Gopal Tiwari

Kathmandu, May 3:

The Institute of Environment Management (IEM) project, which was being financially supported by DANIDA, has stopped functioning due to a financial crunch.

IEM had been in operation for five years in Nepal as a joint venture in the field of environment project of the government in cooperation with DANIDA. Its untimely demise is being attributed to a continuing government apathy despite the organisations contribution to human resource development, environment improvement and economic efficiency.

The IEM project started with Rs 150 million with an aim to create human resource development, environmental management, industrial environment management and managing urban air quality.

Sanjay Shah, director of IEM, revealed to The Himalayan Times that despite the project being useful in the field of manpower creation, environmental management and boosting the efficiency of industrial units, it could not continue to function as DANIDA has also stopped aiding the project. IEM is the first component of the government-DANIDA implemented project under the Environment Sector Programme Support (ESPS), Shah informed. He said that IEM used to provide training tothe government, NGOs, private sector and individuals. “IEM has trained over 2,600 in various fields and spent about Rs 30 million every year.”Apparently, DANIDA has been disappointed in its aim of turning IEM into a legal institution and a self-sufficient institution.