Kathmandu, Sept. 6: District Administration Office (DAOs) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts have banned the burning of tires and other objects at public places in the Kathmandu Valley.

Considering the negative impact of poisonous gas the smokes that emit from the burning of tyres and other objects on the public health and environment, the DAOs of the three districts issued a prohibition order against such activities in the public places as per the clause of 3 Article 6 of the Local Administration Act.

“Those who violate the prohibition order will be taken strong actions,” said a joint press statement of the DAOs".

The order has come days after violent mobs burnt tyres, furniture and other materials of manpower agencies and other installations in massive scale while expressing shock and anger against the brutal killing of the 12 innocent Nepalese by Islamic militants in Iraq.

Burning tyres and other objects have been common means of showing protests among the political parties and their cadres in Nepal.
Environmentalists, intellectuals and common people have been pressing the government to ban such activities in the densely populated areas, hospitals, health posts, narrow lanes, roads, foot-paths and other open places as they adversely affect the people’s health.

Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has welcomed the government’s decision to ban the burning of tyres and other materials in the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley.

Toxic and fumes coming out of the burning tyres cause cancer, infection to lungs and nerves, it said.

Source: The Rising Nepal, Tuesday, September 7, 2004