Today is June 5, the day that is well-acclaimed as the International Environment Day. The world is celebrating this very day today with the theme "Join the race to make the world a better place". Happy Environment Day to one and all. This is that single day in the entire year when we can see range of posts and images in the social media of most of our friends mostly with their three-worded-expression “Happy Environment Day”.

Environment Day for us doesn’t seem to be much different than any other days of celebration. But do we really bother to reflect why and how this day is supposed to be celebrated to give a true sense to it? Important of all, are we really conscious about the environment around us? We like to call ourselves the civilized people of the twenty-first century; nevertheless we are painfully unaware about the challenges of the Mother Nature. Every one of us has undoubtedly seen Mt. Sagarmatha and Kanchenjunga of garbage around our localities and footpaths regardless of how and when we travel around. But have anyone of us ever made it a point to think who is actually responsible to have formed such artificial mountains of garbage inside our city? Of course, each one of us and that is true for sure. Yes, it is us. We are proud modern people.

We struggled nearly a decade to give birth to the constitution which in its article 30 has guaranteed the rights for clean environment as a fundamental right. But has there been any implementation of that very right or has any party been hold accountable or shown interest for safeguarding it? Our Nature is being veiled by the artificial blanket. In the name of development, we are polluting the city. But our attention lies somewhere and attending something detached from the environment.

According to report released by World Health Organization (WHO) 2016, the air quality of Kathmandu is five times worse than WHO recommended guidelines.

It’s been a sheer failure in our part for not adapting the eco-friendly lifestyle. In 2071, we declared with loud bellows to make our cities the Plastic free zone but have reaped nothing out of it simply due to eternal-Nepalese problem regarding the implementation. The population Imbalance has come forth as one of the pressing challenge for environment. Cities are over-crowded with the direct impacts which can be felt on the air, water and land of these cities. According to Wangari Maathai ," The environment and the economy are inevitably the two sides of a same coin. If we fail in sustaining the environment, we cannot sustain ourselves as well."

According to Dr. Sangeeta Rajbhandari, the Botany professor at T.U.,“Exotic herb species Banmala, Jalkumba and Lahare Banmala are the worst invasive species which are not only degrading the biodiversity and wetlands but are also detrimental for health.” It’s a bitter reality that exotic Trees are dominating the biodiversity of our country which is having adverse effects over the organic trees. The primary and undoubted reason behind it is the inadequate research about the environment and vegetation 'sin the developing country like Nepal.

The issue related to Environment and its conservation in Nepal is not as popular as other socio-political issues. However, Bagmati Cleaning campaign is one of the positive initiative that has fetched much support from people of different walks for more than hundred weeks and therefore should be appreciated by all and sundry. But one shouldn’t also turn their blind eyes either that there are still several of such rivers and rivulets in and around the capital city Beside the Bagmati which require the attention and care from public.

The first international Environment day was celebrated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 on the day of United Nations conference of the Human environment. Since then, every fifth of June is being celebrated as an International Environment Day. The day is widely celebrated to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth. Instead of limiting the programs inside the seminars and gatherings in luxury, the stakeholders should reach out to the needy community so that there can be better understanding and collaboration between policy and implementation.

Let's be positive and committed to clean the city and celebrate "Environment Day" with compassion towards Mother Nature.