Kathmandu, February 25
It has been nearly two years since India adopted the BS6 emission standard that is equivalent to the Euro 6 standard. As India is the source of a majority of vehicles that Nepal imports, stakeholders had expected Nepal would also upgrade to Euro6.
Officials say the government also wants the same, but it has not been able to do so due to the reluctance of traders.
Whereas the government thinks a jump to Euro6 will help efforts for environmental protection, the traders say the country is not ready yet and it might hamper the national economy. Until now, Nepal has adopted the Euro3 emission standard that was decided in 2012-13.
A government-commissioned panel has recently submitted its report to the Ministry of Forests and Environment, suggesting Nepal needs to upgrade the emission standard, to Euro4 immediately and Euro6 after the needful preparation within the next two years. But, Environment Minister Ram Sahaya Yadav wants to directly jump to Euro6 as it has been the norm globally.
Dhruba Thapa, the president of the NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal, an organisation of auto dealers in Nepal, however, says the government shall provide a preparation period before the jump.
“Otherwise, we will need a huge investment for infrastructures and it will push the automobile sector into a crisis.”
