Floods Wreck More Havoc
Following the two days of incessant rainfall, six more persons have been killed – four in Tanahun, one each in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts. In Chitwan, 30 houses were swept away by landslide in Kabilas VDC. Over 600 villagers have taken refuge at a local school. Police have rescued members of 11 households in Sagarpath in Hetauda after they were stranded due to swollen Rapti river that submerged their locality. The highway between Mugling and Narayangadh, which was obstructed by landslides, has been cleared. Tribhuwan Highway was also obstructed for six hours due to flooding in Baghjhora river. Kantipur daily reports.
20 Companies Propose For Dozen Projects
Over 20 companies, including Indian ones, have registered their proposals to develop one dozen hydro power projects including Arun, Karnali and Gandaki. The Upper Karnali project, which has been studied to be the most economical one, has attracted the largest number of proposals. According to the Department of Electricity Development (DoED), seven companies have proposed to develop 300 MW Upper Karnali. Three companies have shown interest in Arun III – the 402 MW project which was cancelled in 1995. Likewise, one company has expressed its intent to develop 600 MW Budhi Gandaki. Indian companies such as Avantika Group, GMR, Jaypee, Reliance and Larsen & Toubro have proposed to develop Upper Karnali along with a Norwegian company. In the past, India ’s government-owned National Hydro Power Company was involved in Upper Karnali project but later on its proposal was rejected by royal government. Likewise, GMR and Reliance of India and a Norwegian company has proposed to develop Arun III. A Turkey-based company called Nepal Energy ES has also proposed in Arun project. A Singapore-based Norwegian company called SN Power has proposed to develop Budhi Gandaki. The Department sources said that Indian companies have also registered proposals to develop nine other hydro projects between 30 to 40 MW strength. Kantipur daily reports.
Kulekhani Reservoir Level Increases
Following incessant rainfall in the watershed areas of Indra Sarovar – the reservoir of Kulekhani hydro project, the water level has increased by 8 meters in past two days. The reservoir, which has the capacity of collecting water up to the level of 1530.5 m above from sea level, has now amassed water up to 1514 m from 1506 m till Thursday (September 7). Kulekhani is a crucial project for Nepal . Being the only reservoir-type project, its electricity is utilized in winter when rivers dry up and run-of-the-river projects fail to generate power. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has already announced that due to receding water level in Kulekhani reservoir, it would be forced to impose load shedding in coming months. Leading dailies report.
Maoists Torture One Person To Death In Lamjung
A civilian was tortured to death by Maoists in Lamjung district on Wednesday (September 6). Santa Bahadur BK, 26, was abducted, along with his wife, daughter and sister-in-law, from his residence in Ishaneshwore on charges that he was involved in robbery. They were taken to neighboring village in Laxmi bazaar. His family members were later asked to return by the Maoist cadres who promised to send him back the next day after interrogations. Once the family members returned, he was subjected to brutal torture. Hearing his cries for help, the villagers had gathered in the place and demanded that the Maoists stop torturing. The Maoists said they would not torture him again but after two days the villagers found his badly bruised dead body in the same house where he was kept in captivity. The enraged villagers have taken 13 Maoist cadres under their control. The Ilaka in-charge of the Maoists Sadhu Ram conceded that the victim died due to torture. Human rights organizations have condemned the incident. Meanwhile, in another violent incident, one person died when Maoists and villagers exchanged fire in Devapurteta village in Bara district. Armed Maoists barged into the village and opened fire inviting retaliation from the villagers on Friday night. In the ensuing clash, one person named Naresh Yadav, 16, died. The Maoists claim Yadav to be their cadre. Earlier, the villagers had captured Aas Mohammad Mansuri, 28, - a sub-regional member of the Maoists – who was accused of brutally beating a local woman after failing to rape her. The villager later beat him to death. This led the Maoists to attack the village, reports say. Kantipur daily reports.
Hotel Booking Touches New Height
The hotel bookings have touched a new height after they registered around 85 percent booking for the coming autumn tourist season. Because of peace process and ceasefire, tourists have shown huge interest in visiting Nepal this season. The airlines coming to Nepal also have registered full booking of tickets for the next three months. “Hotel booking is around 85 percent for the season beginning from October,” said Prakash Shrestha, president of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN). Added Prasan Adhikari, marketing director of Hyatt Hotel, “The booking rate is very encouraging. Almost 85 percent of rooms have been booked for October and November.” Adhikari said that actual booking and occupancy would be clear about two weeks before the season starts. “We are waiting for that day when it becomes clear,” he said. Surendra Thakuri, spokesperson of Hotel Yak & Yeti said that if the current trend continues, all rooms will be booked. Not only the big and five-star ones, the smaller non-star hotels in Thamel also hope for 80 percent occupancy during the season. After a long time, hotel entrepreneurs are feeling optimistic. Trekking agents and other tourism service providers are also encouraged by the trend. “It is important how we can gain maximum benefit from this optimism,” said Shreedhar Acharya, managing director of Godawari Resort. He added, “We could have sent out even better message had there been cordial industrial relations and business environment.” Acharya regretted the incidents of Maoist cadres’ forceful unionization and extortion. Kantipur daily reports.
“No Need Of UN”: Bijukchhe
Even as the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has already dispatched his Personal Representative to facilitate the peace process in Nepal as per the identical requests made by the government and the Maoists, one of the members of the ruling Seven Party Alliance has spoken against the need of the world body. Narayan Man Bijukchhe, president of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), said there is no need of UN or any other foreign body in Nepal ’s peace process. Speaking at a program in Biratnagar, Bijukchhe claimed that American army specialist or its retired army personnel could come in the guise of UN expert or advisor. “Under any guise, American army should not come here because wherever US army has entered it has never returned from there,” he claimed. “If the top leaders of rebel party who had been launching insurgency from jungles can visit Baluwatar (Prime Minister’s official residence) and hold summit talks there, why can’t we cooperate on peace process (on ourselves)?” he asked. He added that arms management and constituent assembly elections can be held in Nepal without the involvement of the UN. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.
Girls Students Continue To Faint In Pokhara School
In a strange case which the psychiatrists have referred as ‘mass hysteria’, teenage girl students of Laxmi secondary school in Lekhnath, Kaski have continued to faint for the past three days. Since last three days, around two dozen girl students have displayed erratic behavior by jumping, crying, shouting and fainting. The school has been closed but the girls started shouting and fainting even in their residences. They demanded they be taken to the school, according to worried parents. As doctors have termed the case as that of ‘mass hysteria’ the parents have turned to faith-healers and tantriks (shamans). “Neither doctors nor tantriks have been able to solve the problem,” said Rajendra Mani Lamichhane, a member of the school management committee and a guardian. An idol of serpent king has been erected in the school premise as demanded by the schoolgirls, said headmaster Shree Bhadra Baral. Reports say the problem began with a schoolgirl Pabitra Gurung, fainting all of a sudden after students killed a snake in the premises sometime ago. Compiled from reports.
“Another Rebellion For Peace”: Pasang
Addressing the fourth national convention of pro-Maoist All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), Nanda Kishore Pun aka Pasang, the deputy commander of Maoist People’s Liberation Army said another rebellion will be launched for the sake of peace. He said, “The pressure must be continuously applied to this government. Even though we are serious, conspiracies are afoot. We must be ready for another rebellion for peace and progress,” said Pasang, who had appeared in the public for the first time. Pasang expressed anger for shadowing the political issues and projection of ‘arms issues.’ He added that the Maoist will abandon arms after political settlement. Pasang has been named as one of the member of the ten-member summit talks team headed by Prachanda. Kantipur daily reports.
US Can Absorb Up To 70,000 Bhutan Refugees
Leader of the US Congressmen’s delegation, Jim Kolbe, who visited Nepal recently, has told Bhutan that America could absorb up to 70,000 Bhutanese refugees languishing in various camps in eastern Nepal . “The US has agreed to take up to 50,000 or up to 70,000 of these people. Australia and Canada have also agreed to take in smaller numbers,” Kolbe has been quoted as saying in a report posted in Kuenselonline , Bhutan government’s official website. Kolbe is reported to have said that there “needs to be some show of good faith on the part of the Bhutanese government to return or repatriate even a small number of those who they have agreed are citizens.” The rest, he said, could either be reintegrated into society in Nepal , India , or if they believe Bhutan is their homeland and they are not able to return, be resettled in third countries like the US . “The issue of the 100,000 Bhutanese refugees in the camps in Nepal was one of the easier issues of the world today to resolve, said Republican Congress member Kolbe. He had led a US Congressional delegation to Bhutan on a three-day visit from August 28-31. “I realize that Bhutan questions the use of the word refugees and would argue that they are truly people who are from Nepal who came illegally to Bhutan and now have returned and don’t qualify to be refugees,” said Kolbe, who is also the Chairman of the sub-committee on Foreign Operations. “Nonetheless they are still in camps and some of them, may be many of them, are people who do qualify to come back to Bhutan because they are and were citizens of this country.” The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Congress Not To Dump Monarchy
Reiterating the stance taken by his party president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Nepali Congress (NC) general secretary KB Gurung has said that the party will support ceremonial monarchy and will face any kind of challenge for the same. Addressing party workers in Pokhara, Gurung said that since NC had traditionally supported ceremonial monarchy, the party president was voicing the same thing. He urged the workers to also follow the party principle. “Political problems would not be resolved by sacking the King and replacing him with some other ‘Bahadur.’ Congress cannot embrace republic,” he said. He added that the party will not toe the republican line in the coming CA elections. Gurung said that the King should remain as the head of state to safeguard the existence of the nation even. Compiled from reports.
