Public Voice Represented

We were extremely happy to see your editorial Rape Of Godavari (TRN, July 18,2000). Indeed, the editorial has truly represented the voices of the people, especially the environmentalists who have been opposing the Godavari marble industry since its inception around a decade ago. No doubt it is a thoughtless action taken without realising the importance of flora and fauna available at the beautiful landscape just a few kilometres away from the capital. Alas! The marble industry has caused unrecoverable devastation to the environment of Godavari. Yet the concerned authorities are not doing anything to preserve Godavari and close down the marble industry. Moreover, the surprising fact is that when the government is planning to shift all the industries located in the Kathmandu Valley including the Himal Cement Company from the capital, the fact that the lease term of the polluting marble industry has been extended to till 2011 from 2001 has been disclosed. This disclosure has made us sad since the government seems not interested in preserving the flora and fauna of Godavari by shifting away the marble industry.

We hope TRN will continue to carrying more and more such editorials and stories so as to free the nature spot of invaluable worth, Godavari, from the environmentally hazardous industry.

Kishore Tamrakar & Shyam Shrestha
Lagankhel, Lalitpur