Air pollution in Kathmandu Valley is mostly caused by vehicular emissions, according to the Department of Forests and Environment.
It said that since December 16, it has been more stringently testing car fuel emissions and that it is getting ready to progressively spread to other significant cities around the nation. 28 vehicles have received fines for standards violations in less than two weeks.
According to the Environment Conservation Act, any vehicle that fails an emission test would be subject to a fine of up to Rs 100,000, as stated by the Department.
A surprise inspection accompanied by a smoke densitometer has been ongoing since mid-December, according to department spokesperson Shankar Prasad Poudel. Each car that failed the test was fined Rs 5,000 and instructed to retake it three days following servicing.
The testing revealed that the Kathmandu Valley’s public transportation fleet operates on tired engines. Vehicles that fail the emission test must retake it until they pass.