KATHMANDU, Nepal- Air pollution is emerging as a severe problem in the Kathmandu Valley, but the concerned say, the government is yet to take any serious steps to improve the degrading environment.
Vehicles are at the forefront of air pollution but recent road widening drive launched by government recently has also added plea to the capital valley’s environment.
“Vehicles cause sixty-five percent of air pollution in the city,” said a officer at the Office of Transport Management’s Pollution Section. Though the government has set standards to check vehicular emission in the valley, it is doing little to tackle air pollution.
The Department of Transport Management has launched a provision mandatory for all vehicles to go through the carbon emission tests at its office premises. The emission test passed vehicles would get Green Stickers while the failed one get Red with Yellow Stickers to others having low emission intensity but requires improvement.
The Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard, 2012, allows movement of zero emission vehicles abiding by Euro III standards and restricts phased-out Euro I vehicles. However, the government has not been able to completely displace the older vehicles from the valley due to protest of transport entrepreneurs.
“The older law is still effective. This is the reason why around 99 percent of vehicles pass the emission test and ply on the Valley roads with Green Sticker,” environmentalists said.
