Kathmandu (Nepal), October 21st 2018. An aerial view of Kathmandu from Swayambhu temple, compared with the exact same view on an archive photo from 1967 (courtesy of PC Nepal Photo Project / Nepal Picture Library).
Green spaces have been urbanized, and mountains are no longer visible due to the smog covering the city.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 12th 2018. An informal bus stop in one of the busiest areas of Kathmandu, Chabahil.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 12th 2018. Heavy traffic at the Koteshwor junction, one of the main crossroads of Kathmandu. In the background, an airplane prepares for landing at the nearby international airport.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. Wearing a mask to prevent his nose and mouth to breathe polluted air, Narayan Dahal (63) poses for a portrait in the busy Kalanki area of Kathmandu.
“I have a health problem caused by the pollution. My nose is dry, I suffer from headaches and my lungs are not well. So I am using a mask to protect myself from dust.” Says Mr. Dahal.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 8th 2018. Heavy traffic on Kanti Path, one of the main avenues of Kathmandu.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 18th 2018. Inside a local bus providing service in the metropolitan area of Kathmandu.
Costing as little as 10-20 US$ cents, public and informal mass transportation in Kathmandu is as affordable in price as very inefficient and unreliable in terms of coverage and punctuality.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. Using a scarf to prevent her nose and mouth to breathe polluted air, Sunita Tamang (35) poses for a portrait while attending a shop in the busy Kalanki area of Kathmandu.
“The air quality here is not good. I’ve been in this shop for two years now, and my health is suffering: I’m constantly getting colds and sore throat. And who knows what problems I’ll suffer in the future.”, says Ms. Tamang.
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Patan, greater Kathmandu (Nepal), October 1st 2018. A pedestrian and a traffic policeman in the middle of a busy avenue in the metropolitan area of Kathmandu.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. People walking through one of the busiest crossing in Kathmandu, in the Kalanki area. Dust and smoke are clearly visible in the air, and most of the people are covering their mouth with masks or scarfs.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 7th 2018. A courtyard in the centre of Kathmandu, surrounded by tall buildings and filled by motorbikes.
The fast urbanization process undergone in Kathmandu in the last 5 decades has eaten up free spaces in the city and the surrounding valley.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. Wearing a mask to prevent his nose and mouth to breath polluted air, the Buddhist monk Pasang Thunglu (29) poses for a portrait in the busy Kalanki area of Kathmandu.
“When I used to come to Kathmandu as a kid, the air quality was not bad. But when I came back after a long time, in 2015, the air was unbreathable, very dusty. The earthquake made things worse, because now there are lots of construction sites in town, which are also creating a lot of dust.”, says Mr. Thunglu.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 8th 2018. A horse belonging to the metropolitan traffic police of Kathmandu surrounded by heavy traffic on Kanti Path, one of the busiest traffic avenues in Nepal’s capital city.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 24th 2018. A young boy selling cotton candy sits surrounded by heavy traffic at one of the busiest crossings in Kathmandu: Koteshwor. In the background, an aircraft prepares for landing at the nearby international airport.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. Using a scarf to prevent her nose and mouth to breath polluted air, Shamiskha Karki (18) poses for a portrait inside her family’ shop in the busy Kalanki area of Kathmandu.
“Not protecting your lungs is dangerous here. If we don’t do that, in one or two years we will get sick. After the [2015] earthquake things got worse due to the dust provoked by the reconstruction works”, says Ms. Karki.
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Patan, greater Kathmandu (Nepal), October 1st 2018. A cow at the edge of a busy avenue in the metropolitan area of Kathmandu.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. One of the main highways connecting Kathmandu to the rest of Nepal at Kalanki junction. The road dust, caused by the vehicles as a result of the poor road conditions, is clearly visible along the highway path.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 24th 2018. Wearing a mask to prevent her nose and mouth to breath polluted air, Sarswati Karki (41) poses for a portrait in the busy Koteshwor area of Kathmandu.
“I’m wearing a mask to protect me from dust and potential infections. I’m already suffering from frequent colds, my eyes burn and I’m afraid of getting lung diseases in the future.”, says Ms. Karki.
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A photograph of a pollution mask used in Kathmandu (Nepal) during two days in October 2018. The dirt caused by dust and smoke is clearly visible in the upper-left part of the mask.
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Patan, greater Kathmandu (Nepal), October 5th 2018. In a craftsman’ showroom, the face of Goddess Tara' statue is wrapped with newspapers to prevent dust from ruining the freshly painted details.
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Kathmandu (Nepal), October 14th 2018. An aerial view of Kathmandu from Swayambhu temple. The smog covering the city is clearly visible.
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