One of the solutions to the increasing air quality degradation in Kathmandu could be the operation of Electric Vehicles (EVs). These zero-emission vehicles, experts say, are appropriate not only because of the increasing air pollution but also because of slower traffic speed and short travel distances in the Valley. The air quality in the Kathmandu Valley has been deteriorating in recent years. The main culprits are the legally and illegally operating 200-plus brick kilns. Second in the chart is the number of vehicles that are increasing at an annual rate of 17%. "Narrow streets, low traffic speed and short travel distances are the major factors that make the use of EVs in Kathmandu most appropriate," says Bhushan Tuladhar, executive director of Clean Energy Nepal (CEN), an organization working for cleaner environment in the country. A place like Kathmandu Valley that has lower air movement due to its bowl shape is bound to have air pollution problems. In such a context, experts say, it is wise that the government formulate appropriate plans and policies that foster and promote the EVs. Despite the introduction of EVs almost three decades ago, its growth rate is not satisfactory. EVs entered the Kathmandu Valley during the mid-70s with the introduction of the trolley bus system. A total of 22 trolley buses, donated by the Chinese Government with necessary infrastructure in place, plied along the 13-kilometer route between Tripureshwor in Kathmandu and Surya Binayak in Bhaktapur since 1975. After two decades, the Chinese Government supported with 10 more buses. But in December 2001, citing heavy losses, the government shut down the Trolley Bus Service. The closure was mainly due to political interference and mismanagement. In 1989, especially due to the Indian embargo, alternatives to fossil fuel vehicles were sought. It was then when a few more EVs joined the streets of the Valley. In 1993, the Global Resources Institute, with assistance from USAID, initiated a project to promote EVs as a commercially viable industry. The project converted seven polluting diesel three-wheelers to electric ones.

Despite the unsatisfactory growth of EVs so far, more than 600 electric three-wheelers, popularly called as Safa Tempo, nonetheless ply on the streets of Kathmandu now. This is largely due to the efforts of organizations such as the Kathmandu Electric Vehicle Alliance (KEVA) and CEN. KEVA is a program initiated by Winrock International, PADCO, San Francisco Clean Cities Coalition, and Electric Drive Transportation Association with the support of USAID to promote EVs in Kathmandu. "Our main objective is to develop EVs as a profitable industry," says Bibek Chapagain, in-country coordinator of KEVA. Explaining that the lifetime of the batteries of Safa Tempos depend upon its handling, Chapagain says that his organization has initiated the 'owner-driven concept' to ensure long-term battery utilization. The normal lifetime of the battery is 18 months and the cost is Rs. 130,000 for two sets, which is relatively expensive in the context of Nepal. Some believe that the lead-acid batteries used in the EVs pose serious problem of disposal after their lifetime. Lead is one of the major pollutants that seriously affect human health and environment. But Chapagain rules out such arguments. "Lead can be extracted and acid can be neutralized," he says. Another advantage of EVs in Nepal is that they use electricity as the fuel. EV advocates such as Chapagain and Tuladhar emphasize that Nepal should promote the use of zero-emission vehicles because the EV industry uses nighttime electricity, that would otherwise go wasted, to charge the batteries that can be used in the electric vehicles during the day. "Nepal should utilize its hydropower resources," they stress.

Diesel vehicles contribute the most to the air pollution of Kathmandu Valley. The amount of PM10 (particulate matter which are less than 10 microns in size) in the air of Kathmandu is very high. Adulterated vehicle fuels - gasoline mixed with diesoline, and diesel laced with kerosene - further aggravate the situation of the already compromised ecology in Nepal. "These particulate matters are seriously hazardous to human health," says Anil K Raut, an environmental expert. Citing his studies on the effects of air pollution on human health, Raut says that promotion of EVs in Kathmandu would significantly relieve Kathmanduites of the ill effects of air pollution. But do we have enough political will to promote EVs? Not likely, experts rue, with myopic government authorities that ban 20-year-old vehicles but facilitate the vehicle owners by levying taxes, among others, to help them buy diesel-run vehicles. Take the case of the Trolley Bus Service. After its closure in December 2001, it was revived in September 2003 to be run on a public-private partnership. This happened largely due to the initiatives of KEVA. But the Trolley Bus Service that boasted a fleet of 32 environmental friendly buses now merely has five 'operational' buses. "Only two to three buses are running on daily basis," says one of the officials. Promotion of EVs may also help the country to benefit through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. Through the CDM, the carbon saved by these zero emission vehicles could be traded with industrialized countries. As per the Kyoto Protocol, by the period 2008-2012, the industrialized countries should reduce their Green House Gas emissions by 5.2% and come down to the 1990 levels.

OTHER NEWS

• Price war in the air: The operation of Cosmic Airways' 105-seater Fokker-100 jet in three major cities of the kingdom at surprisingly cheaper fares, has triggered a price war in the airlines industry. Yeti Airlines is the first to respond. Yeti Airlines is cutting down its fare starting Sunday in all three destinations, where Cosmic has begun its service using the Fokker-100 Jetliner. Yeti has fixed Rs 2,100, Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,400 for Nepalgunj, Biratnagar and Bhairahawa respectively. The fare is less by Rs 100 compared to Cosmic's fare in these destinations. Cosmic Airlines started its operations this week in the three cities using its newly acquired jetliner at fares about 40 percent cheaper than the standard fare charged by other airlines.
  
  
• Minister to take stock of summit preparations: With only a month to go before the Second World Buddhist Summit, Tourism Minister Deep Kumar Upadhyaya will leave for Lumbini on Saturday to take stock of the preparations at the venue of the summit. Minister Upadhyaya, who chairs the main organizing committee of the summit, will assess the things on the ground and give directions to 14 sub-committees, said Navin Chitrakar, coordinator of the publicity sub-committee. As part of the activities aimed at giving Lumbini area, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, a facelift, the central canal behind Shantideep is being cleaned up, and a circular pond has been constructed near Mayawati temple while construction of another has begun, said Chitrakar. Of around 280 foreign guests invited to the summit scheduled for Nov 30-Dec 2, the attendance of around 70, including minister-level delegates, leaders and scholars of different religions, has been confirmed, according to the Second World Buddhist Summit Secretariat. But no confirmation of attendance of any head of state or government has been made so far, even as the secretariat is following up on its invitation to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
  
  
• Monsoon destroys 100,000 ha lands: Flood, landslide and inundation have destroyed more than 100 thousand hectares of arable land during the monsoon this year. According to statistics of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC), only 7,000 hectares of land were destroyed by natural calamities during the same period last year.
  
  

By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu