‘Meena in the City’ launched to mark Meena Day

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KATHMANDU, Sept 24 – UNICEF Nepal and Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center (CWIN) here today jointly organised the ‘Meena Day’ that is being celebrated throughout the SAARC nations.

A new animated film, Meena in the City was launched today to mark the ‘Meena Day’. The new episode is the 14th one produced so far by UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia in collaboration with the Ram Mohan Studio to promote gender equality and girl’s education.

The latest version of the episode highlights the plight of domestic child labourers who are often discriminated, and whose employers usually overlook their right to education.

The new cartoon features Meena as a domestic child helper, when her father is forced by circumstances to leave their farm to look for a job in the city

Meena cartoon was first started in 1998 and ever since it has become one of the most popular programmes on TV and radio in Nepal. Meena, the protagonist through her cartoon has been inspiring millions of young girls and have given them the courage to speak up for their rights and fight injustice.

Almost fifty students including some disabled children, from CWIN and other schools and institutes participated and performed at the function today. Talent shows by children in CWIN and a drama based on the popular episode: "Dividing the Mango", were the key events for the day.

Stewart McNab, representative, UNICEF Nepal, and chief guest at the function spoke and mentioned about the conditions of the working children in Nepal. "Though many children have been inclined to work and support their families, those children have the right to education and basic rights like all others", he said.

The others present at the function were CWIN President, Gauri Pradhan, UNICEF Consultant, Sharad Ranjit, among others.

‘Bonus racket’ ruins medicine market in Nepal

By Kiran Chapagain

KATHMANDU, Sept 24 - Sixteen-year-old Srijana KC is still reeling under the trauma inflicted by a doctor.

She has lost her left eye due to the wrong medicine referred to her by the doctor. The doctor prescribed her with a strong medicine as the treatment for her headache, which ultimately led her to lose one of her eyes.

According to Srijana, Dr Dinesh Bikram Shahi prescribed her Tegretol, which is normally prescribed for epilepsy-seizure of the brain, for simple headache. And this controversy surrounding Dr Shahi’s "extremely unprofessional work" has sparked off a battle in the court and debates in the public.

Srijana is just an example of many of these types of cases where the patients have to suffer due to the wrong medicines prescribed by the medical practitioners.

Madhab Pokharel of Sarlahi is another victim of wrong medicine. He too lost his eyes completely due to the effects caused by the medicines prescribed by a local doctor.

And those studying this trend fear that many of the doctors are still carrying out this sort of malpractice.

The series of public health maladies, caused by the so-called doctors and physicians, have raised serious concern in the health sector in Nepal. It has violated the Nepalese consumers’ rights and has also raised a serious question on the authenticity and validity of drugs available in the market.

A study carried out by Pro-Public says people are being cheated as drugs market in the country is totally controlled by a "bonus racket."

The study shows that some highly sub-standard brands of drugs are sold in the market. The retailers are lured by the wholesalers of drugs as those running the racket offer them a bonus package ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent. This prompted retailers to openly accept these unauthorised medicines.

Though the Royal Drugs Limited has fixed a commission of 16 percent for selling medicines, the cheap drug manufacturers offer the retailers 10 to 20 percent of bonus. Due to this, thousands of Nepalese consumers have been forced to buy sub-standard and expensive medicines. "This has been fuelled by unhealthy competition of providing extra-bonus," it is stated in the study.

Likewise, most of the drugs supplied in the market are not properly tested in Nepal, as the Royal Drugs Limited does not have enough equipment to test all the medicines available. Any medicine is required to test in the laboratory before selling them in the market as per the incumbent regulations.

According to the study, about 87 percent of medicines are being poured into the market without prior test from the government-owned Royal Drug Laboratory. The laboratory has the capacity only to test 1,500 medicines a year but the number of brands to be tested at the laboratory is around 12,000.

Even the officials at the laboratory confess the under-capacity of the laboratory. "We do not have the required facility and manpower to test all medicines being imported into the country," said Asfaq Sekh, director of the Department of Drugs Management.

The report prepared by the Pro-Public further said that even the tested drugs are found to be of low quality. The report puts the percent of low-quality medicines to be more than 10 percent. However, Bhupendra Bahadur Thapa, chief at the Royal Drugs Limited, denied saying that there can be 2 to 4 percent of sub-standard medicines in the market.

About 12,000 brands of medicines of 730 industries are presently available in the Nepalese market, according to the study. The total brands of drugs currently available in Nepal have outnumbered that of Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Experts here say that Nepal does not need to purchase such exorbitant brands of drugs but requires quality drugs. "We do not need more than 210 brands of medicines," says Dr. Aruna Upreti.

Director of the Pro-Public Kedar Khadka says that the anomalies in drug market, is due to the presence of mafia in the market. He adds, "The drug market is in the hands of a mafia who runs this bonus racket."

The situation has become even worse with more and more fake companies supplying these unauthorised medicines in the Nepalese border. The study shows that most of the drugs banned in neighbouring India are presently brought in to Nepal via open border. Many cities and villages in the border areas are flooded with medicines that are banned in India.

Even the director at the Department of Drug Management agrees with this outcome of the study. "There is certainly an intrusion of illegal drugs from some neighbouring Indian states," says director Asfaq Seikh.

Stress on need to conserve uncultivated food

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KATHMANDU, Sept 24 – Despite being the hot spot for uncultivated food in the world, South Asian countries are running the risk of losing these fundamental food commodity as forest are being encroached to feed the growing population. Consequently plant diversity is vulnerable to extinction.

Various technical experts from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh at a three-day workshop on South Asia Regional Uncultivated Food & Bio-diversity expressed the need to conserve uncultivated food as it is an indispensable item in the lives of the rural community.

Speaking at the function, Shree Ram Prasad, USC Canada-Nepal, stressed the need to promote uncultivated food to ensure food security and protect the biodiversity of the South Asian region.

Diwakar Chand, an economist, emphasised on the thorough inventory of Nepal’s land to find out the status of uncultivated food in Nepal and promote socio-economic development of Nepal by enhancing the production of uncultivated foods.

Inaugurating the function, Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, Chairmen of the Rajparisad Standing Committee, appreciated the thought and spirit of the workshop and called for regional efforts to protect the uncultivated food and bio-diversity.

Green revolution in South Asian countries followed with massive use of chemical fertilizers has threatened the uncultivated food crops, which were available in and around paddy fields and on highlands.

It is estimated that 20-30 per cent of food requirement in rural households is met by uncultivated food plants.

The main purpose of this workshop is to explore and update uncultivated food research and activities and refine analysis by focusing on some key thematic areas like uncultivated food and agriculture.

Humlis work in Hilsa road on credit in zero degrees

By Dil Bhushan Pathak and Jay Bahadur Rokaya

HILSA (Humla), Sept 24 - People of Humla district, who are engaged in breaking rocks for construction of Simikot-Hilsa Road braving the cold of the northern alpine belt of Nara early in the morning to earn their daily bread, are obsessed with the same question, " How long should we work on credit?"

The construction site of this road, which is considered as the backbone of development for Humla district in Karnali zone, is located at an altitude of 4,200 metres above the sea level. This district remains untouched by any road so far.

Humla District Development Committee (DDC) has given priority to this road, but since the government has not included this project in its "Red Book" the road is under construction under "Food for Work Programme" since last year. The quota of rice earmarked for this year has already ended and people of Humla are currently compelled to work on the construction site on credit in a temperature which is below zero degree celsius.Until last month when people used to get their wages in the form of rice, up to 1,003 workers were busy in road construction daily braving the unbearable cold of Nara, but the number of workers suddenly dropped to nearly 150 after there was shortage of rice.

"Do not let our energetic hands dampen. If the construction work is disrupted now, it may be halted for ever," Sonam Lama, 72, of Humla Khagol VDC said. "All the friends have asked us to inform them when rice is available" he added.

The UN Food Programme had signed an agreement with Humla DDC to provide 350 metric tons of rice every year to construct the road. A total of 570 metric tons of rice is being brought to Humla which includes rice brought last year and this year.

The rice was brought to Hilsa from Kathmandu via Tibet. Of this, 130 metric tons of rice is yet to be received, but Humlis (people of Humla) have already contributed labour worth 250 metric tons of rice.

Last year when we received 1007 quintals of rice we wondered whether so much rice would be consumed. But now the DDC has yet to pay the wages of many villagers in the form of foodgrain, said DDC member Kunchhang Tasi Lama who has been monitoring the construction works.

"Humlis will work only if they get food to eat. They are working very hard in this cold alpine climate of Nara," he added.

A few weeks ago, a worker fell down from the hilltop and was injured. Many workers vomit blood while working in this cold climate.

This programme has made remarkable contribution to greatly to ease the impact of famine in this district which is often hit hard by the problem of food shortage. If this programme were not introduced here last year, many people would have perished due to famine, Lama added.

The main reason for wider participation is the empty stomach of people of Humla for many years and their commitment to road to resolve the problem of empty stomach.

This will be the second road of Nepal to link the country with Tibet, the first one being Kodari highway.

Motors are running north of the border from Hilsa to Sera in Tibet across Karnali for decades, but people of Humla who are working on Simikot-Hilsa road with great enthusiasm say they would stop digging the road if foodgrain were not available.

"The World Food Programme may be suspicious because of the excessive consumption of rice in the road construction. As many as 1,003 people work on the road in one day. I have found many others who had come to work when there was no food at home due to lack of technical assistants and equipment. People come to work from Bajura district also. A few days ago, some people from Maile VDC had come to work on the road by covering a distance of 176 miles on foot in nearly six days, he added.

"Not a grain of rice has been misappropriated" Engineer Acharya said. A road survey agency had said last year that the construction cost of the road would be around 4.3 million rupees per kilometer, but Acharya said a kilometer of road was constructed by spending 260 quintals of rice at the most difficult section.

"Two women of Khagal village had also earned nearly 15 kilograms of rice per day by working in such a perilous condition.

Apart from the women, there were workers of all ages ranging from 14 to 75 years.

Although some section of the road is still to be surveyed, it is estimated that the length of Hilsa road will be around 90 kilometers.

President of Humla DDC Jivan Bahadur Shahi said , " If this road is constructed, people of this district will not be required to do anything; it will be sufficient for them to export fruit , vegetables and medicinal herbs to Tibet."

There is arid zone in Tibet lying in the north of the border up to Tinchyu town and this area could prove to be a good market for the fruits and vegetables produced in this area. Apart from this, there is a good prospect that the number of tourists going to Kailash- Manasarovar would be increased when the road is completed.

Protest rally organised

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BIRGUNJ,Sept 24 - Huge rally was organised yesterday in Sirsia Village Development Committee (VDC) to protest against the government inaction for punishing the perpetrators involved in witch incident that took place here over a month ago.

The protest rally, which got started from Birgunj Industry and Commerce Association (BICA), circled round the city and ended in District Administration Office (DAO).

According to locals, the rally handed over the memorandum which was followed by half an hour of sloganeering in the DAO premises.

Locals also said that, women couldn’t control their anger and did the sloganeering at the DAO premises, which is prohibited for such acts.

However, DAO didn’t use the force to disperse the crowd.

Deputy Chief District Officer (CDO), Chhetra Bahadur Bhandari assured that perpetrators of the incident will be punished as the crowd demanded the stern action against them, said the source.

The women shouted slogans like ‘end superstition’, ‘Women are not witch they are power’, ‘empower women’ and ‘take action to those who say women are witch’.

Almost a month ago, a widow named Manturia Devi Turahin was beaten and forced to consume human urine and faeces allegedly by five locals led by the ward chairman of ward-9.

Women participated in the rally vehemently accused the police for deliberately showing indifference towards taking action to the perpetrators even after the complaint was filed.

However, women also claimed that, after Jagriti Bikas Manch, mounted pressure, police finally managed to nab the culprits 19 days after complaint was lodged.

All of the perpetrators are languishing in the jail at the Chief District Office.

The rally was jointly organised by the seven different organisations namely Jagriti Bikas Manch, All Nepal Women’s Association, Human Rights Organisation, Amnesty Nepal, Community Research Centre, Nepal Women’s Association and Birgunj City Committee.

Convention on community development concludes

POKHARA, Sept 24 (RSS) - The Convention on Management of the Community Development and Greenery Project being implemented in Kaski and Parbat districts concluded here.

At the convention chaired by chairman of Kaski DDC Punya Prasad Poudel, chairman of Parbat DDC Ganesh Prasad Timilsina said that the community development and greenery project had been very beneficial.

The minor problems of the project can be resolved by organising such conventions every year, he added.

Chairman of Pipaltari Village Development Committee Shanta Poudel and chairman of Bhadaure Tamagi Village Development Committee Bhakta Bahadur Gurung said that the impression of decentralisation can be visualised from the sites of the projects.

Local Development Officers of Kaski and Parbat districts Rudra Prasad Poudel and Krishna Prasad Poudel, chief advisor of JICA Hiroki Katsuragawa, forest director Ram Poudel, representative of the department of soil conservation Hommani Bhandari, Kaski District Soil Conservation Officer Prakash Regmi, Diwakar Poudel of Parbat district Soil Conservation Office and others expressed the view that the convention helped to carry out works at the local level in a coordinated manner.

Under the Community Development and Greenery Project, afforestation, landslide control, muletrack improvement, water source conservation, drinking water and irrigation, adult education, improved stove, off season vegetable cultivation, poultry and construction of culverts and toilets have been carried out.

The 10-year project launched with the cooperation of His Majesty’s Government and JICA is being implemented in Armala, Bhadauretamagi, Pumdibhumdi, Sidha and Thumki VDCs of Kaski and Beulibas, Limithana, Pipaltari, Saraukhola and Thanamaula VDCs of Parbat Districts at present.

The main objective of the Community Development and Greenery Project is to improve the natural environment of the hilly areas of Nepal and alleviate poverty by mobilising community resources through participation of the the women and men.