Nepal’s Supreme Court halts industrial development in Buddha’s birthplace

• Nepal’s highest court has issued an order for industries operating within 15 kilometers (9 miles) of the city of Lumbini to shut down or relocate within two years.
• Lumbini is the famed birthplace of the Buddha and home to Nepal’s largest population of sarus cranes, a threatened species, and its cultural and ecological value has long been threatened by pollution from heavy industry.
• While the court order has been hailed as environmental progress, sources say the implementation could risk local jobs and hurt big investments, and therefore needs effective relocation planning and inclusive consultations.

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