Collective efforts needed to minimize air pollution: Minister Yadav

Minister for Forest and Environment, Pradip Yadav, has said collective efforts are needed to minimize the effects of air pollution as it spreads out of national border

Air pollution is not a problem of any single country, but a common problem of many countries, he viewed. During a programme organized by the Environment Department on Wednesday, Minister Yadav viewed the attention and engagement of people and agencies from wider sectors as needed to combat the serious problem of the day.

Air pollution has a direct bearing on a country's ecosystem. Health, agriculture and economic growth are also impacted badly by air pollution, he added. According to him, development and environment are not inimical but complementary. So, any development initiatives forwarded by the Nepal government should be in line with the spirit of sustainable development and the Environment Conservation Act, 2076, and Environment Conservation Regulation, 2077. The Minister argued that forest fires were occurring due to not having preparedness.