KATHMANDU, April 19:  Members of the House of Representatives (HoR) have demanded the government to promptly take measures to reduce the Kathmandu Valley's air pollution and also manage the waste problem. 

Expressing their views in a session of the lower house on Wednesday, Uday Shumsher JB Rana was of the view of seeking short and long-term solutions for controlling the Valley's air pollution.

Incidents of forest fire on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley and the prolonged road widening projects in the Valley have contributed to the rising air pollution, according to him. 

Asim Shah was of the view of systematizing driving license while Urmila Majhi expressed her concerns over increasing market price and unequal education system. She also objected to the practice of changing school textbooks frequently. 

Eknath Dhakal pressed the need of further strengthening diplomatic ties and Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri demanded the government open transit points along the Nepal-China border point in Humla. Stating that it takes a two-day walk from Khatya of Mugu to reach the district headquarters, Shahi urged the government to open an area administration office within the municipality. 

Kantika Sejuwal underlined the need of developing the Karnali Highway as a project of national pride. 

Gita Basnet stressed that the entire 753 local levels should allocate a budget for establishing cow sheds for the protection of animals. 

Chanda Karki Bhandari drew the government's attention to the need of further systematizing government’s health facilities.

Chhiring Lama Tamang spoke of the need for a wave of development as per the spirit of federalism.  

Jabega Khatun apprised the House that farmers in Bardiya faced problems along the Nepal-India border in course of bringing fertilizer, demanding the government to ease the situation. 

Anisha Nepali, Kiran Kumar Shah, and Goma Sapkota drew the government's attention to various contemporary issues.

Issues of people's livelihood figure in Special Hour

Meanwhile, speaking during the Special Hour of the HoR session on Wednesday, the lawmakers drew the attention of the government on issues related to the livelihood of the general public, among others. 

The issues raised include the alleged corruption while making the National Identity Card, hundreds of citizens becoming deprived of citizenship due to the failure of the parliament to pass the Citizenship Bill, the prevalence of abject poverty among the Dalit population, false reporting by newspaper regarding a lawmaker possessing dual citizenships, the need to reopen the Belauri Chhoti Customs in Kanchanpur, the decreasing number of students in community universities and schools, not harming the local people and ecosystem while carrying out development activities, issuing citizenship to offspring of single mothers in their surname, the government neglecting the burning issues raised by lawmakers in parliament and the negligence of the contractors in construction works in development projects at many places. 

Expressing such views were MPs Prem Suwal, Amaresh Kumar Singh, Anita Devi, Yogendra Mandal, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Tara Prasad Lama, Sanjaya Gautam, Dayal Bahadur Shahi, Dev Prasad Timilsina, Rukmani Baraili, Ram Krishna Yadav.

No need of buffer zone: UML Whip 

CPN (UML) Whip Mahesh Kumar Bartaula has said the buffer zone around the national parks is not necessary. He argued that the border of the national parks should be changed and the buffer zones developed as the national forest area. 

Lekhnath Dahal praised the government's decision of scrapping the contract to give the responsibility of keeping the data of citizens to foreign companies. He also appreciated the government for supplying the school textbooks on time. He stressed on the need of establishing a urea fertilizer plant in the country.

Sumana Shrestha of Rastriya Swatantra Party, Deepak Bahadur Singh of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Ranju Kumari Jha of Janata Samajbadi Party and Rajendra Prasad Pandey also aired their views on topics of public importance. 

Dr Arzu Rana Deuba said a question mark has been raised regarding the quality of education in the country and drew the government's attention to take urgent steps for improving it.

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