POKHARA: The political parties and candidates in Gandaki Province have given top priority to the agenda of environment in their manifestos, showing their sensitiveness to this aspect.

Most of the candidates in the province have incorporated the issues of environmental balance, clean energy promotion, conservation of natural heritages, pollution control and other related aspects.

The CPN (UML) candidate from Kaski-2, Rashmi Acharya, has included biodiversity and watershed conservation in and around the city of Pokhara.

As stated in his commitment paper, Acharya has stressed for establishing an industry to produce compost manure and energy through wastes in collaboration with local government.

Likewise, candidate of Nepali Congress from Baglung-1, Bhim Shris, has stated to control excessive river mining from the Kaligandaki river and others. He is in favor of working for climate change resilience and systematically run the mining industries.

Similarly, candidate of Nepali Communist Party Manahari Timilsina from Parbat has pledged to run the Kaligandaki civilization conservation campaign while prioritizing ecological conservation and environment-friendly development.

Timilsina has promised to ensure quality energy supply in all households in the district of Parbat by the end of 2085 BS and establish a community solar energy centre for clean energy production.

Likewise, he has stressed to make Shaligram conservation a campaign of national pride. Furthermore, candidate of Kaski-1 of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Ganesh Paudel has promised to ensure views and participation of local community for the protection of rivers, lakes and forest areas.

The candidate of Baglung-1 of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Kalyan Bikram Acharya has pledged to raise voice against excessive extraction of the Kaligandaki river.

Most of the candidates in the Gandaki Province have raised the issue of environmental conservation in one or the other ways.

Urbanization, unmanaged development, excessive use of natural resources and rising pollution are the key areas that the candidates have raised to manage.

However, the conservationists have viewed that such issue of environmental justice will remain weak until there was the accountable leadership to implement and formulate policies.