Kathmandu [Nepal], November 9 – Firecrackers used during Nepal’s Tihar festival are raising concerns over air and noise pollution, health risks and public safety as a child was killed while setting off a firecracker in Parsa district.
Kathmandu’s air quality reached an unhealthy level on Monday with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 143 placing the city among the world’s 10 most polluted locations.
Environment Department Director-General Gyan Raj Subedi said firecrackers, plastic flowers and other festival materials contribute to pollution and carbon emissions. He urged people to use natural flowers and celebrate without fireworks.
Environmentalist Rajan Thapa said smoke, dust and chemicals from firecrackers add pollutants to the air affecting people and animals. He noted that pollution had risen despite reduced traffic and construction activity in the Valley.
Doctors warned that firecracker blasts can produce sound levels of 140 to 150 decibels potentially damaging the inner ear and causing permanent hearing loss. ENT specialist Bimalesh Kumar Gupta advised people to keep a safe distance and protect children.
In Parsa, an eight-year-old boy died after shrapnel from a firecracker struck his chest outside his home in Pakaha Mainpur Rural Municipality. He was taken to a hospital in Birgunj, where doctors declared him dead.
