STORY: Air pollution poses deadly threat to Kabul residents
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 10, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 19, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:31
LOCATION: Kabul
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the polluted atmosphere of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): HAJI DELAGHA, Coal seller
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): MUJEEB RAHMAN, Taxi driver
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): TOOFAN JEBRAN, Director of regulation and control of pollution and waste at NEPA

STORYLINE:

As winter settled in, thick, hazardous smog from burning coal, rubber, and other substandard fuels poses a significant threat to the health of millions of residents in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): HAJI DELAGHA, Coal seller
"Pollution has significantly increased. The extreme levels of dust and smoke in Kabul city at night make it difficult to see the road clearly while driving."

Unemployment and poverty have forced many citizens to rely on smoky, unrefined fuels to heat their homes during chilly weather. Desperate families even collect harmful materials like plastic from waste to burn as fuel.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): MUJEEB RAHMAN, Taxi driver
"Coal has numerous drawbacks and is also dangerous, People cannot afford wood for heating, so they settle for coal. The smoke it produces causes significant health issues."

Officials at the Afghanistan National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) reported a slight improvement in Kabul's air condition compared to previous years.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): TOOFAN JEBRAN, Director of regulation and control of pollution and waste at NEPA
"The data shows a 10 to 20 percent decline (in pollution levels in Kabul) compared to the previous years."

However, Jebran acknowledged that significant challenges remain. He identified the lack of electricity and refined fuels as the primary cause of rising air pollution in Kabul, a city of around 6 million people.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul.
(XHTV)