174 out of 292 vehicles fail pollution test

One hundred and seventy-four out of 292 vehicles have failed the pollution test conducted by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

The number of vehicles failing in the pollution test is 60 percent of the total vehicles subjected to the test.

Of these, 14 failed when 71 petrol-powered vehicles were tested and 160 failed when 221 diesel-run vehicles were subjected to the test.

According to KMC, 160 of the 221 diesel-run vehicles have failed the pollution test.

KMC Assistant Spokesperson Dhurba Kumar Kafle said the vehicles have been checked as per the Environment and Natural Resources Act, 2077 BS, the Pollution Control Standards, 2081 BS and Waste Collection and Transportation Procedure, 2081 BS.

KMC has been checking vehicles lately to reduce the impact of vehicular pollution. Owners of vehicles failing the pollution test have been suggested to repair their vehicles within a certain time period and operate them as per the standards.

Preparations are being made to gradually bring the vehicles that do not meet the criteria under the purview of action and stop their operation after giving them an opportunity, through the awareness program started from January 13, to make improvements.

So far, petrol and diesel- run vehicles plying through Koteshwor, Durbarmarg, Chakrapath Balkhu, Babarmahal, Teku, Sukedhara, Sinamangal, Panipokhari and Jamal have been tested.

Among the vehicles found to have failed in the pollution test are buses operating for public transport services, school buses, jeeps operated by government offices, trucks, among others.

KMC's Department of Environment Management is carrying out the pollution checking of vehicles in collaboration with the Department of Environment, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office and the Metropolitan Police Force.