KATHMANDU, Nepal-In its endeavor to keep the Capital Kathmandu neat and clean, a joint supervising team of the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment has sealed a dozen painting and dry cleaning business companies located on the bank of the Bagmati River for their ‘huge contribution’ in polluting the environment.
The committee constitutes Kathmandu District Administration Office, Small and Cottage Industry Office and Kathmandu Metropolitan City as members.
The committee said that those companies did not correct themselves to lessen emitting hazardous chemicals despite of frequents warning issued by the government since a couple of months.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Yubak Dhoj GC warned that those business companies failed to comply with the government directives and found to be involved in emitting hazardous chemical would have to pull their shutter.
Around nine dozen companies are operating on the bank of the Bagmati, Bishnumati and Tukucha rivers within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City against the criteria set by the government, an official at the Environment Ministry said. According to him, the government does not have proper data to determine whether such companies have been paying taxes or are operating by submitting false details.
Even though the existing law enforces prohibitions to operate hazardous companies within the municipality, some of them were registered with the Office of Company Registrar.
Meanwhile, the DoE has launched a step to fight environmental pollution caused by brick kilns, plastic, garbage and vehicular emissions among others.
