Snowfall disrupts life in upper Dolpa

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DOLPA (Dunai), March 23 - The upper Dolpa region has again been hit by snowfall, which started on Wednesday night.

Farmers are, however, happy in the mid-region and lower Dolpa because of the shower these regions have experienced since Wednesday.

As the VDCs in the upper Dolpa are located in high altitude, even the ordinary rainfall turns into snowfall there. Snowfall disrupts human contact from one VDC or one village to another VDC or village.

The current snowfall has, therefore, disrupted normal contact between many villages by blocking roads in Chhoela, Chyangla, Luma, Bagala, Basudda and Sagar areas. Blocking of road in the alpine regions of Moure and Balagra has led to the closure of postal services.

These areas had just recently opened for human movement after they remained closed for weeks in the wake of heavy snowfall in the month of Falgun (Feb-March). They have again been closed for human traffic. Similarly, Dho, Chharka, Tinje, Mukot, Saldang, Bhijer and Foksundo VDCs have also been affected normally in upper Dolpa.

Farmers are happy because of their prevailing belief that there will be good harvest in the year when they experience snowfall and rainfall. Since the farmers depends entirely on snowfall and rainfall for their crops, they consider rain or snowfall as their God.

On the other hand, some fruit farmers are worried due to snowfall in this season. This is the flowering season of apple, peach, walnut and other fruit. Snowfall may damage the flower and consequently, diminish the prospect of fruit yield.

"If the snow falls twice again, we will be ruined," said a farmer with apple orchard, Unrup Budha, with a sad face.

The flight remained closed due to snowfall on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a report from Humla says snowfall that began in Simikot since Wednesday evening has filled the farmers with happiness because of the good prospect for agricultural production this year.

Rainfall started in Humla district on Tuesday closing the air service to and from Humla.

As the foodgrain was not imported on time by Cosmic Air as agreed upon, the godowns of Nepal Food Corporation are empty.

There is almost six-inch-deep snow in and around the district headquarters.

Bhotechaur-Haibung road to be repaired

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CHAUTARA, March 23 - Eleven km long Bhotechaur-Haibung road starting from Kathmandu district will be repaired under the financial assistance from the Swiss government, a report here said.

According to engineer Jeevan Guragain at Sindhupalchowk District Development Committee, about Rs 5 million would be spent to repair the section of the road from Sankhu in Kathmandu to Kaule Dovan in Sindhupalchowk.

Entire cost of the road will be borne by the Swiss government under the District Road Support Programme that was signed last years for three years.

The rural road to be started repairing within a week to come will provide direct benefit to the people of Haibung, Thakani, Bhoechaur and Sindhukot from Sindhupalchowk and neighbouring VDCs of kathmandu district.

Engineer Guragain said that no heavy machinery would be used while repairing the road.

The Swiss government will also provide technical assistance to the Chautara-Melamchi road.

Started to construct about 35 years ago, Bhotechaur-Haibung road used to be a major trekking route for the Tibetan trade from the capital before the Araniko Highway was constructed.

Four Buddha idols stolen

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LALITPUR, March 23 - Four gold-plated idols of Buddha were stolen from Padmavati Mahavihar premises Friday early morning the locals said.

Unidentified three thieves plucked four idols away from the levels of an undated stupa-temple of Buddha some 15 feet above the ground in a courtyard surrounded by around three dozen houses. The idols were around 60 years old.

The same group of thieves also broke a stupa-pinnacle from the temple and also broke feet of an idol of Mahakal while trying to pluck them away.

A local, Motikaji Shakya, 64, said that the thieves ran away with the idols as a local saw them climbing on the stupa and shouted at the neighbours for help.

"It has been a continuous target for such idol thieves. In one year, there has been over 6 thefts," he said.

In the past, two of the Torans, one idol of Karunamaya and some others have been stolen from that courtyard.

The chairman of the local Padmavati Bihar Area Development Committee Yubraj Shakya said that the locals requested the police to patrol the area regularly but it could not happen regularly.

The committee was scheduled to call an emergency meeting to tackle the local problem.

The Ward Police Office of Pulchock said that the policemen visited and traced out necessary information form the locals about the incident.

Food security programme in Tulsipur

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TULSIPUR, Dang, Match 23 - Rural Community Infrastructure Development Programme carried out by the Local Development Ministry has started Food Security Programme (FSP) among the former Kamaiya families (bonded labourers) for their rehabilitation, according to a report received here.

Local Development Officer Bishwanath Upreti said that a total of Rs 25,50,000 along with 100 metric tons of rice have been allocated for the operation of the FSP in Dang district.

"Former Kamaiyas will be involved in the local infrastructure development works and they will receive both the cash and kind," Upreti said.

He said that the FSP would be launched in the VDCs settled by a large number of former Kamaiyas and such programmes would also be envisaged according to their convenience.

In addition, the Land Reforms Office has also set a package of training programmes under which a total of 281 former Kamaiyas from the district will receive skill development training on 10 different disciplines.

Of the total 1,127 former Kamaiyas families from across the district, 176 of them have already received land ownership certificates and the rest of the others have been staying at public land without and official recognition. Upreti hoped that the FSP would support the former Kamaiyas for their rehabilitation.

Princess Shruti opens E-W meet on health

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KATHMANDU, March 23 - Psychologists from the USA, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, China, France, Greece, Israel, India, Japan, Korea and South Africa have congregated here for the multilateral relationship for academic exchange.

The three-day East-West Conference on Health and Well- being, being jointly organised by Auburn University, Tribhuvan University (TU) and Nepalese Psychological Association (NAP), kicked off here today.

Princess Shruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana, who is also a psychology graduate, inaugurated the programme.

"The programme mainly focuses on the search of virtual cooperation in the areas of research and in sharing cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary ideas and perceptions," said Dr Virginia E.O’Leary, professor of Psychology, at Auburn University, USA.

Addressing the function, Mahendra Nepal, Director, TU Teaching Hospital, said, "The conference is held with a goal to provide a forum for Eastern and Western scholars and researchers, to come together to share ideas and make cross-cultural connections aimed at promoting human health and well-being."

During the conference thirty-three different psychologists, participating will present thirty-three papers. Furthermore, Five Research Action Round Table discussion on the subjects of addictions, cross-cultural research methods, culture and distress, meditation and psychotherapy and women’s health will be performed.

"This programme will create awareness about mental health" said Dr Murari Prasad Regmi, Professor and Head of Central Department of Psychology, TU.

15 illegally imported vehicles seized

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BIRGUNJ, March 23 - The Royal Nepal Army has seized 15 Indian number plate vehicles which were illegally imported to Nepal and were staying here for months without paying revenue.

The vehicles seized by them have been handed over to the Customs office. One of the vehicles seized by the army belongs to a former Member of Parliament.

None of the Indian plate vehicles are allowed to stay in Nepal for more than 24 hours without paying revenue. If the owners of Indian number plate vehicles wish to stay in Nepal for more than 24 hours, they must pay a revenue of Rs 400 per day.

Since more than 50 per cent of such vehicles were staying in Nepal for months without paying government revenue, the Royal Nepal Army has been mobilised to seize such vehicles since March 13 (1st of Chaitra) and it has so far seized and handed over to the Customs Office 15 vehicles with Indian plate number, Chief Customs Officer, Ishwor Pokhrel told The Kathmandu Post.

Of the total vehicles seized by the army, one vehicle was used by a former Member of Parliament and it was captured from his own house. According to Customs sources, there is a mounting pressure on the Customs office from senior politicians to release the vehicle.

When the army started seizing any of the Indian plate vehicles they saw, such vehicles are hardly seen in Birgunj these days. Prior to this drive, about 50 per cent of the vehicles plying in this city had Indian number plate and incidents of kidnapping occurred here frequently in complicity with such vehicles.

Vehicles which tried to escape from revenue payment will be confiscated. Motorcycles with Indian number plate will also be examined and captured if they are found illegal, Customs Chief Pokhrel said.

Concerns raised over atmospheric pollution

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KATHMANDU, March 23 - Scientists have warned that a thick layer of aerosols discovered above the Indian Ocean may have a far-reaching influence on the climate systems.

A reasearch carried out by two scientists - Dr V Ramanathan, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California and Nobel Laureate Dr Paul J. Crutzen on "The Global Effects of the Asian Haze" has found out that the increase of air pollution in Asia and more specially, the existence of persistent winter haze, extending over much of the Northern Indian Ocean is of prime concern.

Speaking at the discussion on Atmospheric Pollution and Its Effect, a programme jointly organised by Ministry of Population and Environment (MOPE), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Dr Ramanathan said that global warming is happening but this is not uniform throughout the planet.

Crutzen, the nobel laureate said that there is a huge time difference between the discoveries of the scientists and the change in the policies by the government.

During the programme, Dr Govinda Raj Bhatta, secretary at MOPE, Director General of ICIMOD Dr J Gabriel Campbell and Surendra Shrestha, Director UNEP-EAP also expressed their views on the increasing problem of population.

Four cops sacked in Birgunj

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BIRGUNJ, March 23 - The District Police Office (DPO) in Parsa has sacked four police constables from their jobs and has taken disciplinary actions against four others on charges of refraining from their duties as ordered by the high level authorities.

The DPO said that Superintendent of Police Arjun Jung Shahi took the actions against the police personnel.

Those constables sacked from their jobs are Shambhu Kumar Basnet, Hem Sharma Poudel, Rup Kumar Shrestha and Lal Bahadur Maskey. Likewise, the policemen facing the disciplinary action are Min Bahdur Bakhal, Nis Mohammad Khan, Om Bahadur Khadka and Chhetra Bahadur Thapa.

A DPO source said that such actions were taken after the policemen developed defying tendencies from being transferred to less lucrative areas.

Several police posts located close to the Nepal-India open border are financially attractive as a large amount of hemp and other goods are ferried from both the sides.

GRINSO to monitor verification

KATHMANDU (PR) - GRINSO-Nepal, a human rights organisation in Special Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nations, is going to set up an independent office at Birtamod, Jhapa to monitor the refugee verification process, according to a press release issued here today.

GRINSO-Nepal will follow the useful guidelines and standards developed by UNHCR. We will work closely with the Unified Human Rights Forum (eastern region) and refugee human rights activists for the purpose of monitoring how the process goes, says the release. The human rights body also has plans to regularly update the whole works of JVT to the public. GRINSO-Nepal has already tabled a statement of this issue for intervention in the 57th session of Human Rights Commission of the UN in Geneva.

Muslims condemn Taliban

BIRGUNJ (PR) - Nepal Muslim Ittehad Association and Jame Masjid, Birgunj, have harshly condemned the destruction of the Buddhist statues by the Taliban government in Afghanistan recently.

A press communique signed by chairman of Jame Masjid, Birgunj and central member of Nepal Muslim Ittehad Association Babujan Ali on Thursday says none of the religions has authorised anybody to destroy the historical properties, cultural heritages and the religious sites.

Ali has said Muslims have been compelled to bow down their head in shame as a result of the irreligious activities of the Taliban government.

Seven arrested with drugs

POKHARA (PR) - Police arrested Thursday seven people along with a large chunk of narcotic drugs and syringes from Pokhara Sub-Metropolis-11. Police did that all with the help of local people. Police also arrested local Hem Kamal KC against whom several lawsuits have been filed on charges of possessing drugs.

Other arrested on charges of possessing the drugs are Santosh Gurung alias Saila, Rajendra BK, Amrit Gurung, Tek Bahadur Pun, Dilip Gurung and Santosh Gurung.

Superintendent of Police in Kaski, Man Bahdur Rawal, said that against all the accused will be taken action under the Public Security Act as it would be legally difficult to charge-sheet against them under the Drug Trafficking Act.

Police confiscated a box containing 6,110 pieces of Nitrogen tablets, 2,425 pieces of syringes and 30 pieces of Algic that fetch about Rs 300,000 at local markets.