Environment Protection Programme Procedure issued

Kathmandu, December 5

The Department of Environment issued a school-centric Environment Protection Programme Procedure 2019 to make ‘Nepal Clean Environment’ mega campaign launched by the government, a big success. Article 30 (1) of the constitution of Nepal enshrines ‘clean environment’ as a fundamental right, and states that every citizen shall have the right to live in a clean and healthy environment.

Article 30 (2) of the constitution also encourages the government to formulate necessary legal frameworks to balance environment and development.

The procedure aims to expand greenery promotion and pollution control programmes in community and institutional schools of all seven provinces so as to develop the culture of sanitation. It envisages activating persons, families and communities for environment protection by creating awareness from the school level. According to the procedure, the school-centric environment protection programme will be conducted in 50 places of all the provinces in a proportional manner.

The department invites proposals from schools and selects 50 of them on the basis of the annual budget and programme. “At least eight schools will be selected from Province 3 while seven schools selected on merit basis will be included from each of the other provinces. Priority will be accorded to such schools where such a programme was not conducted before,” the procedure says.

It requires the department to give the subject of environment higher priority in the schools. The department shall enter into an agreement with the selected schools for operation of the programme.

A seven-member committee led by deputy director general of the department shall select the schools and carry out evaluation and monitoring of the programme which will last for one year.

The concerned schools are required to submit bills to the department for reimbursement after completion of the programme.