Road outside the valley

At first glance, the road appears to be just another highway leading into and out of the Kathmandu Valley.

Yet there lies an invisible danger that every traveler is forced to breathe.

Recent landslides have left long stretches of the road damaged, and each passing vehicle lifts thick clouds of dust into the air.

Even standing there for five minutes was difficult.

My eyes burned, my throat became dry, and every breath felt heavy with dust. Ironically, a roadside EV fast-charging station stands nearby, symbolizing a cleaner future.

Electric vehicles produce no smoke emissions while driving, but they remain surrounded by diesel trucks, buses, and other fuel-powered vehicles that release smoke and harmful pollutants.

Combined with the endless dust from the broken road, the air becomes hazardous regardless of how many electric vehicles pass by. For travelers, this pollution is temporary.

They eventually leave.

But for the shopkeepers, roadside workers, traffic police, and families who live along this highway, it is a daily reality.

They wake up to the same dusty air, work through it, and return home after breathing it all day.

This road is a reminder that cleaner vehicles alone cannot solve air pollution.

Safe, well-maintained roads are equally essential for protecting the health of the people who live beside them.