Thursday 25th April 2024
Nepal’s Criminal Code 2018 has many provisions that seems to bring in an overall impact on Nepali society as a whole.
Apart from matters pertaining to human rights, the law also has some serious measures for environmental protection.
As per the new code, any individual found guilty of polluting will be subject to imprisonment for a period of five years or fined NPR 50,000 (USD 450) or both, informed the Department of Environment.
This includes anyone found guilty of producing mechanical noise, extreme heat and wastage without the consent of authorized government officials.
“The criminal code has provisioned that stringent action can be taken against those who are found involved in polluting the environment. Introducing the new law to control the pollution is indeed a positive aspect,” says Safala Shrestha, a Department spokesperson.
However, Safala feels that the real challenge lies in implementation!
“Introducing laws are not enough, the implementation part is more challenging and for this, it needs good coordination among the government agencies,” she adds.
Addressing A Long-Standing Concern
The new law is coming as an answer to the long-standing concerns over growing pollution menace in the country.
To control pollution, erstwhile governments have also taken measures like banning of old vehicles older than 20 years, promotion usage of alternatives to fuels, among others.
However, a strict law to monitor the growing menace is the need of the hour for the nation to support its ongoing policies like promoting green vehicles and usage of alternative energy solutions to power automotives.
Hope the new code will contribute to Nepal’s governmental efforts to ensure a pollution-free environment to its citizens.
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