The beautiful Himalayas, famous for their stunning views, are becoming harder to see because of serious air pollution. I grew up in Kathmandu and loved looking at the tall mountains. But during my recent trips, I noticed that haze often blocked the view, even in spring and autumn when the skies are usually clear. Once, my flight had to circle around Kathmandu several times before landing because the haze made it hard to see. Even though I stayed at a hotel with a great view, I couldn’t see the mountains at all during my two-week stay.

The haze is mainly caused by pollution from dust and smoke coming from different sources. Scientists have observed that these hazy conditions are getting worse and lasting longer, which makes it harder to see the mountains. Normally, the best times to trek in the Himalayas are from March to May and October to November, when the skies are clear. However, with rising temperatures and poor air quality, these months are now often filled with thick haze, making it less likely to see the peaks.

This drop in visibility is hurting the local tourism industry. A trekking guide named Lucky Chhetri mentioned that his business has dropped by 40% because of the haze, leaving many tour operators feeling sad about their situation. Tourists, like John Carrol from Australia, have shared their disappointment about not being able to see the mountains as clearly as before. The Trekking Agents Association of Nepal has said that many trekking guides are thinking about changing jobs because of the lack of business caused by the haze.

On the Indian side of the Himalayas, tour operators are also noticing that the haze is coming back faster and is thicker than it used to be. Malika Virdi, who runs a tourism business in Uttarakhand, said that the weather patterns have changed, leading to longer periods of haze. In the western Himalayas of Pakistan, there is less haze, but locals still report that the mountains are not as visible as they once were. The ongoing haze is a big worry for both tourists and people working in the tourism industry.

Original news source: Why the mighty Himalayas are getting harder and harder to see (BBC)

– CHARADES
Instructions: Students will break into small groups. Each group will receive a list of words or phrases related to the article, such as "Himalayas," "pollution," "trekking," and "tourism." One student will act out the word or phrase without speaking while their teammates guess what it is.
– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Students will be given a series of statements related to the article, such as "Air pollution is a serious problem" and "Tourism should be prioritized over environmental concerns." They will move to different sides of the classroom to indicate whether they agree or disagree with each statement. Afterward, they will discuss the reasons for their positions in pairs.
– MIND MAP
Instructions: In groups, students will create a mind map on a large sheet of paper. They will start with "Himalayas" in the center and branch out to include related topics from the article, such as pollution, tourism, and local guides. They will discuss how these topics connect.
– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Students will work in pairs to come up with catchy headlines that summarize the main issues presented in the article. They will then share their headlines with the class and discuss why they chose those particular phrases.
– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Students will divide into teams. Each team will select a word from the article that relates to the topic (e.g., "haze," "tourism," "pollution") and draw a representation of that word on the board. Their teammates will try to guess the word based on the drawing, promoting vocabulary retention and understanding.

The beautiful ?, famous for their stunning ?, are becoming harder to see because of serious air pollution. I grew up in Kathmandu and loved looking at the tall mountains. But during my recent ?, I noticed that haze often blocked the view, even in spring and autumn when the skies are usually clear. Once, my flight had to circle around Kathmandu ? times before landing because the haze made it hard to see. Even though I stayed at a hotel with a great view, I couldn’t see the mountains at all during my two-week stay. The haze is mainly caused by pollution from dust and smoke coming from different sources. Scientists have ? that these hazy conditions are ? worse and lasting longer, which makes it harder to see the mountains. Normally, the best times to trek in the Himalayas are from March to May and October to November, when the skies are clear. However, with rising temperatures and poor air quality, these months are now often filled with ? haze, making it less ? to see the peaks. This drop in visibility is hurting the local tourism industry. A trekking guide named Lucky Chhetri mentioned that his business has ? by 40% because of the haze, leaving many tour operators feeling sad about their situation. Tourists, like John Carrol from Australia, have ? their ? about not being able to see the mountains as clearly as before. The Trekking ? Association of Nepal has said that many trekking guides are thinking about changing jobs because of the lack of business caused by the haze. On the Indian side of the Himalayas, tour operators are also noticing that the haze is coming back faster and is thicker than it used to be. Malika Virdi, who runs a tourism ? in Uttarakhand, said that the weather ? have changed, leading to longer periods of haze. In the western Himalayas of Pakistan, there is less haze, but locals still ? that the mountains are not as visible as they once were. The ? haze is a big worry for both tourists and people working in the tourism industry.

1. What is your favorite natural view or landscape that you have seen?
2. How would you feel if you traveled to a famous place but couldn’t see it because of pollution?
3. Do you think air pollution is a serious problem in your country? Why or why not?
4. What is a memorable trip you’ve taken where the weather affected your experience?
5. How do you think pollution impacts local businesses, like tourism?
6. Do you like hiking or trekking in nature? Why or why not?
7. What is a place you would like to visit that is known for its natural beauty?
8. How would you feel if you were a tour guide and your business was affected by pollution?
9. Do you think people are aware of how pollution affects our environment? Why or why not?
10. What is a solution you think could help reduce air pollution in popular tourist areas?
11. How important do you think it is to protect natural landscapes like the Himalayas?
12. Do you think tourists should be more responsible about their impact on the environment? Why?
13. What is a way you personally try to reduce pollution in your daily life?
14. How would you feel if you had to change your career because of environmental issues?
15. Do you think governments should do more to combat air pollution? Why or why not?

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