The Government of Nepal has introduced stricter environmental standards for furnace-based industries, including cement plants and brick kilns, with existing operators given two years to comply.
Published in the Nepal Gazette under amendments to the Environment Protection Act (2019), the new rules aim to curb air pollution, particularly dust and smoke emissions from industrial sources.
For cement plants, the standards set limits on particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from both rotary and vertical shaft kilns. Facilities must install pollution control equipment such as electrostatic precipitators or bag filters, maintain a minimum chimney height of 30m, and implement dust containment and suppression systems across operations.
Additional requirements include paving internal roads, constructing wind-breaking walls, spraying water to control dust and developing green belts around plant sites.
The regulations also impose a particulate matter emissions cap of 250mg/Nm3 for brick kilns and mandate the adoption of zig-zag firing technology for new installations. Existing kilns must convert within the two-year compliance window.
The Department of Environment will oversee enforcement, supported by inspections from the Department of Industry.
Officials said the updated standards are intended to address rising pollution levels, although industry representatives have questioned the practicality of some provisions, arguing that parts of the regulations do not reflect current kiln technologies.
