Nearly 1,200 brick kiln operators across the country are set to start seasonal firing on Thursday, further exacerbating air quality, which is already worsening every day.

Brick kilns are required to begin operations by January 15, a deadline agreed upon by the industry, government, and environmentalists.

“Yes, most brick kilns in the country will start firing today,” said Shankar Bahadur Chand, former chairman of the Federation of Nepal Brick Industries. “As per the agreements with the government and other environmental agencies, we are allowed to start firing from January 15.”

Brick kilns are among the major contributors to the country's deteriorating air quality, including in the Kathmandu Valley. Due to delays in establishing minimum standards, many kilns use low-quality, low-cost coals that further degrade the air quality.

Officials at the federation said the Department of Industry had asked the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology to set minimum coal standards a year ago, but the standards have yet to be drafted.

“As brick factory owners and their family members are also citizens of Nepal, polluted air affects their health too,” said Chand. “Had the concerned agencies enforced minimum standards for coal, factories would have followed them.”

Most brick kilns use coal as the primary fuel, which is imported mainly from India. Low-grade coal contains high levels of sulphur, which, when burned, can be hazardous to human health.

Air quality in the Kathmandu Valley has been deteriorating sharply, reaching very unhealthy levels in the morning.

Brick factories in the valley are the third largest source of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and PM10 emissions. PM10 refers to particulate matter or solid and liquid droplets in the air that are less than 10 micrometres in diameter.

A recent study shows there are 89 brick kilns in three districts of the Valley—Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur. The valley’s kilns are estimated to consume over 56,100 tons of coal and 330 tonnes of other local fuels, including sawdust and wood, every year, according to a study carried out by the Department of Environment.

The brick industry is one of the largest coal-consuming sectors in Nepal, with annual consumption estimated at 504,000 tonnes of coal and hundreds of tons of biomass. Across Nepal, there are 1,349 brick factories that produce 5.14 billion bricks a year. Nepali brick industry emits about 1.25 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to a study.

Experts say a number of airborne toxins and pollutants—mercury, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and various other heavy metals—generated from the burning of coal contribute to acid rain, respiratory illness, smog, and lung disease. Using high-sulphur coal results in higher sulphur dioxide emissions.

“Deteriorating air quality affects everyone’s health,” said Bhupendra Das, an air quality expert. “As the issue is too serious and related to everyone’s health, authorities must take the issue seriously.”

He said that, in addition to setting minimum coal standards, authorities should make emission-monitoring mechanisms effective and encourage factories to use briquettes instead of coal.

In recent years, air pollution has emerged as the number one risk factor for death and disability in Nepal, surpassing malnutrition and tobacco use, according to a new World Bank report.

The report titled, ‘Towards Clean Air in Nepal: Benefits, Pollution Sources, and Solutions,’ stated that polluted air cuts life expectancy by 3.4 years for the average Nepali and causes approximately 26,000 premature deaths annually.

“Air pollution heavily contributes to various diseases: 75 percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases, 46 percent of strokes, 44 percent of ischemic heart disease, 41 percent of lower respiratory infections, 38 percent of lung cancer, 30 percent of neonatal issues like low birth weight and preterm birth, and 20 percent of diabetes,” reads the report.

Kathmandu Valley and the Tarai are Nepal’s air pollution hotspots, with no significant improvement seen over the past decade.

Economically, the consequences are severe. “It affects labor productivity due to increased health-related absences and impaired cognition. The negative impact on the tourism industry and the aviation sector is also significant. The economic cost of poor air quality is estimated to exceed six percent of Nepal’s GDP each year,” the report says.

If no additional measures are taken, the report warns, air pollution will worsen significantly by 2035. Under the baseline scenario, average PM2.5 concentrations will reach 52 µg/m³ in Kathmandu Valley and 42 µg/m³ in the Tarai, far above the World Health Organisation’s interim target of 35 µg/m³.

These levels would result in tens of thousands of additional premature deaths, particularly impacting children and the elderly, a further strain on the healthcare system, and a growing drag on productivity and competitiveness.

Without intervention, the economic burden is also expected to grow proportionally, the report warns, while calling for multi-sectoral and multi-regional actions.