Kathmandu, Aug. 23 -- The people of Kathmandu do not need to be told that they breathe some of the dirtiest air in the world. Diesel trucks, buses, cars and motorcycles emit toxic exhaust into the very air we breathe.
But unlike elsewhere, the outrage has not reached a critical mass where public pressure would force policymakers to act. A government that bans cigarette smoking in public, or analyses the breath of drivers for alcohol should be even more committed to strict emission tests and a strategic public transport policy. But it is not.
However, tax rebates on electric vehicles have suddenly made the price of plug ins competitive with diesel SUVs in the same class. A drastic drop in the price of lithium ion batteries and an increas...