Pollution irks visitors at entertainment centre

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KATHMANDU, Nov 18 – The Dragon World, a entertainment centre at Bhrikutimandap is not only offering fun for the citzens but also emitting masses of carbon dioxide every day and produce noises with a dozen of diesel-run entertainment means and a coal-run train.

People visiting the World said they returned with headache and boredom, instead of being enjoyed.

" It’s terrible here. Though I enjoy to be here I feel irritated due to the smoke", said Sumesh Shrestha a seventh grader student from Jana Prabhat School. However, he liked to visit the World frequently as there are no other alternatives for entertainment.

Parents who take their kids to the World said that their kids are not getting healthy entertainment there because of air and noise pollution in the small and conjusted entertainment area that is located at a stone’s throw distance from four major colleges.

"Certainly, our kids are not playing here in a healthy environment," said Rabindra Rokaya. He has come to the World with his two kids. But he can’t help bringing his children to the World as he has no alternative place for children to enjoy.

Even the businessmen working inside the World also complained about the air pollution and noise pollution.

"We are running our business at the cost of our precious health here as we have to breath polluted air," said Ripendra Karki, a business man within the Dragon World territory.

He further told The Kathmandu Post that when all the entertainment means become operative in full swing we feel suffocated. "I have seen many people coughing at the moment when all the machines run at the same time due to the irresistable smoke".

According to the Managing Director of the World, Shankar Gurung, over 300 people visit the World every day, excluding holidays. On public holidays the number of visitors exceeds one thousand.

A number of entertainment means at this recreational venue like Cross, Break Dance, Horse Riding, Children Train, Salambo, Rotating Swing and Colombo are run by diesel engine, emitting masses of smoke and producing noises. Even sunny day looks foggy one due to the smoke within the World territory.

Even the management of the Dragon World is worried about the pollution but the owners blamed lack of electricity supply for having run the entertainment means by diselse.

Managing Director, Shankar Gurung, says the World is committed to provide environmentally safe entertainment but lacks needed power supply to run the machines.

"We have already requested the Social Welfare Council to make arrangement for sufficient power supply for the machines of the entertainment means," said Gurung. "If the Council provides the power supply, the World will be noiseless and carbon dioxide free," Gurung added.

STC to hold meeting

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KATHMANDU, Nov 18 - The SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC) is holding its 11th meeting of the governing Board and Workshop for preparation for the centre’s strategic plan.

According to a press release issued today by STC, the delegates from all member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are likely to attend this meeting and workshop, which is scheduled to be held on November 20.

The SAARC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WHO to work for TBN and HIV/AIDS control by collective efforts in the region.

The objectives of the governing board are to formulate policies and programmes and review the achievements of past activities carried out by STC. The governing board consists members from all member countries, representatives from SAARC secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal and the director of STC as the member secretary. The meeting of the governance board is held once in a year.

Similary, the objectives of the workshop are to formulate the strategic long term plan of STC to deal with TB and HIV/AIDS in the region and to review the trends of the TB and HIV/AIDS epidemics and their impact in National TB Programme.

The release says, "Tuberculosis is the foremost cause of death among adults from a single infectious agent. The SAARC region accounts for 38 percent of the global burden with 1.1 million new smear positive cases and nearly 2.5 million all forms of new TB cases with 0.6 million deaths occur each year and almost 50 percent of adults have already been infected. Despite the establishment of National TB Programmes for over 40 years."

The rapidly expanding HIV epidemic in the region is an additional growing concern area in the region with a high rate of HIV infection. At present there are nearly 2 million people have already been dually infected with TB and HIV. Currently between 56 to 80 percent of AIDS patients in the region have TB, the release adds.

Nepalese organization formed in the US

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KATHMANDU, Nov 18- A non-profit organization, Nebraska Nepalese Society (NNS), has been established in Nebraska, United States of America, according to a statement received here today.

NNS is an organization comprising Nepalese and friends of Nepal living in and around Nebraska. There are about 400 people of Nepalese origin living in the area. The Society is dedicated to promote and preserve Nepalese culture and heritage in USA. NNS is also dedicated in providing information about Nepal, maintaining cultural ties between Nepalese and the citizens the State of Nebraska, added the statement.

NNS was informally put together by the efforts of a few people to organise a gathering of grieving Nepalese mourning the recent loss of King Birendra and other members of the Royal family. Almost everyone in the area showed up to sign the condolence book that was kept at the gathering. This book was later handed over to the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Washington DC.

Since it’s inception, NNS has already come forward with some social work and interesting events as it successfully organised a blood donation drive in association with the Association of Accounting Chapter of Bellevue University and the American Red Cross on October 23 for the September 11th Blood Drive. More than 38 people participated in the programme. "Dashain and Tihar Saanjh 2001" was also recently organised to celebrate Dashain and Tihar.

It was held at the Bellevue University auditorium. The paid attendance at the event was approximately 250 including the children. The event was a fun filled night of songs, dance and dinner.

Leaders to rally against AIDS

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KATHMANDU, Nov 18 - In a decade time, Human Immuno Virus (HIV) is likely to create havoc in Nepal as over a dozen fall prey to this deadly disease annually in the country.

In this regard, Nepal is going to organise a rally on December 1st to mark the World Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) day. The press release issued by the National Centre For AIDS and STD control said that the motive of organising a rally is to generate awareness among the common people regarding AIDS.

The release also stated that over 10,000 people are expected to participate in the rally. Participants will be from different arenas like politicians, doctors, actors, and engineers. According to the official record, there are over 2000 people who are infected with HIV positive in Nepal and reportedly the number is rising geometrically. Over 30,00,000 people have already died of the disease across the world.

Locals patrol paddy fields overnight

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MORANG, Nov 18 - Farmers of different villages of the two districts of Morang and Sunsari are forced to stay overnight guarding their fields in fear of theft of ripen paddy from their fields.

According to the farmers, they are compelled to guard their field in night time as incidence of paddy theft from the agricultural fields intensified in the districts.

The farmers said that people from nearby Indian border town are involved in the theft.

"I have been staying in my field since last one week to guard the crops", said Bindeswor Thakur of Amuda - 4. Like Thakur there are other villagers guarding their fields whole night. The villagers have now formed a patrolling team to battle the theft.

Similarly Asarfi Lal Chaudhary, VDC Vice-chairmen said that it has become routine work to guard the fields when the crops start ripening. "Without patrolling the field you cannot procure a harvest", said Chaudhary.

Likewise, the villagers not only suffer the theft of crops but also the stealing of their cattle’s.

The villager fume that some element are active in stealing the cattle when they go out to patrol the fields during the night.

The locals lament that theft activity flourished because there are very few police post in the area and thereby no police patrolling. However, Ram Prasad Khatiwada, Chief District Officer admitted that theft of crop was prevalent in these border districts and villagers were guarding their fields.

"Local administration has increased the police patrolling in recent days", said Khatiwada.

He further said that no complaints have been made this year after the security has been tightened.

RNA rejects applications from Jajarkoti youths

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JAJARKOT, Nov 18 – The Royal Nepal Army(RNA) has been rejecting applications from the individuals of this remote, Maoist-affected far western district for the last half a decade due to their possible involvement with the Maoist insurgents.

Most of unemployed but capable youths, who have applied to the RNA from recruiting centres in Surkhet, Nepalgunj and Kathmandu for last five years have been rejected for one or more "lame" reasons even after successfully passing different levels of tests, say the local people.

"Ever since the Maoist insurgency started six years ago, RNA people are very reluctant to enrol people from Jajarkot," said 19-year old Uttar Baral from Khalanga-9 who was rejected for the second time from the Dhangadhi Barrack recruiting centre.

Over 15,000 youths from several far western districts had applied to the 200 vacant seats in Dhangadhi Barrack before Tihar. " The Majors in the barrack compete among themselves to get their men in. I did not have good sources within the RNA," said Paras Jung Shah from Khalanga-2, Thaple VDC, who was rejected at the last round of written exams.

Last year over a dozen of youths from this district including Gajendra Malla from Khalanga - 4, Bohara VDC successfully passed all the tests and were enrolled in the RNA. They were taken for low grade jobs like sweeping the grounds, washing clothes and dishes but were asked to go home after a week.

"If we return home then the Maoists will coax us to the jungles and here the government does not take us in spite of having passed all the tests," said Malla.

Harihar Bista, a national level volleyball player from Khalanga-1 and seven other youths from Jajarkot were successful in getting into RNA in 1996 but were forced to leave in a month. " They always tortured us the "Jajarkotis, just because the officers could get their men into the RNA, ". All seven of us were made to run away as they punished and beat us everyday for no fault of ours," said Aam Jung Shah of Khalanga-2, one of the seven who left the RNA after a month of training.

"It is indeed a matter of concern that not a single youth has been taken by the army while 10-70 youths get into the police force every year," said Bal Jung Shah, Secretary of the District Committee of Independent Ex-army Association. " This has left very capable youths of this district loafing around unemployed," he added.

Robbers kill two, injure one

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DHARAN, Nov 18 – Two people were killed and one injured when a gang of armed robbers raided four houses at Kadamgachhi village of Sunsari district Saturday night. They also looted property worth of Rs 300 thousand.

The injured in the attack was undergoing treatment at the B.P. Koirala Hospital at Dharan.

Those killed in the attack were identified as sixty year-old Tok Bahadur Basnet, forty-two-year-old Lekhanath Nepal. Homanath Basnet, son of Tok Bahadur, sustained serious injuries and admitted to B.P. Koirala Hospital at Dharan.

A gang of more than 30 armed robbers last mid-night attacked the houses of Tok Bahadur Basnet, Lekhanath Nepal, Bhanubhakta Mainali and Rajendra Basnet.

According to Area Police Office at Duhabi, the robbers fired seven rounds of gun to threaten the people who came to extend help to the victims.

Although, the police reached the spot after five minutes of the incident, police arrested nobody in connection with the incident.

2 killed, 46 injured in road accidents

PALPA, Nov 18 (PR) - Two people died and 23 others injured when a motorcycle(Lu. 1. Kha 9144) collided with passenger bus (Lu. 1. Kha 2618) at Madan Pokhara-2 of Siddhartha highway.

According to the police, motorcyclist Ganesh KC, 18 of Tansen died instantly on the spot while an unidentified bus passenger died while undergoing treatment in the Mission Hospital of Tansen.

Similarly, nine were severely injured while 14 sustained minor injuries when two passenger buses heading towards Gorkha from Kathmandu collided with a bus bound for Kathmandu from Taulihawa at Benighat-9 of Prithvi highway.

Police said that all the injured have been rushed to Kathmandu following the mishap.

Meanwhile, a woman sustained injuries when the jeep en route to Tulsipur from Purandhara plunged into the Bagar Khola of Dang district. According to the police, the injured has been identified as Manju KC of Purandhara VDC-7.

The accident occurred when the driver lost the control of the vehicle. Police have arrested the driver for necessary investigation.