Gen-Z Protest Damage Disrupts Industrial Quality Testing at Department of Standards and Metrology

Industrial quality testing at the Department of Standards and Metrology (DoSM) remains partially disrupted due to damage sustained during the September Gen-Z protests, causing ongoing delays in certification processes for multiple industries.

Nepal Pulp and Paper Industries, a paper manufacturing company established with investment from the IME Group, has initiated the process to obtain the Nepal Standard (NS) certification for its products. However, the company cannot has not been able to receive the certification as testing equipment damaged during the protest remains unrepaired.

“To issue the NS mark, we must test the products. But equipment damaged during the protest has not yet been repaired,” said Lekhnath Luintel, Information Officer at the department.

The paper industry, established with an investment of Rs 2 billion in Ramnagar, Ward No. 1 of Gaushala Municipality in Mahottari district, has completed the required paperwork. However, officials said the department cannot proceed with certification decisions until the laboratory equipment becomes operational.

On September 9, protesters set fire to and vandalized the department’s office at Machhapokhari, Balaju. The incident damaged several instruments used to set and verify standards.

According to the department, equipment at the textile, leather and paper laboratories, as well as the Scientific Metrology Division, remains non-operational. The physical laboratory, chemical and quality determination laboratory, and microbiology laboratory have resumed partial operations.

Due to damage to the paper laboratory, the department has been unable to issue standards certification for paper products. Luintel said the department also currently lacks the facility to test whether fabrics supplied to the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the Nepali Army meet required specifications. Damaged textile testing equipment has halted such services.

Similarly, the department cannot currently verify the quality and specifications of shoes procured for security personnel. Private footwear manufacturers seeking NS certification must also wait until testing services resume.

The complete disruption of the Scientific Metrology Division has further raised concerns. “We are currently unable to verify whether weighing scales, measuring litres and metres used in the market are accurate,” Luintel said, warning of possible risks of measurement-related fraud.

The department’s textile, leather and paper laboratories previously tested product quality for certification and consumer verification. Without functional laboratories, industries cannot formally validate product quality through the government body.

The physical laboratory has partially resumed operations and has restarted testing of construction materials such as cement, steel rods and pipes. One pipe sample has already been tested.

During the disruption, industries conducted tests at department-approved private laboratories. Raghunandan Maru, President of the Cement Manufacturers’ Association, said cement producers carried out testing at approved private labs before the department’s facility resumed operations. “The department facilitated the arrangement,” he said.

Concerns Over Quality Compromise

Consumer rights activists have warned that prolonged disruption of scientific metrology services could compromise quality standards.

“We must ensure scientific measurement and protect consumers from fraud,” said Bishnu Prasad Timilsina, General Secretary of the Consumer Rights Protection Forum. He warned that failure to restore laboratory services could increase the risk of irregularities in the market.

Uncertainty Over Repair Timeline

Officials said restoring the heavily damaged textile and scientific metrology divisions requires substantial funding, making repairs unlikely within the current fiscal year.

“The country is heading toward elections, and a large portion of the budget will go toward election expenses,” Luintel said, adding that the likelihood of budget allocation this fiscal year remains low.

The Machhapokhari office building was constructed with assistance from the US government, and several laboratory facilities were established with support from foreign donors. Officials said donor assistance could help restore the remaining services more quickly.

The department has not been able to determine the exact financial loss, as some donor-funded equipment was recorded at nominal book values without specifying actual costs.

Following the incident, the department temporarily relocated its office to Lainchaur. After completing basic repairs, including restoration of electrical and water pipelines and minor refurbishment, the department returned to its original premises about a month ago.

“We have restored the infrastructure only for basic operations,” said Director General Kumari Jyoti Joshi Bhatt. “We have resumed testing of cement, steel rods and pipes, but several services remain affected.”