Unattended centuries-old buildings crumbling

By Rajeeb Tamrakar

KATHMANDU, Oct 13 - Sachchidananda Vaidya, along with four other families are sharing almost two-century-old dilapidated house at "Vaidya Chuka" near Naradevi gripped with constant nightmares thinking that the decayed beams might give way any time.

"We are proud to live in this historical house but who knows when we will be buried under the debris of this crumbling house," says Vaidya, whose ancestors bought the four-building cluster some 150 years ago.

Out of these, one block is inhabited and two are completely deserted. The one that houses the family deities has completely crumbled. However, with the passage of time, all the archaeological evidences that could pinpoint the exact date of the construction of the building has vanished.

Vaidya recalls how local young people sold the windowpanes of antique values to foreign tourists after the house adjacent to his crumbled into pieces.

The mediaeval building consisting of a beautiful courtyard with finely carved windows and doors now belongs to around a dozen families. Due to the dilapidated condition of the building, only four of them dare to spend nights in that house. "All other heirs have abandoned the house decades ago," Vaidya laments.

His multiple attempts to renovate the section of the courtyard he shares with other two, three families have failed. "The stakeholders lack co-ordination and it was also not practical to divide the small land among the four," he says.

Regardless of what other partners think, he has decided that rather than dividing the building that has archaeological value, it should be conserved as one building.

"The government now and then talks about the conservation of ancient monuments. It would be better for the government to take over this ancient house and relocate us in some other place."

However, the Department of Archaeology (DOA) has declined to take any responsibility to maintain this over hundred years old building. "Only the hundred-year-old buildings that are located inside the protected monument zones are under our jurisdiction. Since the Vaidya Chuka lies outside, we can do nothing for it," said Arun Nakarmi, an officer at DOA.

Kathmandu’s acting Mayor Shyam Chitrakar said the renovation of Vaidya Chuka is still in limbo because the heirs lack co-ordination among its inhabitants. "Some say they want to build it themselves and others prefer selling the old structure off and buying a new house separately in the periphery."

Chitrakar says the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) cannot stop any citizen from rebuilding houses as per their wish. However, he adds the owners must not forget that such buildings with immense archaeological value will now never be built.

Although the DOA and the KMC have washed their hands off the whole affairs, the Central Conservation Laboratory for Cultural Heritage provides free technical and professional assistance to conserve such houses of historical significance.

"We can give technical advice to save the monuments and the structures from further deterioration, but the owners first should be aware of the value of such buildings," claims Dr Prem Ratna Sthapit, the chief conservator and the director.

However, the fate of such buildings continues to hang on.

Stress on equal property rights to women

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KATHMANDU, Oct 13 – The government should stop preserving its age-old custom that hinder the growth of women and work toward providing equal property rights to women, said Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal- United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) at an interaction programme referring to the 11th amendment of Civil Code which was passed on October 9,2001 by the House of Representatives.

The talk programme was organised by Women’s Leftist Group. Speaking at the programme Nepal said , " The government should aim at overthrowing the semi-feudalistic social structure which has always acted as the fundamental block to women empowerment and should take steps to ensure that women are given their basic rights."

K.P. Sharma Oli , Standing Committee Member of the CPN-UML said , "The Bill is absolutely uncultured and does not comply with the UN Convention of equal property rights. Oli said,"For the amendment of the Bill, women had put lots of effort but the outcome turned out to be useless, depriving them of their rights in the name of equality."

Sushil Pyakurel, Member of National Human Rights Commission said, "The State cannot confiscate the property of someone unless she or he has committed any crime.The law should always support the rights of people and work toward its preservation."

Talks on water policies organised

KATHMANDU, Oct 13 (PR) - Water Power Analysis and Research Centre today organised an interaction programme on national water policies.

Different water-policy experts expressed their views on the government’s policy in water resources and different treaties Nepal makes with India.

Ajaya Dixit of Nepal Water Conservation Foundation said water does not mean only hydro-electricity. "Water is always politics. It means socieity, economics and many other things," he said.

Dr Dwarika Dhungel said the government often emphasises the importance of hydro-electircity for national development but not a single broad water srategy has been formulated till now.

The interaction will conclude on Sunday, the organisers said.

Govt, Maoists urged to seek peaceful solution

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KATHMANDU, Oct 13 - The next peace talks between the Government and the Maoists must reach a solution to end violence in the country, said Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat today.

Speaker Ranabhat was speaking at the first general convention of Ahimsa Samawaya Nepal (ASN) in the Capital on Saturday.

"People are in favour of peace, not violence", the Speaker said adding " both the Government and the Maoists must respect this sentiment of the people".

The Speaker also asked the Maoists to end the series of violence and to come to the main political stream as their demand for a republic nation was not relevant to Nepalese context. Speaking on the occasion, Speaker Ranabhat urged the Government to create a conducive environment for Maoists to come to the main political stream.

On the occasion, the ASN today posthumously felicitated freedom fighter late Dilli Raman Regmi with Ahimsa Samman for his life-long non-violent policy and staunch support for peace in the country. The Speaker gave a letter of felicitation to the late Regmi’s wife Nutan Regmi. At the function, he also released the book titled Ahimsa Samawaya Sangosthi. The programme was held under the chairmanship of ASN Chairman Hem Raj Gyawali, who is also the Chairperson of Kantipur Publications.

The first general convention of the ASN today concluded, unanimously passing the Progress proposal presented by ASN’s President Hem Raj Gyawali. The closed session of the general convention of the ASN also passed the proposal on amending the Regulation of the ASN, presented by ASN’s treasurer Jivan Lal Piya. The convention also passed a six-point proposal.

ASN Chairman Gyawali, presenting his paper on Progress Proposal of ASN, informed the activities and programmes of the ASN.

The convention passed a proposal expessing condolence to the Royal Family members died in the June 1 incident. The convention also passed a proposal to extend hearty felicitations to King Gyanendra on his accession to the throne.

Likewise, the convention unanimously demanded the Government and the Maoists to solve the existing problem by means of peaceful dialogue. The convention also urged the Maoists not to target their movement towards Nepalese culture, tradition, norms and the Sanskrit language, and condemned the attacks on the statue of Lord Buddha in Afghanistan. In addition, the meeting also passed a proposal to make the public aware against the age-old tradition of sacrifice during Dashain and other festivals.

On the occasion, Dr Sanu Bhai Dagol,member of ASN presented a working paper on Concept of Buddhism on Non -Violence. Hulas Chanda Golchha, a renowned industrialist of Nepal, commenting on the paper, expressed his concern over the ‘wars’ in the name of religion.

Others speaking on the occasion were Shree Prasad Upadhyaya, secretary of ASN, Himalaya Shumsher JBR, vice-president of Dr Dilli Raman Regmi Trust, Dr Pradeep Bhattarai, member of the Federation of the Nepalese Journalists and Bramha Kumari Raj Didi, president of Bramha Kumari Raj Yog Kendra.

KMC to build Baby Care Centre

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KATHMANDU, Oct 13 - Kathmandu Metropolitan City is building a baby care centre for the children of sweepers while they are at work, said an official today.

Chief of Environment and Sanitation Department of KMC, Shanta Ram Pokhrel said KMC is trying to support the sweepers by providing them various facilities so that they might not be stuck to one particular profession.

Addressing a two-day training programme for the sweepers, he said "The day care centre will relieve the female sweepers from working with their babies carrying on their back."

Almost half of the total number of sweepers in KMC is comprised of female workers. The scheme will provide them opportunities to learn extra skills like sewing, plumbing, mechanical workings etc.

Among the participants, Siddhi Laxmi Nepali, a sweeper from Kirtipur said that she has to carry her seven-month old son on her back when she goes for work.

She said, "Having a day care centre will be a big relief for us. There is nobody to take care of my children at home and carrying the child at work could be infected by the dust." But Dhana Laxmi Pode, from Sabal Bahal is very sceptic about relief. "The officers often display such schemes but nothing happens in fact," she said.

Bikas Pode on the other hand said that they need more vocational training as well as opportunities to study to be aware and able citizen of the country. "We work everyday with the dust and garbage but our genuine demands are seldom fulfilled," he said.

Kamal Bahadur Shrestha, the trainer, said the two-day training was just an orientation for the women participants.

Kathmandu Valley Mapping Pragromme launched a survey among the sweepers some six moths ago that identified their needs and prepared a sweepers’ profile.

Pokhara in need of a slaughter house

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POKHARA, Oct 13 - Consumers are complaining that they are compelled to consume low quality meat due to lack of a slaughter house in this tourist city.

They have demanded that the government immediately enforce Slaughter House and Meat Supervision Act, construct well-managed slaughter houses in Pokhara and Lekhnath municipalities and urge meat dealers to sell meat in a systematic manner.

This opinion was voiced Friday by participants of an interaction programme on meat organised by the Third Livestock Development Project, Pokhara.

In the absence of slaughter house, animals are being killed at different places of the Pokhara valley and the meat is being sold at an indiscriminate manner.

According to the data made available by the Third Livestock Development Project, meat worth Rs 1,078,000 is being sold every day in Pokhara Sub-metropolitan city. A total of 35 he-buffaloes, 25 he-goats, 60 pigs and 5,550 chickens are killed daily for meat purpose in Pokhara. Similarly, one he-buffalo, 10 he-goats, 2 pigs and 100 chickens are killed daily in Lekhnath Municipality.

In the same way, fowls are killed at many places early in the morning, particularly at Mohariyatol, Bagar, Nalamukh, Rani Pauwa of Pokhara and Shishuwa, Begnas lake, Lekhnath Chowk, Gagangounda and Arghoun of Lekhnath Municipality. People can be seen killing different fowls on the ground in an unsystematic manner in the morning.

Although there is no slaughter house in Pokhara to kill animals, there are some cold stores for systematic sale of chicken meat. Apart from the cold stores, all the other shops sell meat in an unhygienic condition with flies flying over the meat. It is not only near Pokhara Bus Park but also at different other places where we can see flies buzzing over the meat which is also full of dust. Moreover, the transportation system of meat is also not scientific as it is transported in bicycles, sacks and vehicles.

Even sick animals are being killed for consumption and the culture of examining the health of the animals before slaughtering them has not developed here and both municipalities have paid scant attention to this fact.

Bikal Sai, member of Nepal Khadgi Sai Sewa Samiti, Pokhara complains that their repeated requests to the Sub-metropolitan City for constructing a slaughter house have proved futile.

" We also want a slaughter house. The administration should assist us in examining the animals before they are killed. We are ready," he added.

There is no distinction in the price of meat irrespective of whether it is of good or bad quality in Pokhara, but there is no uniformity in the price which ranges from Rs 190 to Rs 240 per kilogram of he-goat meat at different places in Pokhara and Rs 115 to Rs 140 per kilogram for chicken meat.

Science exhibition kicks off to highlight importance of Physics

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BIRATNAGAR, Oct 13 - A three-day Science Exhibition has been going on here under the joint auspices of National Physics Council and Physics Department of Tribhuvan University since Friday.

The objective of the science exhibition is to enhance the interest of the common people in Physics, to encourage students to study this subject and bring to light the usefulness of this subject.

The science exhibition has been organised in Biratnagar-based Mahendra Morang Adarsha Multiple Campus, the biggest public campus in eastern region. Member of the Council, and Lecturer Tulsi Luitel told The Kathmandu Post that the branch of Physics was necessary for every technology of science but the study of physics was losing popularity. Therefore, the exhibition was organised to highlight its practical usefulness to both the common people and the students in the application of science in various aspects, he added.

Different scientific equipment have been put on display by teachers of concerned subjects and B.Sc. third year students at the exhibition held here for the first time. The equipment on display, which number about 70, are useful for the students of B.Sc. third year.

On display at the exhibition, which has been organised in cooperation with Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (ROANST) are various scientific equipment such as lie detector, and equipment which examines the oiliness in liquid , such as oil. As the students of class eight have made to participate in the exhibition, it also provides practical knowledge on the scientific technology necessary for students in smaller classes.