CITIZENS FORUM : The Democratic Citizen's Forum,  Nepal, held a public swearing programme against corruption at the Sahid Gate, Kathmandu, Sunday.

‘60 percent air pollution through Himal Cement’

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 30 - Himal Cement Factory located southwest of the Valley is responsible for over 60 percent of the air pollution in the capital, according to activists in Kirtipur where the factory is based.

The pollution level in the Chobhar gorge area near Himal Cement exceeds the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s limits set at TSP 120mg, said the Area Protection Committee (APC). The TSP level in the area is 304mg.

"This is a historical site. The general health in the adjoining villages has been affected by pollution from the factory over the years," said Sujindra Maharjan, a member of the APC.

According to a statement released by the APC, today the fog and smoke emanating from the factory is apparent even until 11 to 12 O’clock in the afternoon.

"This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the Valley," said Maharjan. "The dumping of gravel within the vicinity of the factory is also a matter of grave concern. We intend to approach the government on this issue on Falgun 1st Gate (13 of February)." .

The President of the three year old National Concerns Society, Uttam Ram Vaidya, also expressed his concerns for the local residents, adding his organisation was firmly behind the local group to help them if they decide to take the case to the court.

Narayan Poudyal, president of human rights group INHURED said local pressure groups could do a lot to highlight these concerns. "We are not against Himal Cement as such. We recognise its importance for the country’s development but we want the level of pollution controlled to existng WHO standards at least," he added.

Chobar gorge is considered to be an area of natural wonder and is the site of a 400-year-old Ganesh temple and a number of ancient holy caves.

15 lakhs each to five model cities

-By a Post Reporter

BIRGUNJ, Jan 30 - Minister for Housing and Physical Planning Bal Bahadur KC said here today that the government had allocated Rs 15 lakhs apeice to each of the five model cities the government plans to develop.

The funds, the minister said at a program here, would be used to design and develop programs for the model cities after discussions with the city residents.

Birgunj is one of the proposed model cities as announced by the government few months ago. Others are Nepalgunj, Dhankuta, Palpa and Kathmandu.

After an extensive interaction with the city residents, the designing of all these five cities will be prepared this year and will be implemented in the coming fiscal year, said Minister KC.

Birgunj city leaders, meanwhile, called for a ring road in the city as well as planning for basic needs to be included in the model city program.

Today program was organized by the Kathmandu Housing and City Development Section and the Birgunj City Development Committee, Parsa.

Prisoner creating havoc

-By a Post Reporter

SINDHULIMADHI, Jan 30 - An accused who has been remanded into custody on the charge of patricide has gone mad and is creating terror and havoc in the jail.

According to the chief of jail section Rajendra Shah, the accused, Chitra Bahadur Gole, has been attacking the prisoners again and again for the last two weeks. One prisoner, Shamshul Sheikh was on the verge of death after Gole strangled him.

He had fainted and had recovered only after some necessary treatment.

Gole was taken to Sindhuli Hospital for his treatment. The hospital referred the mentally deranged person to a mental hospital but the jail authorities were compelled to fetter him and keep in the same jail as they have no budget to send him to the mental hospital for treatment.

Corpses found

-By a Post Reporter

BHAIRAWAHA, Jan 30 - Three corpses, which included two of police personals, were found in various places of Rupandehi district today by District Police Office here.

Rama Upadhaya, police constable at Belaiya Border Post, was found dead at her residence in Siddartha Nagar-6. Police said Upadhaya, a mother of four siblings, must have consumed poison.

Jug Narayan Chaudhary, another police constable at the Regional Police Unit in Bhairawaha was found 5 km south of Butwal at Shanker Nagar in Siddartha Highway. He is said to have died on an motorcycle accident.

Likewise, an unidentified youth of around 18-year of age was found dead inside the Bhairawaha Customs Office. The youth died due to drug overdose, police said.

However, police could not confirm the cause of death in all the three cases as the post mortem report had not arrived.

Govt urged for the service of Karnali people

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 30 - General Secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) Sushil Koirala today urged the government to give preferences to the people of Karnali Zone.

Karnali in the Mid-western region is the one of the most backward zones of the country with no road access and a very poor development infrastructure.

"I am very concerned over the poor living condition of the zone," he said. "I have always advocated for every forms of priorities to the people of the region who are deprived of basic necessities like ample food and clothing."

Koirala was addressing a workshop on "Challenges to Karnali in the 21st century" organised by Kalikot-Kathmandu Contact Committee of Nepal Student Union, a student wing of NC. Koirala is also the party "commander" for the Mid-western region.

He said tourism may be the salvation of the zone. "Karnali is a very beautiful zone," he said. "If the basic infrastructure could be introduced to the zone the whole area can benefit from the tourism which shall then change the life of people for ever."

He, however, said an able and a very committed government was needed for that.

President of Nepal Tarun Dal, a sister party of NC sought reservations for the people of Karnali as they can’t "compete" with the people of the other better zones. He also stressed for the institutional development of NC in the zone for discouraging the maoist activities. NC lost all the five seats of the zone to the main opposition CPN-UML on May 1999 General Election.

Party President for Dolpa District Laxmi Narayn Neupane said democracy have made no difference in the region. "All we have is freedom of speech," he said. "But most of do not know what to ask."

Literacy rate in Karnali zone is very low and it does not even have a single higher secondary colleges.

Neupane said establishment of basic infrastructure would facilitate "eco-tourism" which was vital for the development of the region. He also said the government should try to promote tourism and said a foreign film "Caravan" had done what the government should have done by publishing the beauty of Dolpa.

Kalikot District Party President Pankh Bahadur Bista said the corruption was another cause of poverty in the district. "Government should seriously check that the aid meant for the region doesn’t find its way to pockets of few people in the centre," he said. "People of the region, though poor, are aware of such exploitations and are very frustrated. Maoist are cashing on this."

Wild elephant menace continues in Morang

-By a Post Reporter

MORANG, Jan 30 - The menace caused by wild elephants since the last one month in Sundarpur, Indrapur and Mrigouliya VDCs of Morang district has not come under control.

According to the officer of Ilaka Forest Office Salakpur Gyanendra Mishra, a pair of wild elephants has killed Jivan Bhandari of Mrigouliya VDC and destroyed more than 40 houses.

The wild elephants have destroyed sugarcane, wheat and banana cultivation of farmers. They have pulled down houses and eaten foodgrains, according to Mishra.

Apart from destroying houses and crops, the elephants have also started to chase human beings causing terror among the local populace. The local administration was requested time and again to control the elephant menace but it has not paid attention, chairman of Mrigouliya VDC Ishan Kumar Rai said.

The elephants harass the people particularly at night. Currently, the employees of Ilaka Forest Office Salakpur, police staff from Belbari and local people are driving away the wild elephants with the help of fire torches, according to Mishra.

Fog and cold wave hamper flights

-By a Post Reporter

BIRATNAGAR, Jan 30 - Flights from Biratnagar to the eastern hilly districts were disrupted since Sunday morning because of thick fog and cold wave in the hills.

The aircrafts which were scheduled to take off from and land at Biratnagar airport were also delayed.

Dozens of passengers wishing to fly to the eastern hilly districts had arrived at the airport but the only aircraft (Twin Otter) of RNAC did not leave Biratnagar airport for eastern hills.

The fog and the cold wave were cleared after 11 a.m. on Sunday and the Avro which had left Kathmandu for Biratnagar landed after 11 a.m., Praksah Lohani, Sales and Distribution Manager said.

Although there was no problem with the airport at Biratnagar fog and cold wave continued to affect the airports of Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Sankhuwasabha and Taplejung districts and the runways covered with grass in these districts did not permit flights to these airports, according to RNAC employees.

Flights have been obstructed for months in Taplejung, one of the remotest districts. Similarly, flights have not been operated for more than a month over the past two months in eastern hilly districts causing considerable losses to the RNAC and hardship to hundreds of passengers. On Sunday too, passengers who had arrived at the airport returned home after the flights did not take off.

Illegal donation collected

-By a Post Reporter

BIRATNAGAR, Jan 30 - Dozens of non-student youths who were illegally collecting donations in the name of celebrating the Saraswoti Puja on February 10 have been arrested by police.

The youths were collecting donations threatening the local businessmen, industrialists, government officials and common people without letter pad from any institution. Police have arrested about 60 youths with evidences at local Pokhariya, Tin Toliya, Mills Area, Janpath and Bargachhi Chowks, according to Morang District Police Office.

However, police have not been successful to stop the youths who are extorting money in the name of Saraswoti Puja by stopping vehicles— placing a bamboo barrier across the road and operating at night.

One of the arrested youths, Ramesh Kumar said, "I don’t study at school. My friends proposed to collect the donations for drinking alcohol in the name of Saraswoti Puja. We bought a pad at 20 rupees and started collecting the donations."

The local youths (non-students) started collecting donations since January 15. According to police, about 200 to 300 youths are currently engaged in this work. Police have started arresting them after complaints were lodged by businessmen, industrialists, government officials and common people about the illegal activities. Police have also formed a cell to arrest them.

Transport entrepreneurs have complained that illegal donation collection works are going on in different VDCs including Sorabhag, Katahari, Rangeli, Dainiya, Pathari, Sanishchare, Kerabari and Letang. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai has informed The Kathmandu Post that police have been running the programme to arrest the illegal fund collectors.