Kathmanduities have of late been inhaling hazardous air, as thick smog has enveloped the city. The ever-visible Dharahara Tower is now obscured, and even nearby hills, buildings, runways and roads are difficult to locate. Earlier this week, the air quality plummeted to a “very unhealthy” level, and since Tuesday, the city has topped the list of IQAir ranking—a Swiss air quality technology company—for having the most polluted air in the world. As of Thursday evening, the AQI of Kathmandu was above 300, and PM2.5 concentration was 45.5 times worse than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PM2.5 recommended level. Other parts of the country are also suffocating.

Given such a high level of air pollution, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that we are already in a state of emergency. Elderly people, pregnant women, children and those with existing health conditions are primarily affected, but even the relatively healthy are now gasping for air. Every year, around this time, hospitals enroll more patients than their carrying capacity, as cases of respiratory illness, pneumonia, skin allergy and influenza rise. Air pollution also leads to long-term health problems, including ulcers, lung and intestinal cancer, kidney disease and heart complications. The Air Quality Life Index data paints an alarming picture—polluted air has been cutting short the lives of Nepalis by around five years. Data published by the State of Global Air in June 2024 shows that in 2021 alone, air pollution killed around 50,000 Nepalis.

This problem has continued since the late 1990s. However, the situation has worsened in recent years as authorities have largely failed to devise environmentally friendly plans and policies. For instance, Kathmandu’s air remains unbreathable partly because of the vehicles that spew toxic gases. Efforts to mitigate air pollution by conducting random emissions tests haven’t helped much, as neither the state apparatus nor the general public is serious about the exercise. While the traffic police, Department of Transport Management and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City conduct programmes to check vehicular emissions, these acts remain symbolic. Not all vehicles are tested; and even those that fail the test are allowed to operate. Some vehicle owners even forge green stickers to bypass the process and avoid long queues.

Moreover, the open burning of plastic, dried leaves and agricultural residue is rampant across the country, even though the act is illegal. Little do people consider how such seemingly insignificant acts, when multiplied across the country, worsen air pollution. Wildfires are most common during winter and spring when Nepal remains dry. But all three government levels are ill-equipped to control wildfires.

Mitigating air pollution calls for collective action, but the government must lead by doing its bit to clean the air throughout the year. Issuing directives to the public to stay indoors and cut down on outdoor activities only when the crisis is at its peak may keep some people from falling ill, but it is no solution. Often, there is no difference in the quality of air in and outside our homes. Nor is staying indoors a long-term solution. Any attempt at air pollution control must start with the realisation that it is the present time’s biggest health hazard. Efforts to tackle it thus have to match the scale of the problem. It’s time to declare a health emergency and take every possible measure to stamp it out.