As the pollution generated by cement factories and other industries have been polluting and affecting Lumibini, World Heritage sites and birth place of Siddhartha Gautam, a group of heritage conservationists filed a public litigation in the Supreme Court to Cement Factories around the Lumbini to preserve Lumbini.

The petitioners filed the writ making Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civilization, Forest and Environment, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Department of Industry, Road, Lumbini Development Trust, Nepal National Commission for UNESCO, Department of Wildlife and National Park and District Administration office Rupandehi are respondents.

Similarly, the petitioners have made Supreme Cement, Goyanka Cement, Jagdamba Cement Ambe Steel, Reliance Cement, Siddhartha Cement, Briz Cement, Agni Cement, Kailash Cement, Bishal Cement, Ardhakhanchi Cement, Nepal Ambuja Cement, Shyam Plywood, Himalayan Snacks and Noodles and Siddhartha Oil Industries as respondent. According to petioners, 61 industries need to remove from the areas.

Filed by Senior Advocate Prakash Mani Sharma, Senior Advocate Rama Panta Kharel, Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathy, Ganpati Lal Shrestha, Convener of Heritage Preservation Campaign Struggle Committee, Student of Kathmandu Law School and youth conservationist Sanjaya Adhikari, Advocate Pankaj Kumar Karna Bhupendra Poudyal of Kathmandu Municipal City 10 and Ashutosh Bhushal of ward 14.

Over 61 factories in and around Lumbini have been badly affecting the heritage sites and place of faith of over 1.5 billion people. The petitioners have demanded to remove all these industries from periphery of the Lumbini to conserve the save Lumbini Heritage site.

According to a report, over 1.5 million pilgrims and tourists visited Lumbini from all over the world last year which is a 20% increase from the previous year. This year, the number is expected to exceed the 2018 figures.

And after the new Gautam Buddha International Airport) is ready by end 2019, the number is expected to shoot up even more, and reach 3.5 million by 2025, and 10 million by 2050.

According to petitioners, the pollution generated by these industries is destroying Lumbini’s forests, wetlands and precious species like the Sarus cranes that live there. The tallest flying bird in the world has a deep meaning for Buddhists because of the belief that the Buddha himself saved a crane that had been wounded by an arrow shot by his cousin.