Maskmandu

Date:  Sunday, June 5, 2016

Time: 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Venue:  Rastriya Sabha Ghriya, Kathmandu

Title:  #Maskmandu : Mask-must zone declaration

Organizers:

1. Aakar Nepal

2. National College

3. Power Shift Nepal

4. Tourism Development Endeavors (TUDE)

5. Golden Gate Int’l College

6. Centre for Integrated Urban Development (CIUD)

7. Clean Energy Nepal

8. Clean up Nepal

9. Cycle City Network Nepal (CCNN)

10. Kathmandu Cycle City 2020

11. Digo Bikash Institute

12. Jiwanta Nepal

13. Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA)

14. Resource for Primary Health Care (RECPHEC)

15. Rotaract Club of Kupandole

16. YUWA

17. Institute for Urban Development and Policy Research – IUDPR

18. We Inspire Nepal

19. Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ)

20. Youth Thinkers Society (YTS)

21. Global Peace Young Leaders

Objective: Launch an inter-organizational ‘Campaign for Clean Air Rights’ on the occasion of World Envt. Day by declaring that Kathmandu has become a mask-must-zone.

More than 200 participants (campaigners, activist, cyclist and pedestrians) in front of Rastriya Sabhagriha, symbolically laid dead on the ground demanding urgent action to the government of Nepal. Campaign started off  with a flash mob and everybody joined them and laid dead to demand immediate action and ensure the constitutional right to live in a healthy and clean environment as stated in Article 30 in the Constitution of Nepal 2072.

Cycle City Network Nepal is part of the campaign that has 21 organizations in the team and is increasing. There was a higher participation of cyclist among others.  Cyclists are also the hardest hit victim of road air pollution, with heavy breathing while contributing the least to road dust. There was a very high coverage of the event in media, as it was of its a unique approach to a demonstration.

A petition was handed to the Ministry of Environment and Population during the official environment day cycle rally event of the government. The petition will be submitted to Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Health, Kathmandu Metropolitan City and all Municipalities in Kathmandu Valley, this week.

Campaigners demanded : 

• Formulate ‘Comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan’ under urgent, mid-term and long-term strategy and legal measures such as ‘Clean Air Act’ to address this serious air pollution.
• Take immediate action to install air pollution monitoring stations in key locations of Kathmandu valley
• Devise stringent vehicle emission standard, enforcement of green sticker provision and take polluting vehicles off the road.
• Upgrade the fuel standard including provisions of cleaner fuel, and mandatory provision to use emission control technologies especially in diesel vehicles.
• Promote non-motorized transport system by building safer infrastructures for walking and cycling, and introduce environment-friendly, efficient and affordable mass transit to ensure sustainable urban mobility in Kathmandu Valley.
• Follow proper environment management plan and take strict action against contractors for delayed road construction to address dust pollution from road construction activities.
• Devise plans and take urgent action to reduce pollution industries especially from brick kilns and usage of diesel generators, and Ban open solid waste burning practices.
• Pollution tax raised from petroleum has remained unspent. We ask the government to mobilize pollution tax immediately on air pollution mitigation activities and on implementing ‘Clean Air Action Plan’. We also request to invest the increased tax on fuel to be invested in mass public transport system, and make pollution industries and vehicles to pay their fair share for contributing to air pollution.

For online version of the petition :

Words: Dristy Shrestha