2. February 2014

COVER STORY
Environment
K.B. Shahi, Chairperson of Aastha Scientific
Research Services, opines that Nepal is rich in
natural capital - natural and manmade disasters,
however, have continually rendered roads and
mobility in the country particularly dangerous.
Please explain briefly your research work
and services.
Aastha Scientific Research Service was
established in B.S. 2065. The Agricultural
Sector and Road Management are national
priorities. Our research services include
laboratory tests, chemical testing and health
checks. Our foundational team consists of
doctors, micro-biologists, geologists and
biologists who also help to build a strong
network. We focus on main roads and
maintenance; we also study air, soil, water
and noise for road improvement.
How do your research services help in
road construction?
We have a team that checks rock, gravel,
soil and water content in roads which is
further tested in the laboratories. A series
of international standards, such as the
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
and Environmental Impact Monitoring
(EIM), is used to help minimize risk to roads
and the environment. The Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) is a preventive
process by which costly and irreparable
mistakes are avoided during project
development and implementation. It serves
as an important tool for environmental
planning through identification, prediction
and evaluation of potential project impact.
The EIA is a major instrument integrated
to ensure economically-sound project
development which is both environmentally
suitable and sustainable. The Environment
Impact Monitoring (EIM) helps to monitor
hazardous waste, surface and ground water
pollution along with landfill gas.
28 / SPACESNEPAL.COM