This year's World Environment Day is going to be preceded by some remarkable events with environmental significance in Nepal. The Supreme Court delivered a verdict to stop the construction of Nijgadh International Airport in Bara, a district in the southern plains of the country, after listening to independent candidates advocating environmental issues.
Going further, other important days that preceded World Environment Day are International Mountain Day, and World Bicycling Day (June 3), which also warrant concern and interest around environmental issues.
Particularising the similar events, the first meeting of the people's representatives in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) witnessed intense discussion relating to the problems of waste management.
Meanwhile, the Kathmanduities are plagued by the recurring problem of garbage and now, how Mayor Balendra Shah will cooperate with the concerned sides decides the early or later solution of one of the nagging problems of the valley, waste management.
Talking about the policy documents, it was good to see the environmental protection and climate changes issues mentioned with priority in the manifestos of political parties before the local elections. Similarly, while contesting within the party in the general conventions and national congress, even the political leaders of big parties- Nepali Congress, CPN UML, and CPN (Maoist Centre), prioritised climate change and environment protection.
Another glaring example of pollution in Nepal is the mountain region. It is worrying that even the pristine snow-clad region of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, has piles of garbage. Trashes at the Everest have been the headlines in different media outlets, national or international, for some years.
On June 6, 2019, the Washington Post ran a story, 'Mount Everest is full of garbage. A cleanup crew just hauled off 24,000 pounds of waste'. The story written by Mr Kyle Swenson mentioned, "The world's most famous peak is showing its wear and tear. … Each spring, hundreds of people flock to the slopes of the nearly 30,000-foot mountain. The problem is what they leave behind- tons of garbage and human waste that have earned the natural wonder distinction as the "world's highest garbage dump."'
Currently, a fierce discussion is going on for and against the SC verdict on the construction of Nijgadh International Airport. A section of conservationists and environmentalists has welcomed the decision. Groups of young environmentalists have paraded with placards reading, 'SC saved Nijgadh forest.'
Expert Dr Ngamindra Dahal says, "Protection of environment needs collective sense and efforts. Environmental degradation is a global problem-posing a severe threat to the ideal state of co-existence and biodiversity. But, it is worrying that development activities have been understood as the destruction of the environment."
He further blames policymakers and politicians who strongly believe that environment must be destroyed for the sake of development.
As the expert suggests it is high time Nepalis made serious reviews of past policies and activities and change individual to State behavior to protect the environment.
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