Nepal, April 17 -- Bad air is now a problem in every major city in Nepal. For those of us living here, it is a disastrous aspect of our daily lives. It is sickening the pregnant, the young, the old and everyone in-between by the minute. For tourism, it is a death knell. The lofty plans to keep people in the Valley for cultural tourism longer than the token day or two before heading for trekking will fail categorically due to the unbreathable air.

We need not look far to understand the extent to which bad air affects our environment and how its impact extends beyond environmental concerns. Take Lumbini, where the air quality is appalling. While the recent Supreme Court decision to ban industries 15 kilometres around the Lumbini UNESCO Wor...