This is with reference to Bhubanesh Pant’s opinion article “Foreign direct investment: Investment-friendly climate” (THT, January 23, Page 8).

There is no doubt that Nepal can benefit from foreign direct investment (FDI) if our nation can create investment-friendly environment. However, just in the name of FDI to increase tax revenue collection some investments can be brutal.

Whether technology or knowledge can be transferred or not is vital. In most of the cases, we may not know which technology is suitable and can be transferable. Whether trained local labour can utilise such technological knowledge for similar industries should be evaluated. Employment created at the time of FDI should be sustainable. Local industries should also benefit from FDI.

Visionary policies should be adopted for the economic growth of the country. Sandwiched between giant economies – India and China – Nepal can benefit from FDI; nevertheless its long term impact should also be fruitful.

Narayan Regmi, via e-mail

Dusty Valley

Recently, it has come to light that youths took out a “Maskmandu rally’ on January 20 with an objective of drawing government’s attention towards deteriorating air quality in the Kathmandu Valley.

The rally started from Namuna Mahendra School, Lagankhel, and concluded at Jawalakhel. More than 250 participants from various government, non-government organisations, schools, colleges and media houses took part in the rally.

It was followed by a flash mob and talk program at Jawalakhel grounds. The main motive of the rally was to make sure that youths had to be accountable for the conservation of the environment where Nepal really lags behind although awareness campaigns are going on these days.

Needless to say, the Valley has become a dusty settlement because of the ongoing digging of trenches along the roads for laying pipelines of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project. The digging of trenches will continue till next year until all areas are laid with water pipelines. But the authorities concerned have not black-topped the trenches that they have dug because these pipelines are yet to be tested to make sure that they are leaked when water is flowed through them from the reservoirs.

Officials said that they cannot blacktop the trenches right now as, if they do so, they will have to reopen them if some parts of the pipelines leak. But the project can take some temporary measures to control the dust particles from blowing in the air which has created havoc to the public. The dust particles arising from the drinking water project and the emission of smoke and pollution from old and not-repaired vehicles have made the densely populated Valley an unsuitable place to live in.

If the government is at least able to phase out the vehicles older than 20 years it would give much relief to the public.

Pratik Shrestha, Baneshwor