Concern over growing level of pollution in valley

January 9, 2000
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Kathmandu, Jan. 9: Nepalese and Japanese environment experts today showed concern over the growing level of pollution in Kathmandu Valley and stressed on people’s participation to fight the hazard.

“All of us are responsible for pollution and we cannot overcome it unless we face it united, Environment Secretary Gobinda Raj Bhatta told inaugurating a one-day workshop on People’s Participation in Environmental Monitoring here this morning.

Environmental degradation is a problem of global concern, Bhatta said and urged for trans-national partnership to meet the challenge.

Bhatta said that work was underway to assess the gravity of the problem and develop human resources and appealed to the private sector to join hands with the government.

Identifying rapid population growth and the resultant pressure on the limited natural resources as the main cause of pollution, Bhatta said that the situation would not improve unless more of alternative energy sources were explored.

Urbanisation process and sharp rise in number of vehicles is the major cause of pollution, said Amod Pokhrel on behalf of LEADERS Nepal – a non-governmental organisation working to check pollution. The government should see to this, he added.

Japan Environment Academy (JEA)’s Secretary Dr. Katsuzi Kuno and Japan Environment Corporation (JEC)’s representative Ikko Ohwada assured the Nepalese environment activists of their continued support to fight pollution.

In the technical session, Dr. Kazuo Amaya, President of Japan-based Detergent Environmental Science Research Society presented a paper with its focus on the ways of developing simple and easy methods of environmental monitoring.

Organised jointly by LEADERS Nepal JEA under the support of JEC, the workshop aimed at raising awareness and disseminating information on simple and easy technology for monitoring environment.