Pokhara University to research on Himali herbs

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POKHARA, Feb 13 : The Japan government has provided Pokhara University with sophisticated equipment worth Rs 20 million for carrying out research and preservation of medicinal herbs in the Himali region. Researchers in a Japan-based herbal research institution provided the equipment to the university.

A machine donated by a Swiss pharmaceutical industry to assist in research works and production of herbal medicine is also arriving this week.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Science of Pokhara University, with co-operation from a Japanese research team, has started a preliminary research work for the use and preservation of herbs used in modern medicine.

"We were facing difficulties in research work in the absence of required instruments. We will engage our students in practical field," said Professor and Botanist Purushottam Basnet of the university. He said that the equipment would arrive here shortly after completing legal procedures in the customs office.

Sixty students, enrolled for B Pharmacy course, will also be trained for the research on herbal medicine and Ayurvedic science, which has also been included in its curriculum. Those students will collect a variety of herbs in the field for a period of six months and begin research on them in the university laboratory. But they will be sent to the Himali region for research to complete their dissertation during the final year of their studies.

The university has envisaged developing the Department of Pharmaceutical Science as a leading research centre in Nepal. For this, a Japanese institution engaged in Himalayan herbs is assisting the department.

Professor Basnet said a team of Japanese experts is coming to Nepal to assist in the project. He also said that his department would keep up to date records of unrecorded plants and herbs that have been illegally exported from the country, within the next 10 years.

"We do not have scientific records of all the herbs available in our country and they are smuggled out unnoticed by us," Basnet said, adding, "Therefore, we will first keep records of those plants."

Pharmaceutical companies all over the world use about 25 per cent of herbs in allopathic medicine. "Therefore, we have added the Ayurvedic course for the students of B Pharmacy," Basnet said. Studies show that the Himali region is the repository of around 7,000 varieties of plant species out of which 300 species have been found to be medicinally useful. A 20-member research team has been studying herbal plants in Mustang and Tibet for the last 10 years. The team has opened an Ayurvedic hospital in Jomsom where medicines prepared from locally available plants are sold.

Once the instruments provided by the Japan government and the Swiss pharmaceutical company are brought into operation the university will be able to produce herbal medicines in the forms of tablets, capsules and paste.

Opening of airport expected to alleviate woes of Karnalis

By Nitya Nanda Timsina

KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : Nepal’s most remote airport, which is racing ahead for completion by the end of the month, has brought a ray of hope to the locals of Mugu, who have lived under perpetual economic depravity, owing to its isolation from the rest of the country.

The completion of the construction of Rs 50 million Talcha airport in Mugu, which began 22 years back, is going to open this remote region to Nepalgunj and rest of the country, according to former parliamentarian Chandra Bahadur Shahi.

"Since three decades, the inhabitants of this region have been looking forward to flying above the luminous clouds. This time, their dream is about to come true, " says Shahi, in Kathmandu today.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post over phone today, Beni Madhav Gyawali, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Mugu said regular flight services would commence in this forlorn district by the first week of March (end of Falgun).

"The runway is almost complete and we are formally inaugurating the airport around first week of March," CDO Gyawali said.

According to CDO Gyawali, the airport will directly benefit Mugu’s population numbering some 40,000 people. Besides, people from adjacent districts of Humla and Jumla will breathe a shy of relief, he said. "It might take a few more days for the completion of runways before we start regular flight services."

However, the authorities have not built the tower and nor made security arrangements for opening the long-awaited airfield, which could handle three 17-sitter twin-otter planes at a time.

Five districts of Karnali, including Mugu have over 50 per cent of food shortage every year. The region heavily relies on external food supplies but due to absence of road transport it is costing millions of rupees every year for the government to ferry basic food items to this region by helicopter.

The successive five-year plans had envisaged completing the on-going construction of Jumla road last year, but not even half the work has been over so far.

Inhabitants of this region continue to pay thousands of rupees merely to travel to Nepalgunj by helicopter.

"I am very happy that next time when I travel to Kathmandu, I will be paying a quarter of the amount that I now pay to a helicopter," says Sonam Lama, a local resident of Mangri VDC-5 in Mugu. Lama is a teacher in Shri Buddha Secondary School in Mugu, which has only two pupils in tenth grade.

"For most poor people, boarding a helicopter is like going home in Dashain festival after a long stay in a foreign country," says Lama, who spends Rs 6,200 just to come to Nepalgunj, which is an hour’s distance by helicopter from his home town.

Lama buys a kilogram of rice in his village at Rs 66. The same quantity of rice in Kathmandu costs barely Rs 20. "This is due to the costly air transport charge."

Tucked in amongst majestic mountains, Karnali offers abundant potential for tourism and herbal markets. The completion of the airport is a harbinger of hope for the people of this most remote part of the country.

Situated close to famous Rara Lake, regular flight services to this breath-catching landscape would boost the flow of tourists, bringing more revenue to the region.

"This region has huge potential for tourism and trekking," according to Gyawali.

"We are in a potential hunger situation as we did not have enough crops this year," says Min Bahadur Shahi, chairperson of Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Center, an NGO, advocating for the development of Karnali region.

Ninety-four per cent of the total working force in this region, rely on agriculture for their livelihood while only one per cent of the total agricultural land is arable, according to Shahi.

Many travel by helicopter. Unfortunately, too many have experienced frustration with air travel, especially the irregularities, delays and costly air fares.

Some also experience a variety of other problems, such as not receiving information about their kith and kin in other districts, as the region is cut-off from all kinds of communication.

The opening up of the airport will help solve at least some of these problems, hope locals of this region.

SC orders release of father, son

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NUWAKOT, Feb 13 : Supreme Court has ordered the release of a father and his son of Mahakali VDC, who had been detained at Bidur, Nuwakot, upon charges of being Maoists, today.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had given the verdict in favour of this duo, 50-year-old father Indra Bahadur Thapa, and his 22-year-old son Rajkumar to release them instantly.

The jailer, Nirman Kumar Pokhrel talking to The Kathmandu Post correspondent said that the duo had been set free in presence of Indra Bahadur’s daughter, Maiya Budathoki. This is the first imprisoned couple to be released after being detained for the third time. It is learnt that the incidents of release and detention have been a recurring phenomena in this part of the country.

Indra Bahadur who had been a teacher at the local Nepane Primary School and his son who had just completed his School Leaving Certificate (SLC), had been arrested by security personnel from their home on February 25, 2002. Soon after, the father had been detained on May 24, 2002, while the son on July 1.

The daughter, Maiya Budathoki, holding the hands of her detained father and brother came out of the prison gate with euphoric happiness and said to The Kathmandu Post correspondent, " Now we are finally going back home." The other prisoners inside this prison as well as the employees there jubilantly bid farewell to them by smearing their faces with vermilion powder.

According to the information provided by the prison branch there, there are still 36 people held up inside the Nuwakot prison. Among those, it is learnt that four female prisoners have been shifted to the District Police Office due to lack of space.

Preparations for Mahashivaratri underway

By Shyam Bhatta

KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : Preparations have begun in the Pashupati area to smoothly conduct the forthcoming Mahashivaratri festival. While pilgrims from India have already started pouring in numbers into the area, a 310-member Mahashivaratri management main committee headed by Minister for Tourism,Civil Aviation and Culture, Kuber Sharma has been formed. Similarly, 13 sub-committees have been formed, which is more than double the number of sub-committees formed last year for the occasion.

The Pashupati area has been witnessing a major facelift for the occasion in the form of meticulous cleaning and painting. According to Shyam Shekhar Jha, administrator of Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), various organisations have designated specific responsibilities to make the festival a grand success. This is especially important in the present context as the festival can be a means of spreading a positive message among tourists.

The prevailing security situation this time is more peaceful than in the preceding year. Therefore, a good number of people are expected to swarm into the area this time. Since water level on the Bagmati river is relatively lower this time, the Bathing Management Sub-committee has constructed water taps in various places. The committee will also take the assistance of Nepal Drinking Water Corporation to increase water level on the Bagmati river. A meeting was held this Wednesday to discuss this matter.

Expecting an increase in the number of pilgrims, the security arrangements will be considerably beefed up this time. According to Jagadish Pokhrel, inspector at Goushala Police Office, the police headquarters has been requested to provide a massive security back up. In addition to this, many makeshift police beats, and pickets will be constructed and mobile police will be deployed. Police will also be deployed in civil dress.

In addition, the Royal Nepal Army and Armed Police will also be strengthening security arrangements. There will be three entrances only. Since pass system was widely misused in preceding years, ticket system will be implemented this year. A total of 1,100 passes will be made available, which will have to be used during prescribed periods. The revenues from these tickets will be handed over to PADT.

Last year, over a hundred thousand pilgrims visited Pashupatinath during Mahashivaratri. This time the number of pilgrims is expected to be more than two hundred thousand. "We are determined to conduct this year’s festivities peacefully," says Pokhrel.

According to Jha, adequate preparations have been made to provide as much service as possible to Indian pilgrims who visit the Pashupatinath temple on every Mahashivaratri in considerable numbers. Rajubabu Pandey, chief of Pashupati Goswara Office says that the increasing number of saints in Nirmal, Bhasmeswor and Gorakhnath shelters in Pashupati area and Bairagi, Sanyasi, Udasi and Nath rest houses in Tripureswor is ample evidence that Mahashivaratri has arrived this time with a bang!

NGO journals face hard times

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KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : In-house magazines published by NGOs in the capital are not self-sustaining although lots of resources have been pumped into them, Purna Basnet and Rajesh Ghimire told media people here today.

At an interaction programme organised at Martin Chautari, they presented a bleak picture of the NGO journals giving the audience the impression that theirs is a story of failures. Among four such major magazines, Asmita and Bikas have already folded up after years of staying in circulation. Purely based on development issues, running these magazines are not commercially viable despite the support extended by donor agencies. The market base of these magazines is extremely limited and confined to certain circles.

While Asmita, a magazine devoted to women’s movement folded up at its 65th edition, Bikas, another development journal also met a similar fate after its donor OXFAM withdrew their support. The other two Himal and Hakahaki are facing hard times. Huge losses had led to the folding up of Himal, but later with donor’s support, it came back in circulation.

Yet the fate of both the journals, especially, Hakahaki is uncertain, despite support from the concerned agencies, Rajesh Ghimire from Hakahaki revealed in the briefing.He attributed the problems to the lack of public interest, weak management and withdrawal of donors’ support for such magazines.

Dalit Jagaran programme extolled

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KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : Dalit Sewa Sangh today organised a programme to celebrate the completion of seven years of the programme, Dalit Jagaran and discussed the effects of the programme on the audience.

Chief guest of the programme, Mukund Sharma Poudel, secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications said that the programme has played a positive role in the revival of Dalits and in creating awareness among the masses.

He opined that Hindu culture has been formed with the division of labour, and there exists no upper and lower castes adding Dalits and non-Dalits should understand this.

On the occasion, former anchors of this programme Udhav Singh Chandara and Pavita Pariyar, were felicitated by the chief guest for their contribution in the success of the programme. Poudel also complimented ten avid listeners of the programme, who regularly wrote their views about the programme.

Meena Biswokarma, a regular listener, said the programme has helped to create awareness among the people. However, she added that the programme should be more result-oriented.

Surya Kumari Pant, representing Radio Nepal, apprised that Dalits should utilise this programme to create awareness among their brethren.

She further said that this opportunity should not be used for relaying the information that might have negative impact on the people. Instead this should be used as a platform to give out information on the rights and privilege provided to them.

Sashi Rijal, a representative of Lutheran World Federation, (LWF), which has been sponsoring this programme even since it started said the government should take steps toward organising these kinds of awareness programmes for the underprivileged masses.

Representatives of various organisations including Precchha Ojha of INSEC, Subash Darnal, chairman of Jagaran Media Centre, Anita Pariyar, Central Committee member of Feminist Dalit Organisation, Padam Lal Biswokarma, chairman of Nepal Utpidit Dalit Jaatiya Mukti Samaj, and Moti Lal Nepali, chairman of Dalit Sewa Sangh also spoke on the occasion.

Valentine’s Day gift for pet owners

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KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : Veterinarians have something special to offer on Valentine’s Day. Along with animal welfare organisations (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Nepal (SPCAN) and Friends of SPCAN), they are launching a novel campaign ‘ Love is in the Air’ for pet owners.

According to the release of the Friends of SPCAN issued here today, the pet owners will be provided the facility of sterilisation for their pets at a much-reduced rate under the campaign. Running for a month, the aim of the campaign is to promote reduced and healthy dog population.

" This joint campaign will inform the public about the benefits of sterilisation and give them a chance to have the operation done at an affordable rate," says Dr. Sudersan Prasad Gautam, consultant vet of SPCAN.

In view of merciless poisoning of the stray dogs by the municipalities in their bid to control their population, these animal organisations want to demonstrate that sterilisation is a proper method to control dog population.

According to Dr. Gautam, the process is also in the interest of public health as, in the long run, it greatly reduces the overall incidence of zoonotic conditions such as rabies and worms.

On an average, each unsterilised female dog gives birth to twelve puppies a year, who themselves reproduce in a matter of a few months. The rapid increase in the number of puppies makes pet-owners abandon dogs on the streets exposing them to vulnerable conditions.

Although many countries have introduced sterilisation programmes, some attempts have been made in that direction. ‘Love is in the Air’ is the part of that programme.

The campaign will run from February 14 to March 14, according to SPCAN.

Women given top priority in Tenth Plan: NPC vice-chairman

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KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : The Tenth Plan has addressed women as an area of highest priority, said Dr Shankar Sharma, vice-chairman of National Planning Commission.

Sharma was speaking at an interaction programme, organised by National Network Against Girl-Trafficking (NNAGT) today. At the programme, titled ‘Women in Development in Tenth Plan – Its Conceptual Strategies and Commitments’, people representing women-oriented organisations, policy makers and members of civil society gathered to discuss the focus of women issues, as addressed by the Tenth Plan.

"The Tenth Plan has emphasised programmes on health, education and active participation," said Sharma. "In these areas, a special package programme will be introduced for women."

He added that scholarships for women and girlchild, women-empowerment programmes, were part of the areas addressed by the Tenth Plan.

"Primary education needs to be focused at the grassroot level," said Kamala Pant, former Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare. She also said that the role of the National Women’s Commission needed to be clear.

Participants at the programme stressed that although women’s issues were given importance, in previous plans made by the National Planning Commission or any other agency, women’s issues still lacked monitoring and implementation aspects.

"It is not yet clear whether it is the role of the Ministry or the Commission in monitoring and implementation," said a participant. "There is a confusion between the role of the two."

Replying to this question, Dr Sharma said that the Ministry was responsible for the implementation of the plan. He also added that there was a need for the Ministry to strengthen its role.

Similarly, other speakers at the programme were Durga Ghimere, president of ABC/Nepal and social worker Dr Arzu Deuba. Both stressed the need for the Tenth Plan issues on women to reach grassroot levels of society.

Children’s art contest held

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KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : Youth UNESCO Mobilisation Association (YUMA), Nepal today organised the Second Children’s Arts Competition, on the occasion of International Year of Culture for Dialogue and Peace.

Hulas Chand Golchha, noted social worker and Honorary Consulate General of Poland said that the pictures drawn by small children are informative and educative for adults as well. He also announced the giving away of prizes for the winners of the competition.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajan Tripathi, chairman of YUMA informed that the art competition is being organised even in Australia and America, under the ‘World Art Project’ of Polish Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centre and Association Poland.

Over 100 children participated in the competition, of whom 10 would be finally chosen for award of the prizes. The award-winning entries would be displayed at the International Gallery.