KATHMANDU: Dust generated from construction works of hydropower projects in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality has caused severe air pollution, affecting daily life, agriculture and livestock in several settlements.
Locals said soil dumped by dozers along hillsides and dust raised by heavy cargo vehicles transporting construction materials have made movement on roads difficult. Grazing areas have been damaged, while fodder grass and crops have been covered in dust.
Residents of Mudi, Khivang, Bagar, Khamla, Basbot, Solwang, Dar, Phaliyagaun, Khorwang, Kauchhini, Basbot and Naura have been most affected. According to locals, dust pollution is severe on the roads connecting Chhahari–Khara–Khamla in ward no. 4 and Dar–Simwang–Mudi in ward no. 3.
In the Simwang section of the Muna–Dar–Mudi road, dozers are cutting road slopes for pipeline construction of the Darkhola Hydropower Project, worsening the dust problem. Similarly, trucks and tippers carrying materials for projects such as Upper Myagdi, Upper Myagdi–1 and Myagdi Khola hydropower projects frequently ply the Chhahari–Khara–Khamla road.
Local resident Leel Bahadur Gharti of Khivang said dust has adversely affected crops and human health.
“We were happy when development projects arrived, but now our green forests and gardens are covered in dust,” he said. “We want development, but not at the cost of environmental destruction.”
Another local, Gyan Bahadur Pun of Khara, said fodder grass, fruits and vegetable leaves are coated with dust, making them unfit for consumption.
“After stepping outside for farm or forest work, our bodies are covered in dust,” he said. “Even dried clothes get dirty, water sources are polluted, and dust is now visible in phlegm and nasal discharge.”
Residents also complained that traveling by motorcycle or vehicle has become unbearable. Keshar Man Pun of Khamla said keeping vehicle windows closed causes suffocation, while opening them lets dust enter.
“Passengers riding behind motorcycles become unrecognisable due to dust,” he said, adding that hydropower companies have failed to sprinkle water on roads as pledged.
Ward Chair Yam Bahadur Gharti of Dhaulagiri–4 said hydropower projects have not implemented commitments mentioned in their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports to control dust and pollution. He also noted that the lack of rainfall since mid-November has worsened the situation.
Some projects have taken limited measures. Upper Myagdi–1 Hydropower Project has been sprinkling water daily from the powerhouse in Bharwang to the audit site in Chhahari, and from Khamla to the dam site. Similarly, Upper Myagdi Hydropower Project has been watering roads from Ghimleti to Chechung.
Ward member Hari Prasad Tilija said projects concerned have been warned to control dust on roads connecting Naura, Bagar and dam sites.
However, Jyoti Kumar KC, Chief of Upper Myagdi–1 Hydropower Project, blamed delays by subcontractors responsible for road upgrading.
“Our local subcontractor has delayed drainage, wall construction and soling works, making dust control difficult,” he said.
Subcontractor Dalman Pun of Chochangi Pun Construction argued that dust control falls under the responsibility of the hydropower projects, not road contractors.
“My responsibility is structural work like gabions, drains and retaining walls,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Subedi, Chief of Upper Myagdi Hydropower Project, said dust is under control in their area and that pollution mitigation on the Naura–Bagar road will be carried out in coordination with the Myagdi Khola Hydropower Project.
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