COVER STORY (Spotlight Weekly)

Cleaning Environment

Nepalese had to bear more than 400 million rupees loss -- in custom duty waivers -- to remove three-wheeler Vikram tempo out of capital. The Vikram-owners have been given custom facilities to import micro buses. But the question now is: will it guarantee the clean air in the valley? Instead of promoting environment-friendly SAFA electric tempos, the government is encouraging micro buses.

By KESHAB POUDEL

If advertisements published in daily newspapers on micro bus are any indications, the commitment expressed by the government on controlling vehicular emission in Kathmandu valley seems hollow. As advertisements offering people to buy diesel-run micro bus pour in the daily newspapers, the relief felt after the removal of smoke-belching Vikram tempos seem to be short-lived.

As advertisements appear in different newspapers, transport entrepreneurs and government officials seem confused about the new emission standards like Euro I.

"There is a clear specification for the Euro I as manufacturers have to certify it," said Minister of State of Population and Environment Bhakta Bahadur Balayar. "There is no question of allowing the entry of big brothers of Vikram like diesel buses."

Whether it is due to ignorance or intentional, every transport dealers are claiming that their vehicles are at par with the Euro I standard level.

Interestingly, transport entrepreneurs accuse that some vehicle dealers published advertisements to cheat entrepreneurs claiming that their vehicles are at par with Euro I standard. "The government should take steps not to cheat transport entrepreneurs again," said Hom Prasad Adhikary, General Secretary of Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs. "As we have no idea about the Euro I standard, it is the duty of the government to deliver standard vehicles."

Government authorities also seem to be serious about controlling the entry of polluting vehicles. "We will not permit any vehicle without receiving the certification of Euro I standard," said Krishna Murari Sharma, director general of Department of Transport Management. "We have received some applications from vehicle dealers claiming that their vehicles have Euro I certification."

At a time when Nepal's effort to clean up has been lauded by International magazines like Newsweek, it is not easy to sustain it. In its recent Japanese language edition, Newsweek declared Kathmandu as a liveable place. This compliment comes as a blessing for a city which was regarded as one of the worst polluted cities of the world. Few years ago, Time magazine had even published an article titled "Good bye Shangrila."

It took nearly a decade of concerted efforts to develop pressure against removing polluting vehicles from the capital valley. Vikrams were finally removed last September -- after rewarding its owners with duty waiver facilities.

For citizens of the capital valley, the government headed by Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai came as a savior whose decision finally pushed away Vikram tempos out of valley and introduced some harsh regulation to bar polluting vehicles from entering the city. The introduction of vehicle emission standard is a milestone in controlling vehicle emission in the valley.

One of the positive sides of the decision is that the new vehicles will be permitted to enter the valley only after detail study of carrying capacity of roads. The decision also bans polluting government vehicles from February 19.

"I will assure the citizens that no polluting vehicle will be allowed to enter Nepal as the government has already taken decision of prohibiting them," said Bhakta Bahadur Balayar, Minister for Population and Environment (MoPE). (See interview)

Along with the decision of prohibiting the entry of polluting vehicles that do not have Euro I standard, the government has also set date line for banning vehicles which do not meet emission standard.

"We welcome the decision of the government permitting only the vehicles at par with Euro-1 standard," said Adhikary. "It is the duty of the government to certify right vehicles."

To control vehicular emission, the government announced 22 point agenda to improve the vehicle emission level in the country along with the introduction of Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard 2056 on 23 December 1999.

If new 22 point agenda is implemented sincerely, Nepal does not have to face emission problems in the future particularly in Kathmandu valley.

In the decision, the government has banned the operation of vehicles in the valley that are 20 years old.

Despite such bold steps by the government, the entry of vehicles not at par with the new emission standard continues to rise in the capital. Ironically, the "zero-emission" vehicles like Safa Tempo are now fighting for survival as they have to compete with other vehicles. "We need protection from the state for our survival," says Pushpa Pokhrel, managing director of the Electric Vehicle Company (EVCO). "We have already invested a lot in this sector and as our tempos are emission free and pollution less, we expect some patronage from the government.'

A cehicle workshop : Generates pollution

As long as the government does not set its vision about the mode of public transportation it wants to adopt in the city, no program is going to be successful at reducing emission levels.

The decision to allow Vikram tempo owners to buy other vehicles by exempting taxes, some argue, is a policy of rewarding polluters instead of universal "polluters pay policy".

Officials argue the decision to remove diesel-run three wheelers has many fold economic benefits. After the removal of vehicles, Nepal recovered from one of the most polluted capitals to a reasonably good place.

Government officials argue that the benefit is very high in terms of health, tourism and other costs. The benefit will be in far excess to the loss that will be incurred due to tax exemption, they say.

Although the government has announced new sets of emission standards, experts argue, it has no equipment to measure it. For example, the government is saying it wants the vehicles to be of Euro-1 standard shortly but has no instrument to measure the standard. "We have said that we would want Euro 1 standards certified by manufacturers," said minister Balayar.

The state's coffer have already born about Rs. 400 million rupees of loss as reward for the Vikram tempo owners for their contribution in polluting the city.

At a time when zero emission electric tempos are gradually replacing the service provided by smoke-belching three-wheelers, the government's decision to allow importing 645 diesel micro-buses has thrown cold water over its commitment to clean the environment of the city.

A brick klin : a source of pollution

Although MoPE introduced Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard (NVMES) 2056 - which is said to be one of the most advance and restrictive - from December 23, 1999, hundreds of polluting vehicles are said to be entering the country from back door.

Between the evening of December 23 and 24, after the approval of the NVEMS 2056, more than 1000 vehicles were permitted to enter Nepal.

Surprisingly, local dealers of TATA, Mahindra & Mahindra and Maruti have asked government that their vehicles ordered before December 23 should be allowed into the valley.

At a time when the MoPE has already set the standard, it is surprising to know how ministry of Works and Transport and Finance issued permission for their entry.

In a single night alone more than 1000 vehicles were given permission to enter Nepal. Although officials argue that those vehicles are much better than present ones, the question is how could they get entry permission. Interestingly, the vehicles which have entered as such will not be permitted to operate in main urban areas of India.

The recent events show that different departments have their own agenda and no one is bothered at supporting Ministry of Population and Environment.

"All ministries are cooperating us to implement the decision as Prime Minister Bhattarai has himself taken this initiative," Minister Balayar said.

The clean-up campaign by the present government is not a spontaneous decision. It took nearly a decade long efforts to build the public opinion against polluting vehicles. According to the study, there are 5 vehicles per 1000 population in Kathmandu as against the Asian average of 15.

In the last decade, city dwellers had seen worst form of air quality which affected their health, business and also the cultural sites. Due to the entry of smoke-belching Vikram tempos and two stroke motorcycles, the beauty of Kathmandu has been shattered.

Growing public pressure, however, forced the government to ban three wheeler Vikram tempos from valley and introduce new rules to maintain air quality.

NVMES 2056 has already set strict standard for the entry of new vehicles in the valley. According to the regulation, mass emission standard of vehicles should be at par with Euro-1.

The campaign against polluting vehicles will take a new turn on February 19 when the government starts checking vehicles owned by government offices, diplomatic missions and government owned corporations. Any vehicles found not at par with the standard, will be banned from operating in the valley.

New registrations of two stroke two wheelers and three wheelers are terminated in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini even if they pass Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard.

"We will not allow the entry of polluting vehicles in the capital any more and other main cities. In the first step, we will stop them," said Dr. Govinda Bhatta, secretary at the Ministry of Population and Environment. "We, however, need equipment, laboratory and technical manpower to continue our efforts."

As ministry does not have such facilities, how long the new strict regulations will be followed remains to be seen. The past experience has shown that the government easily back-pedals on such decision with pressure from business lobby.

A street in Kathmandu : Less polluants

Nepal had introduced the first vehicle emission standard in 1995 after the completion of Nepal Kathmandu Valley Vehicle Emission Control Project submitted its report.

Emission standard is often modified in the past with pressure from transport entrepreneurs. After intense pressure from transport entrepreneurs, it was amended in 1999. The amendment set 65 HSU (Hartridge Smoke Unit) for new diesel vehicles and 75 HSU for old ones. For petrol vehicles it was set at 3 percent Carbon Monoxide (CO) for new and 4.5 percent CO for old. At that time the normal range of pollution of diesel vehicles was said to be around 100 HSU.

"I don't understand what has prompted the government to announce such an alternative bonanza for the polluters," said an environmentalist. "Instead of punishing, the polluters are rewarded by the government."

Despite the removal of three-wheeler Vikram tempos, Kathmandu valley is yet to get total relief from air pollution. The level of air pollution continues to affect human health and cultural sites.

According to new rules, road worthiness, fitness tests and standard of parameters are the test provisions. If a vehicle is found in an inappropriate condition, it will be fined Rs 25-50 to maximum Rs 100-200.

Likewise, the Department of Transport Management can reject the registration of a vehicle if it fails to qualify the standard. The department can also suspend registration of vehicles if they are found to be harmful for life and property of people.

One of the major problems of the country is to implement the quality control. Fuel quality also needs to be improved and upgraded.

The road should be well-managed and kept clean. Footpaths for pedestrians, vehicle parking spaces and bus stops also need to be developed.

Studies on demand and supply of mass transportation should be made and unwanted modes of mass transport be replaced by suitable ones. The studies by the Valley Traffic Police show that within the past five years, the traffic management speed has reduced from 25 km\hr to 7 km\hr.

City heart in Kathmandu : Under a clear sky

Although they perceive that urban air pollution has adverse effects on health, many urban dwellers continue to use their cars because of convenience.

As much as 90 percent of future population growth is expected to occur in cities. This shift toward urban areas will improve quality of life by bringing more people within reach of health care and education service but add to the woes of environment.

Increased ownership of automobiles drives up air pollution levels. Cars are some of the worst air polluters compared to other vehicles.

"The government can not deny our right to do business and cannot ask us to take away our vehicles," said Hom Prasad Adhikary.

Air pollution levels of Kathmandu valley can be reduced by spending small amount of money. Old and ill-maintained vehicles, contaminated fuels, weak traffic management and a considerable number of brick-kilns in and around the city have contributed to the city's air pollution.

"Nepal urgently needs to prepare a comprehensive framework for policies to address problems of air pollution. It also needs to develop cost effective policies to contain air pollution and its impacts on human health, ecology and cultural property," writes Ambika Prasad Adhikary, director of IUCN-Nepal, in his book Urban and Environmental Planning in Nepal.

Adulteration of fuel is common among both retailers and users. This is often in the shape of petrol adulterated with kerosene and diesel and of diesel with kerosene. The quality of fuel is said to be very important in controlling vehicular emissions.

The high levels of vehicular air pollution, experts argue, in urban Kathmandu are largely the result of badly maintained and overloaded vehicles and poor quality of fuel that they use. The largest portion of toxic emissions come from diesel powered commercial vehicles and two and three wheelers powered by two-stroke engines.

In this connection, the ban on commercial vehicles older than 20 years currently announced by the government is a well-intentioned policy.

TU Teaching Hospital : Rising number of partients

Nepal standard specifies a maximum level of 0.56 gm\liter (0.80 for 93 octane) of lead in petrol as recently as the early 1990s. The typical level today is much higher than that.

More sensible would have been re-engining program for older vehicles, which could lead to both considerable reduction in pollutant emissions and reduction in operating costs.

The fuel efficiency and low emission engine technology is available in the world but they cost a lot more than ordinary vehicles.

The move to ban two-stroke and diesel engined vehicles is likely to have effects similar to that which will befall the ban on older vehicles in Nepal. It is surely more important to introduce policies that reduce the total pollutant levels by a significant amount rather than make much ado about nothing.

Improvement in vehicular exhaust emissions can come about as a result of efficient transport policies which improves public transport, betters fuel quality, and assures the enforcement of progressively tighter vehicular emission standards. Banning old vehicles and two strokes can be at best be a symbolic gesture and more likely prove counter productive by diverting attention from real and important environmental problems.

While it is not possible to reverse the growth of cities, emissions from factories and vehicles should be brought down if we want to control the effect of their emissions on air.

Over the last two decades air pollution has worsened due to increased Nitrogen oxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) levels have increased slightly while sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels have declined.

In Kathmandu valley, air pollution has worsened in pockets, due to traffic congestion, poor housing, poor sanitation and drainage system and garbage accumulation.

Kathmandu has witnessed increased number of vehicles tremendously. In 1980, there were only 40,000 vehicles of which cars made up 10,000, two wheelers 10,000 and three wheelers 2000. The percentage increase of the latter two is 10 while cars are being added up by 20 percent annually.

The projected growth over the next 15 years is likely to be exponential due to the poor status of pubic transport. Almost fifty to eighty percent of two-wheelers of the country is in Kathmandu valley.

Congested road junctions build up high levels of NO2 and SPM. The levels of the two gases in the northeast suburbs were found to be 156 and 1,309 micrograms/cubic meter.

As the pollution levels in Kathmandu rises, several illnesses are likely to increase as is the cost of treating them.

As the component of transport in terms of air pollution levels is increasing - from lowest to highest - we need to emphasize the importance of its control.

Kathmandu Valley's population grew by 26 percent from 1970 to 1980, and another 44 percent between 1980 and 1990. In 1992, the population of Kathmandu valley stood at approximately 10,60,000 of which 56 percent were urban residents.

"The growth in population has been accompanied by a surge in the number of vehicles" says Urban Air Quality Management Strategy in Asia, Kathmandu Valley Report 1996.

With the growth in the number of vehicles, the consumption of fuel has increased. Over the period 1980-1993, the increase has been about 150 percent for gasoline, 175 percent for motor diesel and 250 percent for kerosene. The per capita fuel consumption in 1993 was about 27 liters of gasoline, 150 liters of motor diesel and 125 liters of kerosene.

Atmospheric visibility data from Kathmandu's airport analyzed onwards from 1970 show that there has been a substantial decrease in the visibility in the valley since 1980. The number of days with good visibility has decreased in winter months in 1992\1993. Air pollution measurement show that particulate pollution is the most significant problem in Kathmandu valley. Total TSP emissions per year amount to 16,500 tons. The WHO air quality guidelines for TSP is often substantially exceeded.

As such, the need for cleaning up the foul environment of the Kathmandu valley has never been felt more strongly before. Concerted action by the government coupled with prudent policies and sound implementation are, however, most wanted.