As air quality in the Kathmandu Valley has begun to worsen with the onset of winter, authorities have started taking various mitigation measures including repairs on major roads to reduce dust.

Although the Road Division, Kathmandu, has begun filling potholes on roads it oversees, much of the Valley’s road network falls under several other agencies including the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Bagmati Civilisation, and the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority.

But these agencies have yet to repair the stretches they oversee, even though potholes are a major source of dust pollution.

“Even on roads under our jurisdiction, we are not fixing the stretches where the Nepal Electricity Authority is digging to lay underground cables or where water pipes laid by the Project Implementation Directorate under the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited have leaked and may need to be dug up again,” said Ram Chandra Phuyal, information officer at the division. “We are doing our job, but we don’t know what other agencies are doing.”

A few weeks ago, the KMC had issued a public notice warning residents not to burn waste materials, saying that doing so further exacerbates air pollution.

“We started preventing open burning and waste burning in our jurisdiction from last year and have also taken action in the past,” said Sarita Rai, chief of the Environment Department at the KMC. “We have not seen anyone burning waste this time. We have effectively controlled waste burning within our jurisdiction, but we are not the only local unit in the Valley, and polluted air is not generated from our area alone.”

The city office also said it will soon resume vehicle emission testing, which has been halted for months.

But experts say patchwork measures—repairing potholes, preventing open burning in a few local units, or taking actions only in certain areas—will not help curb the rising air pollution. They say coordination among all stakeholder agencies, uniformity in actions, and shared responsibility are a must to tackle the growing air pollution.

“Something is definitely being done for the control of growing air pollution,” said Bhusan Tuladhar, an environmentalist. “But the measures being taken are not sufficient, and we cannot expect results from the actions being taken at present.”

Promotion of electric vehicles, restriction of open burning by the KMC, pothole repairs on major roads are among the mitigation measures taken so far.

Experts say that without coordination among all agencies concerned, there will be no relief from polluted air, especially during the winter and dry season.

On Sunday morning air quality in most places of the Kathmandu Valley reached a very unhealthy level. According to the air quality data of IQAir, a Swiss group that collects air pollution data worldwide, PM2.5 levels in Jadibuti area reached 199 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) followed by Jawalakhel at 182, Tankeshwar 176, Tarakeshwar 174, Nagarjun 174, Birendra Military School-Bhaktapur 174, Teku 172, Gaushala 168, and Lazimpat at 168 micrograms per cubic metre.

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter (solid or liquid droplets) that is less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter. It is among the most dangerous pollutants that can get past the nose and throat to penetrate the lungs and even the bloodstream. The particles are small and are also likely to stay suspended in the air for a long time, increasing the chances of people inhaling them.

The PM2.5 concentration recorded on Monday is many times higher than the World Health Organisation’s annual guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.

Air quality experts say the rise in the air pollution level is just a start, as the harvesting season has just started in the Tarai region, where farmers often burn stubble and other agricultural residue to prepare fields for new crops. Along with this, burning other types of waste also pushes up air pollution levels.

“As the temperature declines further, people start burning waste materials and lighting outdoor fires, which also contribute to air pollution,” said Bhupendra Das, an air quality expert. “Without all stakeholders including local governments, taking initiatives to prevent open burning and other pollution-control measures, improving air quality is almost impossible.”

Experts say stubble burning after harvest, household waste burning, emissions from brick kilns, and forest fires are major contributors to air pollution. They say that local governments should take strict action to prevent waste burning, raise awareness about the risks of polluted air, prevent the use of low-grade coal in brick kilns, and provide training and equipment to control forest fires.

“Without coordination among agencies, curbing air pollution is almost impossible,” said Das.

Air pollution has emerged as the number one risk factor for death and disability in Nepal, surpassing malnutrition and tobacco,according to the World Bank. Several studies carried out in the past in Nepal also showed that toxic air takes a huge toll on public health and cuts short people’s lives.