Choking on the Bagmati

The Bagmati River used to be the lifeline of Kathmandu for decades.

Now, however, this river has become extremely polluted, thus posing a threat to everyone who lives around the river.

Every day, Sanu places her tiny fruit stand on the river bank near the cracked stone wall.

The river has become a muddy liquid rather than flowing freely along the river bed. It crawls slowly and is surrounded by massive pieces of junk that made it become the main pollutant in the city.

Pollution is what has affected Sanu's life severely since the smell coming out of the river becomes mixed with the dust and exhaust fumes from the vehicles.

She has to breathe this air daily for more than ten hours a day, which means she breathes a lot of toxins in. People cover their noses and avoid buying anything at her stall to not stay in the polluted environment.

Pollution is what affects her business badly.

Nevertheless, she cannot afford to leave her stall because she needs to earn money.