Kathmandu, January 20:

A three-day regional awareness

workshop on implementation of

the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in Asia began here today.

The workshop is hosted by

the United Nations Environment

Programme.

The Stockholm Convention was approved on May 23, 2001, to fight the hazardous effects of the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides

in agriculture.

Speaking at the workshop, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Ganesh Shah said the government was committed to implement the convention.

Nepal has a total of 75 tonnes of obsolete chemicals which need to be disposed off as soon as possible.