KATHMANDU – It is utter negligence of the government that the air quality mapping machines, which stopped working two months ago, are yet to be repaired.
As a result, air quality monitoring in different parts of the country has been affected, according to the government officials. Out of 12 installed equipments, six are dysfunctional now.
Those dysfunctional machines include ones from Shankha Park and Kirtipur of Kathmandu and three of Pokhara centers. Four batteries of Kirtipur center were stolen about ten months ago.
Machines of Gandaki Boarding School, Hydro and Metrology Department and Pokhara University in Pokhara are not functioning, said Durga Prasad Duwadi, director general at the Department of Environment.
“Three machines were brought to Kathmandu 45 days ago for upgrading. Equipment is tested in each one and a half years for assuring standard,” he said.
Safala Shrestha, spokesperson for the DoE, said that the machines were brought to calibrate them. “Though calibration is completed in two days, it became delay due to parts shortage, which should be brought from Germany,” she computer operator Jitendra Yadav. “Where the pollution level is higher, the machines are fast damaged.”
The equipments are installed at Pokhara, Kirtipur, Chitwan, Lumbini, Patan, Kathmandu University, Birendra Sainik Boarding School, Ratna Park, Shankha Park, and Bhaisepati.
Due to the dust pollution created by road expansion, machine of Shankha Park could not work properly, said the government officials. The DoE prepared to install air quality mapping machines in Itahari, Dang, Nepalgunj and Surkhet but they are yet to be installed.
