उपभोक्ता अझै 'दूषित' दूध खान बाध्य

                               उपभोक्ता अझै 'दूषित' दूध खान बाध्य

  काठमाडौ, श्रावण ११ - खाद्य प्रविधि तथा गुण नियन्त्रण विभागले कोलिर्फमबाट दूषित रहेको भनिएका १३ दुग्ध उद्योगको उत्पादनमध्ये कुन कोलिर्फम युक्त हुन् र कुन होइनन् भन्ने जानकारी आमउपभोक्तलाई छैन । विभागले समेत उच्च राजनीतिक दबाब र आर्थिक कारण उपभोक्तालाई यो जानकारी दिन सकेको छैन ।

'दूधमा कोलिर्फम हुनुहुँदैन,' अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मापदण्डअनुसार कोलिर्फम भएको दूध स्वास्थ्यका लागि हानिकारक हुन सक्ने भएको जनाउँदै सूक्ष्मजीव विज्ञान विशेषज्ञ प्रा. डा. शिवकुमार राईले भने, 'गुणस्तर विभागले कोलिर्फम देखिएकामध्ये हाल कुन-कुन उद्योगको दूधमा कोलिर्फम छ र कुन कुनमा छैन भन्ने जानकारी उपभोक्तालाई दिनुपर्छ । उपभोक्तालाई शुद्घ गुणस्तरीय दूध सेवन गर्ने अधिकारको प्रत्याभूति गर्न दूधबाट यस्ता प्रकारका प्रदूषण अविलम्ब हटाउनुपर्छ ।'

दूषित उत्पादन गरेका उद्योगको हालको स्थितिबारे विभागसँग जानकारी माग्दा लिखित निवेदन दिनुपर्ने जनाएपछि कान्तिपुरले सूचना अधिकारीसँग इमेलबाट जानकारी माग्यो । तर कुनै प्रतिक्रिया दिएन । 'हामी कहाँ लिखित निवेदन दिएपछि मात्र सूचना दिने उर्दी जारी गरिएको छ,' स्रोतले यो प्रकरणमा सूचनालाई सञ्चार माध्यममा नदिन अत्यन्त उच्च दबाब रहेको जनाउँदै भन्यो, 'कसैले लिखित मागे कानुन औंल्याउँदै सूचना प्रशोधनको नाउँमा सात दिन कुराउन सकिने र त्यसपछि समेत विभिन्न बाहना गर्न सकिने नीति लिइएको छ ।'

'सूचना पाउनु उपभोक्ताको मौलिक हक हो,' उपभोक्ता हित संरक्षण मञ्चका महासचिव ज्योति बानियाँले भने, 'प्रत्येक गतिविधि जसका लागि गरेको हो त्यसलाई सूचना दिनै पर्छ, यसमा कुनै सीमा, अवरोध गर्नुहुन्न ।' सूचना नदिनु अनुचित काम रहेको जनाउँदै यसले सूचना लुकाउने प्रक्रिया सुरु भएको दाबी गरे ।

विभागले दूधमा कोलिर्फम विरुद्घको अभियान गत जेठ २३ गते देखि सुरु गरेको थियो । त्यसताका विभागले कोलिर्फम पाइएका १३ डेरीमध्ये प्रतिमिलिलिटर २५ सयभन्दा बढी कोलिर्फम पाइएका ६ वटा डेरीलाई बन्द गरेर कारबाही सुरु गरेको थियो ।

त्यसताका विभागले असार ३ गते जारी गरेको विज्ञप्तिमा 'प्रशोधित दूधमा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थितिले सम्बन्धित उद्योगले सरसफाइमा ध्यान नदिएको र प्रशोधनमै कमी कमजोरी रहेको प्रस्ट देखिन्छ' उल्लेख छ । यतिमात्र नभई विभागले उल्लेख्य संख्यामा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति पाइएका त्यसताका पाँचवटा डेरीबाट उत्पादित विभिन्न ब्राण्डका दूध अर्को सूचना नभएसम्म उपभोग नगर्न सर्वसाधारणलाई अनुरोधसमेत गरेको थियो ।

त्यसताका केही उद्योगीहरूले कानुनअनुसार सबै दुग्ध उत्पादनमा कोलिर्फम शून्य हुनुपर्ने भए पनि केही खास मात्रामा कोलिर्फम पाइएका उद्योगलाई कारबाहीमा छुट दिन सकिने कानुनी व्यवस्था नभएको जनाएका थिए ।

कोलिर्फम देखिएका उद्योगहरूसँग विभागले लिखितमा दूधमा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति शून्य हुने र यसका लागि सुधार गर्दै जाने प्रतिबद्घता लिए पनि कहिलेसम्म कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति शून्य हुने हो भन्ने समयसीमा नतोकेको उल्लेख गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो, 'यसैले गर्दा उद्योगले ढिलासुस्ती गरिरहेका छन्, उपभोक्तालाई आफूले मूल्य तिरेर उपयोग गर्ने दूध कोलिर्फम मुक्त छ वा छैन भन्ने जानकारी दिनमा रोक लगाइएको छ ।'

तर दुग्ध विकास संस्थानले आफ्नो दूधलाई कोलिर्फम मुक्त गरिसकेको दाबी गरेको छ । 'हामीले दूधलाई कोलिर्फम प्रदूषणबाट मुक्त गर्‍यो, विभागका प्राविधिकहरूले समेत यसको परीक्षण गरिसकेको छ,' दुग्ध विकास संस्थानका जेनरल म्यानेजर एसपी सिंहले भने, 'हाम्रो उत्पादनमा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति शून्य बनाउन करिब पाँचदेखि सात दिन लागेको थियो ।'

कोलिर्फम जीवाणु (ब्याक्टेरिया) को समूह हो । दूधमा कोलिर्फम देखिनुको अर्थ त्यसमा अन्य रोग उत्पन्न गर्न सक्ने जीवाणु हुन सक्ने सूचकसमेत रहेको जनाउँदै राईले भने, 'यस्तो दूध उपलब्ध रहनुको अर्थ कुनै पनि बेलामा झाडापखाला, आउँ, जन्डिस, टाइफाइड लगायतका पानीजन्य रोग महामारीका रूपमा फैलिन सक्ने सूचकसमेत हो ।'

प्रकाशित मिति: २०७० श्रावण ११ ०९:३१

श्रोत् : कन्तिपुर दैनिक

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Meeting water and sanitation target a daunting challenge

Meeting water and sanitation target a daunting challenge

KATHMANDU, July 24:Though the government has increased the budget for programs aimed at ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation, it still has to face daunting challenges in order to meet the sanitation target by 2017. 

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has set aside Rs 404 billion for water and sanitation programs. However, the government is still a long way from meeting its goals on safe drinking water and sanitation, as per the national census 2011. 

Though 82.7 percent of households in the country are connected to drinking water supply lines, only 47.78 percent households receive safe drinking water from taps, whereas 35 percent households get water drawn using tube wells and hand pumps.

The sanitation coverage is still low as only 61 percent households have toilets, though the government has to increase the coverage to 100 percent by 2017. Only eight districts have been declared Open Defecation Free till date. 

According to the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) Secretary Kishor Thapa, the main challenge is to change the public attitude toward using toilet so that areas that are once declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) zone remain so in future as well. 

Thapa added that his ministry this year would set the standard for number of people per toilet. The standard number of toilets would vary in academic institutions, hospitals and crowded areas, he mentioned.

Likewise, the MoUD would also coordinate with the Ministry of Local Development to increase the number of public toilets in urban areas. Only 61 public toilets are in usable condition in the Kathmandu Valley at present.

For sanitation, the National Planning Commission had set the budget ceiling of Rs 450 million for sanitation. 
Of the total allocated amount for water and sanitation the government has allocated total Rs 3.99 billion to improve the coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation in rural areas in the next four years.

Following an increasing water crises in the hill districts like Ramechhap, Kavre Palanchowk and Panchthar in dry seasons, the government has allocated Rs 250 million for ensuring drinking water in the areas this year.

Likewise, Rs 300 million has been allotted to promote public private partnership program in VDCs. Likewise, the government is also planning to add water supply facility in Tansen of Palpa, which is facing acute shortage following the fast urbanization. 

Similarly, Rs 560 million has been allocated for the development of Bagmati river corridor. The amount would be utilized to stop encroachment around the the Bagmati River area and to make the river sewerage free. 

Melamchi water project gets Rs 5.24 billion

The government´s focus still remains on Melamchi drinking water project as Rs 5.24 billion of the total expense on drinking water service has been allotted to the project to establish the water treatment plant at Sundarijal. The project falls in the category of national priority.

On July 10, the MoUD had inaugurated the construction of water treatment plant at Sundarijal, which has the capacity to treat 80.5 million liters of water per day. The project is supported by JICA.

The standard of water brought from Melamchi would meet the national standard after treatment at the center, according to Suresh Prakash Acharya, spokesperson of the Ministry of Urban Development. 

Two international companies M/S VA Tech Wabag Limited, Austria and Pratibha Industries, India had received the joint contract to complete the project by November 2015. 

However, the construction of a tunnel from Melamchi to Sundarijal has been stalled since September last year after the government terminated the contract of the Chinese contractor that was building the tunnel.

The project had started in 2000 with an aim to supply 170 million liters of water to the Valley by 2007. The slow pace of the project, however, has resulted in two deadline extensions. The total cost of the project is US $ 249.4 million.

According to Madhav Prasad Nepal, senior engineer with the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, the government has initiated the bidding process for tunnel construction with the hopes of restarting the project within a couple of months.

The initial contract with the Chinese contractor China Railway 15 Bureau Group Corporation on building a diversion tunnel for the water supply project came to an end on September 26 last year. The contractors blamed the government saying that the board was unsupportive and had failed to address their demands over payment.
Of the total 27.5 km tunnel, the Chinese contractors had built only 6 km till September last year. Engineer Nepal, meanwhile, claimed that the Chinese contractors did not bring equipments needed for constructing the tunnel. 

The board officials say that the government was disappointed with the contractor after it became clear that they could not complete the work in time.
There is a demand of 320 million liters of drinking water in the Valley for 3.2 million people, out of which 2.6 million are Valley residents and more than half a million people are those who travel to the Valley for various reasons. 

The KUKL has the capacity to supply only 90 million liters of water to the Kathmanduties in dry season and 150 million liters of water during rainy season. Therefore, the KUKL is also working on other alternatives as Melamchi project would supply only 170 million liters of water every day, which is only half of the total requirement. 

The government has estimated that additional Rs 9 billion would be needed to supply drinking water to the Valley dwellers till 2016. The estimation excludes the cost of the ongoing Melamchi drinking water project and the Bagmati Basin improvement program.

The MoUD has also estimated that 20 new tube wells, with the capacity to generate 20 million liters water per day, would have to be brought in operation in the next three years. 

Similarly, a plan to construct a 22 kilometer network for improved water distribution system inside the ring road areas is also in the pipeline. The MoUD project also aims to construct basins at various places of the Valley. 

Under this plan, ponds with the capacity to store 30 million liters of water in Mahankal, 12 million liters in Balaju, 8 million liters each in Arubari and Khumaltar would be built. In total, 68 million liters of water would be stored in the basins. In another phase, from 2016 to 2025, the government aims to establish water treatment centers and improved distribution systems at an investment of Rs 13 billion.

source : Republica
Link: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=58370

Bird flu found in two Valley poultry farms

Bird flu found in two Valley poultry farms

KATHMANDU, JUL 04 -

        Two days after a farm in Gothatar witnessed a bird flu outbreak, authorities concerned confirmed the contagion in two farms of the Valley on Wednesday.According to Dr Bolraj Acharya, chief of the District Veterinary Office in Kathmandu, over 10,000 chickens have been slaughtered from the Great Himalayan Hatchery owned by Mahesh Maharjan in Chhauni-13, after tests at the Central Veterinary Laboratory confirmed the H5N1 virus in the farm on Wednesday.

       Dr Acharya said they could not cull chickens at the other farm based in Syuchatar on Wednesday due to shortage of labourers. He said they could not find people to do some manual work though a technical team was ready. He said they will start their work on Thursday at the site.

        On Monday, 1,015 chickens, 415 eggs and 1250 kg of feed were destroyed after bird flu was confirmed at a poultry farm owned by Amit Kumar Rai at Gothatar-4 in Kathmandu.

      The country witnessed its first avian flu outbreak in 2008 in Jhapa. Since then, major outbreaks have been reported in Pokhara, Nawalparasi, Banke and Dhading. The first case of the flu inside the Valley was reported in November 2011 in an area near the Manohara river.

Posted on: 2013-07-04 08:34 

Source: Kantipur Daily

Changing eating habits

Changing eating habits

Manish Gautam, Ankit Adhikari 

 

JUN 25 -

They say we are what we eat. But is our present eating habit helping us to live a healthy life? Perhaps not. Experts say the food habits of Nepali people have seen a paradigm shift lately. This ‘unfortunate’ shift, according to nutritionist Dr Aruna Upreti, is evident in crowds lined up in front of roadside thelas (carts) to skip their healthy family meals against deep-fried stick foods that come in yummy-looking menus stuffed with items ranging from sausage to meatball.

Such food habits prevalent among the city dwellers may make people suffer from malnutrition in the long run, say doctors.

Healthy past

According to Dr Upreti, our traditional food habits, which have roots in various cultural practices, were somehow balanced in terms of containing types of food necessary for good health. For instance, the famous combination of dal (lentil), bhat (rice), achar (pickle) and tarkari (vegetables) for a proper two-time meal and other items, including chapattis made from barley flour, were considered important from a health point of view.

“Knowingly or unknowingly, our traditional practice of food consumption was scientific if defined under the nutritional science,” Dr Upreti says. According to her, while dal gave our body the necessary amount of protein, bhat was meant for carbohydrate. Similarly, the consumption of tarkari and achar provides other nutritional enzymes and vitamin C.

Besides that, the traditional food habits that come along with various seasonal festivals and other religious occasions, too, carried a lot of weight. While consumption of saatu (edible flour made of oat) gives body the vital protein, sarbat (homemade juice) is important to prevent dehydration during the summer. Among many other similar healthy practices is the consumption of kwati (beans soup) during Janai Purnima, a hindu festival which falls in the rainy season, is equally important as it gives the body the necessary heat and protein at the same time.

Balanced diet

Jaya Pradhan, associate professor at the Central Department of Home Science and Women Development, says researches have shown that around 70-80 percent of the calories needed for the body come from cereals and grains. According to her, although people eat vegetables, the consumption of fruits and other dairy products is extremely low.

She underscores the need for a balanced consumption of food containing carbohydrate, protein, fat and oil, vitamin, mineral and water. Rice and cereals are the major source of carbohydrate, while proteins can be found in meat and other dairy products. Vitamins and minerals can be found in fiber-rich food such as fruits and vegetable products.

“While the ‘healthy past’ gives us what we need, people are being attracted towards something else these days,” says Dr Upreti. “Junk food and other deep-fried stick foods contain excessive fat and cholesterol, which result in imbalanced diet consumption.” According to her, overeating of meat products, which come in almost all items popular as stick foods, is also a burgeoning problem now. 

Factors behind

Doctors attribute this to a number of factors. The major driving force behind the change in food habits is the changing lifestyle and busy schedules of people. Various practices, including the restaurant culture, increasing number of nuclear families in cities, among others, are resulting in unhealthy food practices. “People are taking food more for taste or just to satiate hunger than for nutritional purposes,” says Dr Upreti. “And when it comes to taste, the advertised foods become the first choice instead of home-made healthy foods.”

Dr Upreti maintains lack of nutrition and the way foods are consumed are responsible for a large majority of the births of malnourished babies. She says the increase in non-communicable disease recently is also linked to the consumption of low-nutrition food. “This will take us nowhere and these are serious issues,” Dr Upreti says. “But we are yet to address it adequately. This can be done only through public awareness campaigns.”

Nutritional guidelines

Nepal’s nutritional guidelines are determined on the basis of the Dietary Guidelines prepared by the Indian Council for Medical Research, which specifies the amount that need to be consumed for a health diet. Hence, for our country it is believed that a food item should have 55 to 65 percent of carbohydrate, 15 to 20 percent of protein and fats around 20 to 35 percent. When it comes to saturated fat products, including cheese and ice-cream, the consumption should be around 7 percent.

Experts say the tendency of not having breakfast routinely is harmful for health, which affects the metabolism process when one consumes heavy diet directly during the lunch hour. According to the guideline, meat contains all proteins needed for the body, which for vegetarians can be found only while consuming cereals along with milk. “However, one should avoid visible fat portion of meat and the skin,” says Pradhan.

Source: The Kantipur Daily

 

Highway hotels lack basic hygiene

Highway hotels lack basic hygiene

KATHMANDU: Highway hotels and restaurants along Mugling-Narayangarh stretch on the Prithvi Highway lack basic hygiene and food quality, with only seven per cent hotels and restaurants found serving hygienic food.

The monitoring team of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control found today that only two hotels and restaurants, out of 28 inspected in Ramnagar and Jugedi, maintained basic hygiene, cleanliness and food quality, said senior food inspector Pramod Koirala at the department. They were issued green stickers.
According to him, the department found 21 hotels and restaurants needed to clean up their act. Their kitchens, dining rooms, dish washing areas and toilets were found dirty. “They were issued yellow stickers; one of them got a red colour strap,” he said.

Hotels and restaurants should paste the stickers on their signboard, according to food monitoring guideline of the department.

“People should avoid eating at the hotels and restaurants bearing yellow and red stickers,” he added. The department has been grading hotels and restaurants in Mugling, Malekhu, Dharke and Naubise of Kathmandu-Muglin section since last year but the department has not yet achieved its target to maintain basic hygiene, cleanness and food quality in all the eateries along the highway.

More than 10,000 people travel every day in the road section.

Monitoring drive targeting highway hotels and restaurants began in 2011 after Chief Secretary Lilamani Paudel found out that poor quality food, and that too at high prices, was being served by the eateries along the highway. Then, Department of Commerce and Supply Management had found that over 80 per cent of the 240 hotels and restaurants were unhygienic and charged exorbitant prices. 

Source: The Himalayan Times

डीडीसी, सीताराम र नेपाल डेरी पनि अयोग्य’

डीडीसी, सीताराम र नेपाल डेरी पनि अयोग्य’

काठमाडौ, असार ४ -
दुग्ध विकास संस्थान -डीडीसी), सीताराम र नेपाल डेरीद्वारा उत्पादित दूधमा पनि दिसामा पाइने जीवाणु 'कोलिर्फम' भेटिएको छ । खाद्य प्रविधि तथा गुण नियन्त्रण विभागका अनुसार बजारमा ८० प्रतिशतभन्दा बढी हिस्सा ओगट्ने यी डेरीका चार प्रकारका ब्रान्डका दूधमा पनि दूषित जीवाणु पाइएको हो ।

डीडीसीका तीन प्रकारका दूधमध्ये नीलो पोकामा 'कोलिर्फम' र पहेंलो पोकामा ठोस पदार्थको मात्रा कमी भेटिएको जनाएको छ । त्यस्तै नेपाल डेरीको इन्डि्रज ब्रान्ड र सीताराम डेरीको सीताराम ब्रान्डको दूधमा पनि जीवाणु भेटिएको छ ।  उपत्यकामा दैनिक एक लाख ३७ हजार लिटर खपत हुने संस्थानको दूधमा यी ब्रान्डको हिस्सा ७५ प्रतिशतभन्दा बढी छ । 'दुवै पोकाका दूध सेवन स्वास्थ्यका लागि प्रतिकूल देखिन्छ,' विभागकी महानिर्देशक जीवनप्रभा लामाले भनिन् ।

डीडीसीले आफ्नो ब्रान्ड विस्तारअन्तर्गत केही महिनाअघि मात्र बजारमा ल्याएको पहेंलो पोका -गाईको दूध) मा ठोस पदार्थको मात्रा आठ प्रतिशत हुनुपर्नेमा ७.३० पाइएको छ । 'यसले दूधमा अत्यधिक मात्रामा पानी मिसाएको देखिन्छ,' विभागका प्रवक्ता प्रमोद कोइरालाले भने ।

संस्थानका महाप्रबन्धक सियारामप्रसाद सिंहले दूधमा देखिएको समस्या सुधार्न सुरु गरेको बताए । 'सुधार गर्दैछौं,' उनले भने, '९९ प्रतिशत नील हुन्छ । तर, एक प्रतिशतमा यस्तो पाइन्छ । यसलाई सुधार गरेर उपभोक्ताले ढुक्कसँग खाने गरी उत्पादन गर्नेछौं ।'

कीर्तिपुरको सीताराम डेरीबाट उत्पादन हुने सीताराम ब्रान्डमा पनि कोलिर्फमको मात्रा प्रतिमिलिलिटर २० पाइएको छ । विभागले यसलाई पनि खान अयोग्य घोषणा गरेको छ । त्यस्तै नेपाल डेरीको इन्डि्रज पनि खान नहुने जनाइएको छ । इन्डि्रज ब्रान्डको दूधमा कोलिर्फमको मात्रा २ सय १० पाइएको छ ।

विभागले भक्तपुरका चार उद्योगको दूधमा कोलीर्फम पाएपछि उपभोग नगर्न सोमबार आग्रह गरेको थियो । अत्यधिक कोलिर्फम भेटिएकामा भक्तपुरको खरिपाटी डेरीबाट उत्पादित गायत्री ब्रान्ड, कमलविनायकको सैंजू डेरीको अमृत र कान्तिपुर ब्रान्ड, भक्तपुर डेरीको बीडीपीएल, सूर्यविनायकको सञ्जीवनी डेरीको सञ्जीवनी ब्रान्ड छन् । बालाजुको आधुनिक डेरीको एडीपी ब्रान्डको दूध पनि उपभोग नगर्न विभागले जनाएको छ । तर, सञ्जीवनीबाहेक अन्यमा सिलबन्दी नगर्दा ती डेरीहरूबाट उत्पादित दूधको वितरण बन्द भएको छैन ।

'दूषित भेटिएका सबै उद्योग सञ्चालकलाई कारबाही हुन्छ,' विभागकी महानिर्देशक लामाले कान्तिपुरसित भनिन्, 'कोलिर्फमको मात्रा कम भेटिएका उद्योगलाई सुधार गर्ने मौका दिएर सिलबन्दी नगरिएको हो ।'

नमुना परीक्षणका क्रममा दूषित भेटिएका डेरी सञ्चालकसँग बयान लिन सुरु भइसकेको उनले जानकारी दिइन् । सबै प्रक्रिया पूरा गरेर जिल्ला प्रशासनमा मुद्दा दायर गर्ने विभागले तयारी गरेको छ ।


प्रकाशित मिति: २०७० असार ५

स्रोत : कान्तिपुर  दैनिक

Spread of diseases during monsoon amid high air pollution more likely

Spread of diseases during monsoon amid high air pollution more likely 

Anjali Subedi 

Kathmandu, June 17: 

 

The pollution in the Valley has increased manifold and reached an alarming level compared to 2008.The rainy season makes the matter worse in terms of health and hygiene of the people, warns a senior doctor. “While air pollution leads to bronchitis and many other health complications in the long run, it is difficult to prevent stomach infections during monsoon amid such a high pollution all around,” said senior chest physician Dr Dirgha Singh Bam.

“Look at the conditions of the roads when it rains heavily. Children and elderly become most vulnerable to water-borne diseases in such situation,” he added.  When recorded last on March 13 by the Ministry of Environment, the air pollution levels at Thamel, Putalisadak, Machchhegaun and Bhaktapur were 284, 427, 103 and 277 UG/MG3 respectively.

Before that the air pollution levels in those areas were recorded in 2008, when the figures ranged between 120 and 135 UG/M3. As the pollution level varies everyday, the highest pollution level recorded at Putalisadak was on March 20 this year, when it was found to be 599 UG/MG3, making it the most polluted area in the city.

According to a senior chemist at the ministry Surendra Subedi, the level of fine particles in the air with diameters less or equal to 10 micrometer is known as PM10. The national standard of pollutant PM10 is 120 microgram per cubic meter (UG/M3 - chemical vapors, fumes, or dust in the ambient air as a measurable value unit). “Due to some technical reasons, we are still not able to operate all the stations though,” he said.

The stations were established by the ministry in 2002 with a grant of Rs 60 million from the Denmark government. By 2008, the stations turned dysfunctional and were brought back to life just a few months ago. “The pollution level it is recording now is highly alarming as compared to 2008,” Subedi said.  The stations in Patan and Kirtipur still need some repairing. However, the pollution level recorded in the above mentioned 4 places are alarming enough and the valley residents must use mask to avoid harm, suggests Bam.

“For those living in the core areas of Kathmandu, I suggest that they start looking for better options so that they do not develop serious health issues in future,” he insisted.

Bam suggests that if normal cough, dry cough, swelling of hands and legs, eye irritation or any other conditions persists, the person should visit a doctor. During the rainy season, there might be added problems related to stomach as well. “These might be symptoms of the mild effect of pollution. But if one ignores the health condition, it might take a serious toll on one´s health. Similarly, the disturbed condition of the valley roads make it easier for water borne diseases to spread. It is high time the valley residents took their health and hygiene seriously,” he said.

High concentrations of pollutants in the lower atmosphere are indeed prime health risks to the valley residents, as also stated by a study done by ICIMOD. Its report published in 2011 says respiratory diseases among Kathmandu residents have grown over the years. The study conducted from 2009 to 2011 at various places in Kathmandu thus calls for immediate steps to check the air pollution. According to the study, the rapid increase in urbanization in the Kathmandu valley and the accompanying growth in the number of vehicles are responsible for the increased level of polluting gases and solid particulate matter in the air.

Hardest hit by the air pollution are none other than the traffic police personnel, who have to spend over 15 hours on road. “There are above 4.5 million people in Kathmandu. Over 7,00,000 vehicles ply on the road. There is no modern technology for traffic management. Around 1000 traffic personnel work round the clock to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. There is no account of the damage we suffer in terms of health,” lamented DSP Pawan Giri, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD).

In a recently published report of the traffic, 127 traffic police were found to suffer from chest infection and common cold out of 355 who went for a medical check up. The free health camp was organized after the MTPD found its staff increasingly suffering from air-borne diseases. In the camp, jointly organized by the police division and Sumeru Hospital, 97 traffic police were found to be suffering from orthopaedic problems. Twenty-five women traffic staff had abdominal issues, 31 others were detected with reproductive health issues and 15 traffic police had neurological disorder.

“The traffic staff works without medicated mask. Some organizations occasionally provide such things, which is done just for some popularity. But overall, traffic is working in pathetic conditions. The government has shown no concern toward their health,” Giri said. “It needs separate budget to improve these matters. Traffic staff work longer hours than civil servants but their salaries are at the same level. It´s not fair,” he added.

At least 50 traffic police personnel get ill on a daily basis due to the workload, according to Giri. “They generally have headache, respiratory and allergic problems. Working amid such a high level of air pollution is of course taking a toll on our health. But we hardly have any choice.” On the other hand, Bam asserted that the traffic police needs to be extremely serious about their health as they are at very high risk. “Medicated mask is must for them,” he said. 

 

Source:My Republica