Heavy air
Though a visitor from places such as Delhi may not find anything amiss in Thimpu's air, for most people in Bhutan the problem of air pollution in gaining immense proportions. For them, there is no time for complacency.
The air pollution scenario is particularly severe in the winter months. According to a July 1999 study conducted by the National Environment Commission (NEC), high emissions from bukharis and diesel vehicles in combination with temperature inversion and low wind velocities are some of the reasons for the high pollution levels in the winter months.
More than 47 per cent of households use bukharis in Thimpu and neighbouring areas. The study estimated that the Thimpu valley alone consumes on a daily basis 10,184.22 cubic feet of firewood, which amounts to 42 truckloads of wood. However, banning the use of bukharis will not help tide over the problem. Says B B Giri, a medical practitioner in the Jigyme Dorjee Wangchuk National Referral Institute of Medicine, Thimpu, "It would be too harsh. Instead, people should be encouraged to start using electrical appliances. The government should subsidise these products and increase the price of firewood simultaneously. An NGO could be involved in raising awareness about cleaner options and the health aspects.'
Lam Dorjee of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature echoes his views. "Only non-availability of firewood can discourage the use of bukharis . In urban areas, people can afford to shift to alternative energy sources, but the change cannot be drastic in rural areas,' he says. "If we consider the future impacts, if unchecked, air pollution could be a problem. But to impose a ban, we need to have a baseline. This needs scientific studies,' he adds.
As of March 1998, there were 14,206 registered vehicles in Bhutan of which 8,582 were in Thimpu alone. According to the NEC study, 96 per cent of diesel and 66 per cent of petrol vehicles in Thimpu do not meet Indian emission standards. The low combustion rate of fossil fuels, especially in diesel engines, also adds to the problem. Diesel engines in Bhutan do not have high altitude compensators. This coupled with the low quality of fuel leads to high emissions of carbon monoxide and other gases. Moreover, says Tshering Tashi, joint director, NEC, "In the winters, diesel vehicles are kept in a start mode for as long as 15 minutes to warm up the engine. This adds to early morning pollution.'
In recent years, a fleet of reconditioned cars was imported to Bhutan. These also increased pollution levels in the city. When it started becoming an issue, the government imposed a ban on such imports from all countries, barring India. This has become a cause of concern for most people. There is a need to standardise the import of vehicles. Bhutan should not be made the dumping ground for old vehicles,' says Nedup Tshering, Environmental Impact Assessment officer in the NEC. "There are no regulations on these vehicles and this is worrying,' says Lam Dorjee.
On June 2, 1999, the government introduced city (public) buses in Thimpu. Many are hopeful that this will contribute to easing the pollution problem. The government hopes to begin public transport services elsewhere in the country too.
Another policy decision, which has eased Thimpu traffic considerably, is the introduction of
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