crowded indoor meetings without adequate precautions against the coronavirus. And Kathmandu’s worsening air pollution crisis, which the politicians have done nothing to address, also affects their lungs.On Wednesday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the maroon ‘Hazardous’ range in Singha Darbar (380), Minister’s Quarters in Pulchok (380) and the official residence of the president at Shital Nibas (360).The air quality in the seats of power was in fact worse than in other parts of the capital – Kalanki intersection had an AQI of 320. Generally, the western edges of the Valley have relatively better air quality because of prevailing winds.Between 8-9AM on 6 January Nepali Times reporters fanned out across the city with ambient air quality monitoring kits to measure pollution levels. At every point, the combined US AQI readings were much above 300 -- more than 10 times higher than what the WHO regards as safe. (See map)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O09yyIejAlsAQI measurements:Patan Dhoka: 380Kupondole: 430Bagmati bridge: 450Tripureshwor: 450Teku: 420Kalimati: 455Balkhu: 320Kalanki: 320Swayambhu: 340Balaju: 370Maharajgunj: 360US Embassy: 360Shital Niwas: 355Japanese Embassy: 310Lazimpat: 330Thamel: 330Darbar Marg: 350Tudikhel: 370Singha Darbar: 380Maitighar: 390Naya bus park: 330This is a measurement of the concentration of tiny particles in the air, including really harmful ones less than <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics">2.5 microns in diameter</a>, which can lodge deep in the lungs, and are small enough to enter the bloodstream.The results show that although AQI had improved after surpassing a record 500 on 4-5 January, it was still at extremely harmful levels on Wednesday morning. In fact, in Kopundole, Tripureswor and Kalimati, AQI recorded levels above 450.By afternoon, bright sunshine and a fresh westerly breeze helped blow the smog away. Kathmandu was emitting pollution, it was just that the dirty air was being exported to districts to the east. From there, much of it was transported up the mountains for the soot to be deposited on Himalayan glaciers, making them melt even faster.Despite the majestic view of Langtang and Dorje Lakpa to the north, AQI in Patan still hovered between 200-300 on Wednesday afternoon. At one point, a neighbour set fire to refuse and the AQI spiked to 450 within minutes.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1829c7e80680e08f8bajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3392" height="2316"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“People are blaming weather for poor air quality, but we are polluting the air throughout the year. On Monday and Tuesday, the pollutants were trapped and had nowhere to go,” says clean air activist Bhushan Tuladhar.Experts say that Monday and Tuesday’s exceptionally bad air quality in Kathmandu only stood out because it was visible. Open fires, brick kilns, vehicular emission, last week’s wildfires in the mountains, and cross-border industrial smog combined with winter inversion <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/kathmandu-air-pollution-hits-record-high/">trapped pollutants</a> in the bowl-shaped Valley.Back in May, for the first time in many years, Mt Everest at a distance of 200km <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/when-the-air-is-clean/">was visible from Kathmandu</a>. One factor was zero vehicular emissions and brick kilns shutting because of the lockdown.Kathmandu’s air pollution is a clear indication of governance failure. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute/">Corruption in emission checks</a> for green stickers, the lack of political will to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/brick-factories-still-using-old-polluting-technology,2078">relocate brick kilns</a>, and the inability of the municipalities to control <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/nepali-times-search/?q=garbage+burning">garbage burning</a>.Last year, the Cabinet decided that it would declare a health emergency if AQI exceeded 300 and take measures to reduce vehicles on the roads. If it followed its own rules, the government should declare an emergency every day to protect public health.However, the ruling Nepal Communist Party has been in a crisis ever since Prime Minister K P Oli dissolved the Lower House on 20 December, and called for snap polls. The government is too preoccupied to pay attention to the double whammy of Covid-19 and air pollution.“This is a grave threat to public health, the government should have declared an emergency and taken urgent measures to curb pollution,” says Bhushan Tuladhar.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1859c7e80680e08f8bbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="3000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This week, all major newspapers, radio stations and tv shows for the first time made air pollution their main news headline. But as blue skies returned, people were back on the streets oblivious to still-high pollution levels.And this was just the particles in the air, there are also poisonous invisible gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, sulphur dioxide and surface ozone. Studies have shown that most of these gases are emitted by motorcycles and scooters, of which there are 1.5 million in Kathmandu Valley alone and more are being added every day.Most Kathmandu residents are now wearing masks to protect themselves from both Covid-19 as well as particulates in the air, but masks cannot filter highly poisonous gases like carbon monoxide.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111124/636cd1899c7e80680e08f8bcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1575" height="1181">During the AQI measurement trip on Wednesday, all the sources of pollution were visible: garbage burning by the banks of the Vishnumati, cargo trucks at Kalanki spewing putrid black smoke, people warming hands by a roadside fire, dust rising from sidewalks.The problem with Kathmandu’s air quality is not so much the spike that happened on two days this week, but long-term exposure to dangerously high levels of pollution. A 2018 WHO report said such sustained exposure to dirty air could <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/air-pollution-decreases-life-span,3999">reduce average lifespans by nearly four years</a>. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/double-whammy-air-pollution-and-covid-19/">State of Global Air</a> report said air pollution was directly responsible for 42,100 deaths in Nepal in 2019.During the lockdown, there was sharp fall in the number of people with chronic respiratory illnesses, and it looked like masks and distancing to prevent Covid-19 protected many from other infections.But Raju Pangeni, pulmonary specialist at HAMS Hospital says the numbers went up as winter set in, and vehicles returned to the streets. He says, “In the last two months we are back to nearly as many patients as we did this time of the year.”There are solutions to the Kathmandu’s worsening air quality. The municipalities have not been able to relocate <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=bead8272edd0f2143&amp;q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/brick-factories-still-using-old-polluting-technology,2078&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjyk8-dvojuAhXNhOYKHe8CAI0QFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Mh3MaSj1qbZh8PvhZrbXV">brick kilns</a>, or promote alternative building materials. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute/">Green stickers</a> can be ‘bought’ under the counter for Rs1,000, and there is no control of open garbage burning.Prime Minister Oli promised that foreigners would come to Nepal to “breathe clean air”. Not likely. Two years ago, he pledged to make 20% of vehicles in Nepal battery-powered by 2020, that deadline has come and gone. In fact, Oli’s favourite finance minister <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-electric-shock-to-nepals-energy-future/">hiked the tax on electric cars</a> in last year’s budget.“Air pollution is a long-term problem that needs policy level change. It should go hand in hand with education and awareness which are the precursors to clean air,” says Shisir Sharma of the group Dhristi Kathmandu that has been monitoring air quality since 2016.The good news is that this week’s pollution emergency has increased public concern about the health risks, especially <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-will-get-worse-before-it-gets-better/">its links with Covid-19</a>. Demand for battery-operated vehicles will rise if there is a tax rebate, and room air purifiers are flying off the shelves.Says Bhushan Tuladhar: “People have a choice to ride Safa tempo, or bicycle. Brick kilns can be cleaner. Truck emissions can be controlled.  There is a solution to pollution.”

Dirty politics = Dirty air

Fenerbahçe Beko won the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finals in Abu Dhabi, held 23-25 May, defeating Monaco 81-70 in the final. Olympiacos, who defeated Panathinaikos 97-93, finished the series in third place. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final match, Nigel Hayes-Davis from Fenerbahçe Beko, received a prize of 1,000,000 Miles&amp;Smiles from Turkish Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur. The carrier has been the title sponsor of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, a top tier tournament, since 2010.

Turkish Basketball

Thousands of Nepali students dreaming of an American education have been forced to look elsewhere as the Trump administration’s visa restrictions make their future uncertain.
The US was long considered a top destination for higher studies, making Nepal the 10th biggest country of origin for international students in America.&nbsp;
However, that number has seen a significant decline with the total for Nepali students now at 16,482. Some 8,000 Nepali students obtained no-objection certificates to study in the US from the Ministry of Education in the past year.&nbsp;
India, Australia, Canada, South Korea, United Kingdom and Japan are the other popular destinations for Nepali students. There are no clear numbers for Nepalis going to India, but a slight decline was noted this year after the deaths of two female students.
The US State Department has issued a circular to its embassies not to issue new visas to applicants until further notice. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the directive stated that the department planned to expand the screening of applicants' social media.&nbsp;
While new applicants are barred including those applying for visitor visas, students with scheduled interviews are allowed to proceed.
“Many of our students are affected by the new restrictions, but those who had applied for student visas earlier have got interview dates,” one Kathmandu-based college counsellor told us.
Meanwhile, even foreign students with spotless records already in the US have not been spared, as visa scrutiny intensifies under the new policy. In a move that underscores the growing sense of insecurity, many US colleges advised international students to carry their passports and documents at all times, even when traveling locally.
“Me and my friends did not go home this summer because we were not sure we would be allowed back, so we just went to Niagara Falls,” said a Nepali undergrad in Ohio, who like many interviewed for this report did not want her name used for fear of repercussion.
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Nepali students have adopted a cautious stance, with many choosing not to return home during summer vacation due to fear of visa revocations as well as travel bans. Meanwhile, over 7,000 Nepalis with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will have to come back to Nepal by 5 August or face deportation. Thirty-seven were flown back to Kathmandu on Omni Air last week.
“The US is one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education, and the ban will definitely impact bright students,” says Narottam Aryal of the King’s College in Kathmandu.
Indeed, Nepali undergraduates admitted into Ivy League colleges for the 2025 academic year have been asked to look for alternatives. The entire Fulbright Foreign Scholarships Board resigned on Wednesday citing interference from the Trump administration on the selection of this year’s cohort. Some Nepali students already on Fulbright scholarships have noted disruptions, delays and even cancellation of stipends.&nbsp;
The student visa restrictions were initially just for foreign students admitted to Harvard University, but it was later extended to all Chinese students and now to all students. Universities like Columbia which actively recruit foreign students, face sharp enrolment declines, threatening their financial stability and diversity.
An Indian female PhD candidate at Columbia University had her visa revoked by the US State Department, and said she was targeted on the basis of her social media posts on Israeli military attacks in Gaza. Social media vetting of political activism has raised concerns about privacy and freedom of expression in a country where such rights were a given.
Many students have been informed via email that their visas have been revoked for getting speeding or parking tickets, but even others with no criminal record have been affected. The fear of deportation looms large amongst international students, including those from Nepal.&nbsp;
For most Nepalis who migrate to the US for education, the journey is a high-stakes investment. They come largely from middle-class families, often rely on a patchwork of scholarships, work-study programs, loans, or even the sale of family assets to afford fees.
Most Nepali students pursue STEM subjects which offer extended Optional Practical Training (OPT) periods that help fund their education. But with the US backsliding on education and humanitarian matters, countries like the UK and Canada are becoming more attractive despite their own recent stricter controls on student visas.&nbsp;
The UK universities saw a 63% rise in Nepali students’ admissions in 2024. Japan is another popular destination with 64,816 Nepali students enrolled as of 2024.
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Already, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia are poised to benefit from the increased scrutiny of US student visas. Several Hong Kong universities are offering unconditional admission to affected students, while Malaysian institutions are targeting previously US-bound Asian students. China and India have 330,000 and 280,000 students respectively in America, but the numbers for China have seen a sharp drop in the past year.
Elsewhere, branch campuses of American institutions such as NYU in Abu Dhabi, Georgetown in Dubai and Northwestern in Doha are getting more admission applications, and universities in the Gulf region are expanding infrastructure to accommodate those who would otherwise have gone to the US.&nbsp;
Even educational institutions in Nepal are hopeful that the US visa restrictions can be an opportunity to at least keep Nepali undergrads in Nepal, and also attract foreign students from the region.&nbsp;
“Many students might choose to complete their undergraduate degree here in Nepal and then move abroad for their Master’s degree later,” says Aryal of King’s College. “There was a need for quality higher education in Nepal anyway in terms of innovation and opportunities, so this could be the time to reduce our dependence on other countries.”
Nepal’s strategic position between India and China makes it sensitive to US policy shifts. India, a key ally, is also under US scrutiny for potential student travel restrictions. Chinese universities are already offering more scholarships to Nepali talent to capitalise on the US retreat.
American universities have challenged student visa restrictions in the courts. A federal court in Boston revoked the blanket ban on Harvard, and the State Department has ordered the resumption of processing student and exchange visitor visas.&nbsp;
Some are still hoping that President Trump will backtrack on the student visa restrictions, just like he has done with many of his more drastic executive orders.
Even so, the visa see-saw and longer-term uncertainties about living in the United States and its education system means students across the world are making alternative plans.
Says Aryal: “Policies of foreign countries change according to their needs, so excessive dependence was never a good idea. We should work to create different opportunities and choices of higher education within Nepal, so students are retained.” &nbsp;

America no longer prime destination for Nepali students

While Nepal was hosting the Sagarmatha Sambaad international climate conference in Kathmandu this month, on Mt Everest it was pretty much business as usual.&nbsp; The signs of climate breakdown are all there: a river now runs through Base Camp in summer, the Khumbu Icefall is more unstable, and there are more &nbsp;frequent avalanches. When expeditions arrived in March, the mountains were bare: it had not snowed since September, but then blizzards dumped unseasonal snow in May. And despite climate worries, such is the pull of Himalayan mountaineering that the Everest Industry showed no signs of slowdown. More than 600 international climbers and their Nepali guides had made it to the summit of the world’s highest mountain. At one point there were an estimated 2,000 people in the tent city on the Khumbu Glacier. All the ropes and ladders on the Icefall came down on Thursday, marking the official end of the spring climbing season, and just in time to avoid a monsoon cyclone approaching from the Bay of Bengal. It has been an action-packed season. One factor could be that Everest fees will go up from September: each foreign climber needs to pay a $15,000 royalty, up from the present $11,000. The cost for a Nepali climber on the South Col route will also go up: from Rs75,000 to Rs150,000.&nbsp; The fee to climb Everest in autumn is $7,500 (up from $5,500), but most climbers still prefer spring. Winter permit fee (December-February) is only $3,750 per person and the mountain is now also open for monsoon (June-August) climbs, when the fee is ever lower at $2,750. The revised rule also makes it mandatory for every two climbers on an 8,000m peak to hire one Nepali mountain guide.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025053004050_67f856fe52714e4bdcf21ae7d45c6f18c82117b9d0a5f73ed1efa04c96de1046.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2025053004050_67f856fe52714e4bdcf21ae7d45c6f18c82117b9d0a5f73ed1efa04c96de1046" data-rendition-name="original" width="931" height="732" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest Industry graph 1"> </figure>  In addition, climbers also have to pay for porters and guides, equipment, Base Camp costs, Ice Fall and fixed rope team fees, so climbing Everest does not come cheap. But such is the draw of climbing the world’s highest peak that some say the increased fees will not diminish the crowds next year. The government has tried to spread expeditions out to other seasons and other 8,000ers, but with not much success. Earlier this year, Nepal unilaterally increased the number of 8,000m peaks to 14 by adding six more sub-summits to broaden the choice for climbers. Added were: Yalung Kang (8,505m), Yalung Kang West (8,077m) &nbsp;Kangchenjunga Central (8,473m), Kangchenjunga South (8,476m), Lhotse Middle (8,410m) and Lhotse Shar (8,400m).&nbsp; The announcement could go against the accepted topographic criteria that a stand alone peak has to be at least 300m higher than an adjoining prominence, and at more than 3km isolation from it. The UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) still recognises only 14 mountains as eight-thousanders, and only eight of those are in Nepal, or on the border with China. Nepal’s revised mountaineering regulations also increased the insurance coverage of high-altitude workers to protect porters and high altitude guides who usually take more risks on the mountains. Rescue teams and clean-up campaigners to collect trash and remove bodies of dead climbers up to Camp IV of Mt Everest do not need permits.&nbsp; The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee is now using drones to fly down trash in 20kg sacks. Each climber is also required to bring down at least 6kg of waste and not just their own, but this rule is erratically enforced. With five fatalities on Everest and Lhotse, Spring 2025 had a historically low death toll. Another five climbers died on Annapurna, Kangchenjunga and Makalu.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025053004050_38681de22f0fefb6faa12b01755566d09c5064d0ff84e12ccc7b5d68ea9ba38a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2025053004050_38681de22f0fefb6faa12b01755566d09c5064d0ff84e12ccc7b5d68ea9ba38a" data-rendition-name="original" width="665" height="740" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest industry graph 2"> </figure>  Journalist Ben Ayers who ran the Everest Live social media channel from Everest Base Camp with daily updates credited the low death rate to dramatic rescues of climbers from the ‘Death Zone’ by their Nepali guides and longline helievacs — the visuals all uploaded on YouTube.&nbsp; “Ironically, this perception of safety is bringing more and more inexperienced climbers to the mountain, and they need more rescues,” Ayers said in one of his dispatches.&nbsp; American expedition chronicler and summiteer Alan Arnette suspects there is a lot of under-reporting given that the jet stream and storms were lashing Everest even till late in the season. He told us: “I heard a lot about frostbite and rescues that were not made public. It’s become practically impossible to cover the details on Everest. All the teams report nice news, and they don’t talk about bad stuff to avoid hurting businesses.” Although trash on Nepal’s mountains makes headlines, what does not receive as much attention is the climate impact of so many expeditions. The Sagarmatha Sambaad conference sidestepped this issue, which is ironic given that the impact of climate breakdown is most evident on Himalayan peaks and their glaciers.&nbsp; <h2>Need for Speed</h2> The big stories this year have been about speed-running from their home cities to the top of Everest. Ukrainian entrepreneur Andrew Ushakov flew out of JFK on 15 May at 10:15AM Nepal time, and was on the summit 3 days, 23 hours, and 7 minutes later on 19 May at 9:22AM.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250601080640_1c5cc6fc991307861768f07037ed9d30930fb20f35dbb57dc31c9a92a9e1a885.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20250601080640_1c5cc6fc991307861768f07037ed9d30930fb20f35dbb57dc31c9a92a9e1a885" data-rendition-name="original" width="1440" height="1800" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest Industry"> <figcaption>Andrew Ushakov at the summt. Photo: ELITE EXPED</figcaption> </figure>  “I could never find the time for the traditional 40-50 days of acclimatisation,” Ushakov explained matter-of-factly. His ‘Everest Sea-to-Summit’ climb was possible because he spent 400 hours in hypoxic sleep tents over the past four years in New York. However, Ushakov did use ropes already fixed, hired four Nepali guides, helicoptered to Base Camp, and used much more oxygen than an average climber. And after the climb, Ushakov was arrested at Kathmandu airport for being in possession of $20,000 of undeclared cash and spent a night in jail and fined $60,000.&nbsp; The other speedsters were Garth Miller, Alastair Cairns, Anthony Stazicker, and Kev Godlington, all former British Army commandos. They left London and summited five days later on 21 May, and flew right back. They also used hypoxic tents to simulate the thin air high on Everest.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250601080644_90c8dd5cc07b4b43f2989b1dc0c0650ab80f10ebb06680c25a6909c519957bd8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20250601080644_90c8dd5cc07b4b43f2989b1dc0c0650ab80f10ebb06680c25a6909c519957bd8" data-rendition-name="original" width="810" height="668" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest Industry "> <figcaption>All four members of the Furtenbach team at the summit. Photo: Sandro Gromen-Hayes</figcaption> </figure>  But more controversial was their use of xenon gas therapy in a German hospital to ramp up the production of oxygen-carrying haemoglobins in their blood. Xenon is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for being performance enhancing in sports. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach said this rule does not apply to mountaineering, as it is not a regulated sport like swimming. Nepal has no rules about xenon, but the Department of Tourism said it was launching an ‘investigation’ to decide on future policy since it is difficult to ban xenon, but allow oxygen. The controversy has also divided the mountaineering community, with some climbers saying they just want to maximise their chances of survival. Spending less time on the mountain could make climbing safer by reducing avalanche risk. It would also mean less trash on the mountains, but it would reduce the income of Nepal’s expedition industry. It is also unclear how much of the success was due to xenon therapy and whether the ex-special forces were already in good physical shape.&nbsp; The need for speed hides the fact that climbing in the Himalaya is dangerous business, and climbers cannot sprint to the top just by huffing xenon. But ultra-fast climbs could be charged more, and the revenue generated can be used to establish state-of-the-art rescue operations, and increase pay and insurance for guides. Two other speed chasers this season were Swiss-Ecuadorian Karl Egloff and American Tyler Andrews, both on Everest without oxygen. Andrews choppered to Base Camp to catch a weather window, but turned back from 8,500m due to high winds. Heavy snow and wind also forced Egloff to descend from 7,000m. Slow and steady climbers like Anja Blacha from Germany did make it to the summit without oxygen, while Kami Rita Sherpa broke his own record with his 31st Everest summit as he led a 26-strong Indian Army group. There were 468 permits issued for foreign climbers from 48 expeditions to Everest this spring. Nepal’s other eight-thousanders together had only 17 expeditions. Nepal has more than 1,000 peaks above 6,000m, and has opened only 476 of them for climbing.&nbsp;

The Everest Industry

While Nepal marked <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mt-everest-pvt-ltd">Mt Everest</a> Day on 29 May, on the other side of the planet in the US state of Colorado dozens of Nepalis who have climbed the world’s highest peak multiple times were busy working as chefs and Uber drivers. Among them is Nima Doma Sherpa, who climbed Mt Everest in 2019 after her husband Tshering Wangchu was among 16 crushed by an avalanche on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/on-thin-ice-in-the-khumbu">the Khumbu Icefall</a> five years earlier. A large serac broke off the West Shoulder of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-everest-industry">Mt Everest </a>and fell directly on a group of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/more-porters-sick-on-everest-trail">porters and guides</a> making their way up the Icefall at 5,800m. Their bodies were flown by helicopter to Khumjung where Tshering Wangchu was born. He was excited about climbing Mt Everest for the first time.&nbsp; In Khumjung, Nima Doma felt like her own life had also ended. This was the kind of news Sherpa wives, mothers and sisters dreaded every <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/peak-climbing-season-2025-s4abrxny">mountaineering season</a>. She stayed home for more than two years grieving, but ultimately gathered up all her emotional strength to take care of her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. Nima had grown up in Khumjung hearing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/stories-of-nepal-s-summiteers">tales of adventure on the mountains </a>from their father, Ang Chubi Sherpa who had climbed Everest in 1993. He used to bring her and her sisters and brother European chocolates after every expedition, and used to tell them that the chocolate bars grew on the mountains. “It was only after we got older did we realise that he told us that chocolates grew in the mountains so we would not worry about him putting himself in harm's way,” Nima Doma recalled with a faraway look at her home in Boulder this week. Nima went to the school that <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/commemorating-edmund-hillary-in-nepal,4145">Edmund Hillary</a> opened in Khumjung till Grade 8, and then dropped out to help in the kitchen and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">tend yaks</a>. She was married off to Tshering Wangchu, who was also a high altitude guide. When Tshering went on expeditions, Nima also started working as a porter from Namche to Base Camp. It was perhaps her father’s tales of mountains of chocolates that had always attracted her to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/knowing-our-mountains-43v4iyvo">the peaks</a>. After her husband was killed ten years ago this month, being a widow with children was not easy for Nima Doma. But she was not alone: there were at least 200 single mothers in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/khumbu-since-1950-jaww4qn0">the Khumbu</a>, and 20 of them just in Khumjung whose husbands had been killed in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/tragic-start-to-himalayan-spring-nepal,3695">mountaineering accidents</a>. Some were not even 20 years old, and had children growing up without fathers. But there were also women in the 50s whose husbands had been killed in the 1980s. Nima found sponsors for her children’s education, and moved to Kathmandu. In the capital, Sherpa widows used to meet to help each other. Some of them had joined the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) training for rock and ice climbing. “I decided that it was no use sitting home and crying anymore, after meeting other single mothers I felt less alone,” remembers Nima, who joined the Juniper Foundation and enrolled in an NMA training camp in Manang. There she climbed Chulu East (6,584m) and met Furadiki Sherpa, whose rope-fixing husband had also been <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/on-mt-everest-s-70th-records-and-fatalities">killed on Everest</a> in 2013. They set themselves the goal of climbing Everest one day, and started a fund-raising drive.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250530090544_621be0724b9182c8e3594b2c562a71ec32ac01d985a71d0cf31646de9d51e15a.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250530090544_621be0724b9182c8e3594b2c562a71ec32ac01d985a71d0cf31646de9d51e15a" data-rendition-name="original" width="2678" height="1274" loading="lazy" alt="Everest summiteers find new life in the US"> </figure>  “We decided we had to overcome society’s stigma of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/widows-personal-happiness-comes-last-in-face-of-social-financial-hardships,1855">widowhood</a> and prove that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/remembering-junko-tabei">women could also climb mountains</a>,” Nima said, adding that she was inspired by Nepal’s first woman Everest summiteer Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, who died during her descent in 1993. Nima Doma and Furdiki climbed the technically-difficult Ama Dablam (6,812m) and then arrived at Everest Base Camp in April 2019 as part of their Two Widows Expedition with the motto, ‘So Can We’. While climbing up the Icefall Nima passed the spot where her husband had been killed. It was a jumble of constantly-shifting ice blocks bigger than houses. She closed her eyes and said a prayer. “I remember thinking, this is so difficult and dangerous. This is what my husband had to do to support our family,” Nima Doma said. “I was determined to fulfil my husband’s dream of climbing Chomolungma, and to prove to ourselves that we two women could do it.” It was 23 May 2019 when <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/two-sherpa-widows-scale-everest-and-smash-stigma-idUSKCN1SU0MV/" target="_blank">Nima and Furdiki stepped on the summit</a> and looked over into Tibet, and down at Tengboche Monastery to the south.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250530090544_6b822582b5d88ba5e972db084f184690b40653c6efd9901b2dd082ffba2a263b.png" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="20250530090544_6b822582b5d88ba5e972db084f184690b40653c6efd9901b2dd082ffba2a263b" data-rendition-name="original" width="2700" height="1522" loading="lazy" alt="Everest summiteers find new life in the US"> </figure>  Nima Doma hugged Furdiki, took off her mask and wept. But for the first time in five years, it was not from grief but relief — relief for being free of all the sadness and sacrifices and for fulfilling her husband’s dream. They had found <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/life-after-death">life after death</a>. “I felt this immense joy to be on top of the world, it was indescribable,” Nima Doma said, “I have wept only twice in my life. Once when my husband died, and once there on top of Everest.” The tears had frozen on Nima Doma’s cheeks, as she and Furdiki headed back down the mountain.

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