In a symbolic gesture against the growing pollution in Kathmandu, Nepali Congress (NC) aligned students reached Kathmandu Metropolitan City office and handed over dust and mask to Deputy-mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi on Friday.

Saying that the Kathmandu has become unlivable due to pollution and dust, the Nepal Student Union students staged a sit-in in front of KMC office for an hour.

The protesting students were carrying placards that read ‘Dynamic NSU for strong Nepali Congress’, ‘government busy in its own delight leaving the public to bear the pollution’s plight, ‘we long to live in a healthy and pollution-free city’, and so on.

NSU Vice-President Nabin Rai said that the organisation has launched the campaign to make Kathmandu pollution and dust-free city as pollution and dust are the common problems of Kathmandu dwellers, according to RSS report.

Deputy Mayor Khadgi told the students that the ongoing dusty pollution in Kathmandu was due to Melamchi Drinking Water Project and KMC is holding discussion with the concerned bodies to resolve this issue at the earliest.

According to a report published by World Health Organisation, air pollution causes over 9,000 deaths every year, with coronary artery disease and stroke each killing more than 3,000 people in Nepal in 2012. The analysis of 103 countries found that 36 people out of every 100,000 in Nepal die from outdoor air pollution leading to heart diseases, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke.

Photographer: Prakash Chandra Timilsina