Corporate Investment shall respect Human Rights

Karnali Distillery produces alcohol and has placed the factory in the middle of agriculture land in Khajuraho, Banke district. The factory is disposing its wastages directly into the Kiran rivulet which pass through the fertile lands which are the main source for agriculture production of the people of three wards of Khajura rural municipality.

The wastages of the factory are destroying the fertility of the land as well as environmental pollution. The affected people have been complaining their deteriorating health condition due to the pollution as well as loss of agriculture production over the year. The writ petition had also been filed in District High Court of Banke who later issued the final verdict to follow the mitigation measures as per the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). An explicit order has been given by the court to the factory not to dispose the wastages directly to the rivulet without processing. However, the factory is not obeying the court verdict.

Since the affected people have struggled with the factory requesting to respect their human rights and right to food, the factory reluctant to fulfill its obligation. The local government of Khajura Rural Municipality fined a penalty of NRs. Five Hundred Thousand to the factory. FIAN Nepal has been intervening this case since 2016 as casework and supporting the affected communities strengthening their capacity to claim their rights. This penalty compelled the factory to be serious towards its obligation to respect the human rights.