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Kathmandu is suffocating with polluted air, with the pressure of vehicles using fossil fuels in the background, dust sources and fires directly responsible. Every year the pollution reaches a high point and the government has no interest in mitigation. Keeping water and air clean is the first responsibility of the government. On top of that, the government has been collecting money from consumers on petrol and diesel under the title of pollution control, the money collected should be invested in studies, research, prevention and control of environmental pollution. However, even the government agencies do not know where, why and how this money is being spent.
This shows that our government is not sensitive to the health of its citizens. This trend is harmful both in the short term and in the long run. Pollution is a common challenge, the government should take effective, result-oriented and citizen-friendly initiatives to control it. Immediate and long-term work should be done, strategy should be made. There should be periodic reviews. Financial discipline is a work in progress. The government should calculate the amount collected in the name of pollution charges and immediately present a roadmap to spend in this area and reduce pollution.
From the year 2065/66, the pollution tax has been collected from the sale of petrol and diesel. Initially, 50 paise per liter was collected, but in 2074/75, this fee was increased to 1/1 rupee per liter. For the past four years, it has been collected at the rate of 1 rupee 50 paisa per liter. The amount raised for the pollution fee is deposited by the Nepal Oil Corporation in the account of the Ministry of Finance on the 25th of every month. In this way, the amount of money raised for 17 years has reached 25 billion 39 million 66 million. This amount was supposed to be spent by the Ministry of Forestry and Environment by creating a program, but the Ministry itself did not receive this amount. Instead, the Ministry of Finance is spending elsewhere. The officials of the Ministry of Finance claim that the money collected under the title of pollution control can be spent in any area including roads, health, social security. There are other titles for development and construction, if the money raised in the name of pollution is spent on other titles, it is difficult to expect that the government can guarantee clean air. In order to make the government accountable to the environment, the vigilance of the stakeholders is indispensable.
The government has been imposing many charges/taxes on consumers while ensuring its profit in petroleum products. Seven types of taxes are levied on petrol alone. For each liter of petrol, the government levies government customs and notification fee/tax of Rs 25.23, infrastructure tax of Rs 10, road maintenance fee/tax of Rs 4, value added tax of Rs 18.75, price stabilization fund fee of Rs 1.63, pollution fee/tax of Rs 1.50 and green tax of Rs 1. Citizens have to pay government revenue of Rs 62.11 per liter of petrol. Such revenue is Rs 45.16 per liter on diesel, Rs 30.66 per liter on kerosene, Rs 18.20 per liter on aviation fuel (domestic flights), Rs 20.83 per liter on aviation fuel (international flights) and Rs 318.64 per cylinder on LP gas. Whether such fees/taxes are being utilized or not, should now be a matter of debate and monitoring.
The question of the amount raised by the government to build the 1200 MW Budhigandaki hydropower project is also separate. From the financial year 2072/73, a tax of Rs 5 per liter has been started on fuel import. Although the tax was collected in the name of Budhigandaki in two financial years, later the tax was collected in the name of 'Infrastructure Development Tax'. Currently, this fee is Rs 10 per liter of petrol and diesel. Consumers are still paying taxes. But there is confusion as to whether Budhigandaki will be made or not, how it will be made and who will make it. It is not considered necessary to answer such questions. But everyone is aware of the delay in road maintenance. Dilapidated or potholed roads are also a major cause of air pollution. In this way, even if an additional fee is charged for working on a certain topic of civic concern, the failure to do the related work is a violation of accountability and responsibility towards the citizen. This trend should be corrected.
A clean environment is not only a human need and desire, but also a constitutional right. Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal states that every citizen has the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. A provision has also been made that the victims of damage caused by environmental pollution or degradation will have the right to receive compensation from the polluter in accordance with the law. A decade after the promulgation of the constitution, constitutional rights have not been established. People are breathing very unhealthy air. On the other hand, a clean and healthy environment is directly related to the health of citizens. Kathmandu's air pollution has reached a level that not only affects sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, heart and respiratory patients and pregnant women, but also sensitive groups such as heart, asthma, lung and high blood pressure patients. Experts are saying that this will cause many complex health problems over time. Creative initiatives of the government are also expected to address constitutional rights and health sensitivities.
