The government has brought into effect the Nepal Vehicle Pollution Standard-2069 and the National Standard on Air Quality-2069 BS, state-owned news agency RSS reports.

These standards have been enforced so as to enhance environmental cleanliness at the sites important from the cultural, religious and touristic perspectives, and to offer people an environment where they can inhale fresh air, said the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MoEST) officials at a press conference organized in the Capital on Tuesday.

An implementation facilitation team will be formed under the leadership of MoEST Joint-Secretary on the broader involvement of all stakeholders for the effective enforcement of the standards and that the team will perform by charting out action plan, said Secretary at the Ministry Krishna Gyawali.

A four-wheeler vehicular means equivalent to the Euro 3 will only be operated as per the standard.

Earlier, the government has displaced 20-year-old public vehicles by enforcing vehicle pollution standard in 2056 merely allowing the operation of vehicles equivalent to Euro 1

It is learnt that the Kathmandu Valley is enlisted as a city with air pollution according to a study carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005 AD.

Kathmandu has witnessed 60 per cent of pollution merely from vehicles and that it has increased number of patients of lung cancer and skin diseases, said expert on climate change at the Ministry Govinda Kharel.

According to a data, there are around 1.37 million registered vehicles in Nepal and the number is being increased by 20 per cent every year.

All these vehicles belong to Euro 1 and 2, said Sharad Adhikari of Department of Transport management.

Chairperson of Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) Laxman Uprety said the old-aged vehicles should gradually be removed by offering package deal and public awareness building. nepalnews.com