Chemicals

The problem of POPs is increasing and diversifying with the mounting evidence of impact and increasing of POPs chemicals. The POPs residues has been traced in soil, water, aquatic animals like lake fishes and vegetables grown and marketed into Nepal especially of the urban area including capital city Kathmandu. The last listed POPs Pesticides under POPs convention Endosulfan is still not banned in Nepal and being imported and used. Though there is some degree of awareness among the related stakeholders such as health communities and grill workers, awareness raising among all the concerned need to be continued with additional people and stakeholders in other part of countries. The project aim to continue generation of information on all 22 POPs especially on the new POPs both in electronic and printed format on Nepali vernacular and disseminating them through all possible means; continue help to establishing a fully functional environment sound management of health care waste employing onsite separation system, safe collection, safe transportation, safe storage and safe treatments and disposal system in place. Proposed project will continue to help to the most vulnerable population that are the end user of the PCB contaminated transformer oil i.e. Grill Workers (Metal Fabricators) from getting exposed to the PCBs and associated emission of Dioxin and Furan up on getting heating of PCB contaminated oil from their wet welding machines in addition to complementing the ongoing GEF Medium Scale Program on Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) with Ministry of Environment Science and Technology (MOEST) that has not able to address the issues of pro poor and marginalised grill workers communities getting affected out of PCBs. Project will be implemented in five development region of Nepal. The exact location of awareness raising, capacity building and establishing model demonstration projects on sound health care waste management and grill workshops will be decided based on the coordination and collaboration from the concern government agencies as well as professional associations ( private hospital association as well as grill association). Some most potential and demanded sites are Dhulikhel Hospital and Group of Private and Public Hospital in Chitwan.

Nepal