NEFEJ for development of environment

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KATHMANDU, Jan 17: Nepal Forum of Environment Journalists (NEFEJ) on Thursday said that discussions are underway among various stakeholders working in environment sector to form a networking group for the sustainable development of environment in the country.

Speaking to the participants from various environment-related non-governmental organisations at a
discussion programme, Rajesh Ghimire, General Secretary of NEFEJ said, "we have called all
the representatives working in the environment sector for a discussion to form a networking
group."

"This will also support government policy and give necessary input if there are flaws in the policy,"
he said. The NEFEJ is also organising three workshops through the support of a Denmark-based
NGO.

Dilip Kafley, Assistant Co-ordinator of Environment Support Fund said his NGO in collaboration
with 40 other NGOs has initiated environment promotion project in Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa.
Similarly, it has taken support of seven NGOs in Far-western region for a similar project.

The organisation provides financial grants to those already involved in environment-related fields
such as community forestry programme.

The speakers during the discussion outlined a key role for strengthening the major groups in the
country and also to support the programmes and policies of the government while rectifying the
hurdles in the policy and seeking commitment from the government on environment-related
issues.

NEFEJ has three works – disseminating information related to environment to the masses,
advocacy and lobbying, and training leaders from political parties. "Our main objective is to involve
civil society and create awareness for a sustainable development," said Ghimire.

Management of natural resources, protection of atmosphere, energy development and
consumption, hydropower development, land resources management, forest, bio-diversity and
pollution control are among the various areas where co-operation and networking are felt essential
for the sustainable development of the environment, NEFEJ officials said.

Focus on earthquake disaster mitigation

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KATHMANDU, Jan 17: With a view to minimising disaster in case of a major quake in the Valley or across the country, the three-day-seminar entitled Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in the Kathmandu Valley was opened here in the capital.

Speaking at the seminar, F. Mitoma, JICA representative said, "Prevention is better than cure,"
adding " With this motto in mind JICA has extended a co-operative hand to the Ministry of Home
Affairs to mitigate quake disaster in the Kathmandu Valley." He said, " JICA has only made a
study and it is the duty of the government to materialise the findings of the study into action.

On the occasion, Dr Y Egawa, JICA team leader, highlighting the role of media in disaster
mitigation, said disaster is the mother of international co-operation and urged government
agencies and private sector including local communities to join hands in the fight against this
"social enemy." He said willingness to cope with earthquake disaster on the Nepalese side is a
necessity.

Another participant, N. Toyama warned if the tremour of 1934’s magnitude that struck the Valley
occur again, building damages and death toll could be very large.Speaking at the same function,
Dr N Sthapit focused on the need of protection of life and property in case of disaster and laid
emphasis on the necessity of security management. He said if a tremour of a large scale jolts the
Valley again, stress should be on rescue, evacuation, shelter, medical facilities, fire-fighting
engines and easy access to the Valley.He added, in this case, mere internal sources may not be
sufficient and even pointed out the need of another international airport apart from the already
existing one in the Valley. F Kaneko, also a JICA representative, stressed effective
implementation of the National Building Code, awareness at the local level, and commitment on
the part of concerned authorities.

At a discussion programme of the seminar titled Next Step to Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in
the Valley, Lekh Nath Pokharel from the Ministry of Home Affairs presented a report on Disaster
Management System from Central to Local Bodies and Challenges.

The seminar chaired by K Poudel, Director General, Dept of Narcotics and Disaster Management,
Ministry of Home Affairs was organised by the Department of Narcotics Control and Disaster
Management, Ministry of Home Affairs and JICA Study Team.

Crown Prince graces school anniversary

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KATHMANDU, Jan 17: As a former student of Budhanilkantha School Crown Prince Paras took part in the 20th anniversary celebration of Society of Ex-Budhanilkantha Students (SEBS) amidst a function here today.

According to a press release issued here today from SEBS, Crown Prince Paras is also a
member of the SEBS.

At the anniversary programme an award was given to Budhanilkantha School for scoring highest
mark in the 2002 School Leaving Certificate examination. Also amidst the function Suraj Dahal,
president of SEBS, and Raman Ghimire senior musician and lyricist, released audio CD of Manoj
Acharya, states the release.

It was also announced at the function that with a view to encouraging Puskar Shah, who is in
world tour on cycle to promote peace throughout the world, SEBS and World Bicycle-Rider
Academy Nepal are organising four-day peace cycle rally. The rally that begins from Kathmandu
to Lumbini will be organised on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti.

Monument inventories to be prepared

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KATHMANDU, Jan 17: Department of Archaeology (DOA) is preparing inventories of the monuments scattered in the five Protected Monument Zones of the Kathmandu Valley, officials said.

Such seven zones make the Kathmandu Valley a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The government body to protect and conserve the monuments of the country has prepared such
inventories of the monument zones of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur recently, that was presented by the
Integrated Development Research Centre.

Bhim Nepal, the chief of Nepal World Heritage Sites Section and the secretary general of
Protected Monument Zones Survey and Classification Committee said today that DOA is hiring a
consultant to complete the voluminous task of preparing the whole list of the monuments with
details of Hanumandhoka, Swayambhu, Pashupati, Bauddha and Changu Narayan temple very
soon.

"The project will start in a week, as soon as we decide whom to contract to have the things done
in the earliest period," he said .

Nepal said the inventory would contain the name, address, owner, historical background,
important objects, use, physical status of each archaeological temple, stupa, idol, statue,
platform and other objects of cultural importance.

"We will also make a survey of traditional houses surrounding the monuments that will help to
keep the ancient monument intact in the future," he added.

He said the whole project, that would require Rs 400 thousand would be completed by July 2002.

He said DOA started working on classification of the monuments two years ago, after the
committee was formed to classify the monuments in three categories of international, national
and local importance.

Ancient Monument Protection Regulations 1998 required DOA to classify the monuments to
prepare the inventory of all the monuments with their historical importance.

Preparation of the inventory was one among the 55 recommendations World Heritage Centre
assigned to the government in 1995. If the recommendations will not be fulfilled by the end of the
year 2002, the World Heritage Site of the Kathmandu Valley will be enlisted as Monument in
Danger in the coming general convention of UNESCO, the conservationists said.

Bir Hospital CT scan remains unrepaired

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KATHMANDU, Jan 17: The CT Scan in capital’s Bir Hospital which has come to use after two and-a half months, again got spoiled this Friday and has not been repaired till today.

The CT Scan, which has been bought and on trial has until now been out of order for almost a
month. The hospital has only four days left to pay the last amount of installment of Rs 13 million
for the machine that was bought at Rs 39.2 million.

The CT Scan named "SCT 7000 TS" a product of Japanese Simachadu Company was supplied to
the hospital by Machine Pacific Commercial Company.

According to one of the technicians of the company, things need to be investigated because
within six days of the handover of the machine at the Radiology Department, the machine was
spoiled. However, sources at the hospital say that the machine got spoiled after three days of use
and had been grounded for eighteen days. "Since the local technician could not repair the
machine, we had to bring a Japanese technician who took seven days to repair the machine,"
said a radiologist at the hospital.

Murder convict’s son becomes butt of jokes

By Bed Raj Poudel

BHOJPUR, Jan 17: Born five years ago to a murder convict and a woman just released from jail, Jail Kumar now faces an uncertain future.

Jail Kumar was born to Nimdiki Sherpa, who had served jail term on charges of abortion at
Bhojpur district, and Sitaram Rai, serving a murder sentence in the same jail.

Jail Kumar has now become the butt of jokes, and instead of playing at the school ground, he
now idles his time away playing in the mud around his home. His mother, Nimdiki, who has
finished her jail sentence, says she cannot afford to pay for her son’s education. Both of them are
now awaiting the release of the father.

Nimdiki and Sitaram met each other in the Bhojpur Jail, and soon their relationship flourished.
Love letters flowed from one to another, and the dream of getting married was uppermost in their
minds.

After Nimdiki was released, she started living in a rented room in Bhojpur. Sitaram fell ill in jail
and was admitted to a hospital where he stayed for four days. That was when Jail Kumar was
conceived.

Nimdiki now is a daily-wage labourer. She wants her son to grow up like any other normal kid, but
circumstances are not of any help. The desperate mother says she is willing to give up her son to
any institution that can take care of him.

Inside the prison walls, her husband Sitaram is a worried man, and is ashamed that he has not
been able to perform the duty of a father. "I’m in jail, I can’t do anything. I will take care of them
when I will be released," says Sitaram.

And Jail Kumar is not the only one who was born to inmates in Bhojpur District Jail. Another boy,
named Jail Bahadur, was born inside the jail itself.

But Bahadur, unlike Kumar, is now leading a normal life. After the news of Bahadur’s birth was
carried in the Kantipur daily, a children’s house in Kathmandu adopted him.

"Jail Kumar wasn’t born inside the jail so we didn’t know about it. I hope some institution adopts
him," says Jailer Basu Kumar Ghimire.

He says after these two incidents, they have restricted interactions between male and female
prisoners. The Jailer also wanted separate jails for the two sexes.