India-donated ambulances handed over

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KATHMANDU, June 4 : Chief Secretary of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala handed over the keys of 16 ambulances, gifted by the Embassy of India, to the representatives of selected organisations at a function here today.

At the function six organisations from urban areas received Maruti Omni ambulances, five organisation serving in semi-rural areas were given Tata Sumo ambulances and organisations from remote areas were presented with Mahendra (4Wheel Drive) ambulances.

Speaking at the function, Shyam Saran, Ambassador of India to Nepal said that the scheme of gifting ambulance was to serve Nepal from the grass-root level, which could also transfer the message of friendship of Nepal and India. He also said that they have other projects as well for other remote areas for health, education and so on.

"We have a lot of other schemes for the development of different sectors of Nepal which we are ready to finance but different NGOs and INGOs should come for the project," he said.

Appreciating the contribution of India to Nepal in different sectors of Nepal, Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala said that special focus of India to the social sector could help the poor people directly.

Rajendra Shrestha representing Purwanchal Gorkha Bhu Pu Sangh handed gifts to the Embassy and the ambassador of India at the function.

Lack of policy affects rescue operation of trafficked women

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KATHMANDU, June 4 : The rescue operation of the Nepalese women trafficked across the border have been seriously affected due to the lack of rescue policy in the country, said social activists working in the field and demanded political will on the part of the government to tackle the ever-growing problem of girl-trafficking.

They raised this issue at an interaction programme on "The Rescue of Trafficked Girls and Problems and Challenges of Their Rehabilitation" organised by the National Network Against Girl Trafficking here today.

"Had there been the presence of state representative in rescue operations, our work would have been more effective and trafficking of women could have been controlled to a certain extent," said Laxmi Pokharel, project coordinator with ABC, Nepal.

A large number of Nepalese girls and women are reported to be languishing in Indian remand houses for years after their rescue from brothels. However, living conditions of these houses are not much better than that of brothels where they are subjected to mental and physical torture.

Most of these girls were found to be in the age-group of 9-16. On an average, they were forced into sex with 12-15 clients a day. Many of them come home battered and some infected with deadly diseases like AIDS and HIV.

"If there is rescue policy, things would have been much better for timely rescue of these women,"said Durga Ghimire, the president of ABC Nepal while stressing the need of a transit treaty between the two countries for expediting their deportation as well as compensation for them as per the law.

While the rehabilitation of such girls into the society is the most challenging part of the work, the problem of trafficking in girls is originating from discrimination in family and personal factors, according to Laxmi Pokharel, who have been involved with rehabilitation project under the ABC Nepal for the past 11 years.

"There is a great chance of stigmatization of such girls in the society and even in her family, once people come to know about them. This makes their integration process more challenging,"she said. The ABC, Nepal has successfully rehabilitated 230 such girls through various supports and skill trainings.

Dr. Madhavi Singh, the coordinator of National Network Against Girl-Trafficking said the problem of girl-trafficking has emerged as a serious challenge of the 21st century and called for an all-out effort for social rehabilitation and reintegration of the girls at the home country.

Highlighting the activities of rehabilitation centres, Suman Sapkota of the Shanti Griha said that his organisation has set up border surveillance units in Krishnanagar and Mahendranagar.

There are 56 NGOs involved in the field to curb girl-trafficking while six are involved with rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked girls. Twenty-six districts have been identified as areas prone to trafficking.

Workshop on HIV/AIDS awareness

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KATHMANDU, June 4 : The Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Limited completed a workshop on HIV/AIDS to bring awareness amongst the public on threats of AIDS becoming pandemic in this part of the region.

A press statement issued by the Bank today said that the programme, which was held on Sunday, gave information to 20 staff of the bank. It is expected that these 20 people would forward their knowledge to their colleagues, family and community.

According to the statement, this programme is a part of the Standard Chartered Bank’s awareness and education programmes entitled ‘Living with HIV’ in many countries. The bank targets to reach 28,000 of its employees worldwide.

Focus on regional health research agenda

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KATHMANDU, June 4 : With a view to forming a common Regional Health Research Agenda, a two-day consultation meeting of medical experts has kicked off today. Representatives from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan have congregated to participate at the function.

The meeting was organised by Nepal Health Research Council with the assistance of the Rockfeller Foundation.

Addressing the inauguration function, chairman of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee Parshu Narayan Chaudhari said that the meeting would be useful in forming a common health agenda, a common goal for achieving better health for all living in the South Asia region. Dr Upendra Devkota, Minister for Health, Science and Technology, said the national health research agenda should focus on government-stated priority and target as mentioned in the 10th five-year plan and millennium development goal.

"Regional health research agenda should focus on SAARC philosophy and collaborate in research on the problem specific to the region because the countries of the region have similar health problems," said Dr. Devkota. "Also the agenda should focus on other areas like non-communicable diseases and in the promotion of national products."

Also at the programme Dr Devkota gave away health research awards for the year 2002 to Dr Dharma Sharan Manandhar of Kathmandu Medical College and Dr Jiban Bahadur Serchan of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for their outstanding contributions in health research.

Dr Adik Wiwobo, Regional Advisor for Policy Research and Co-operation from World Health Organisation (WHO) said networking and partnership in the region is needed for building strength to promote the health research in the region and to create healthy research environment in the region. The representatives of various countries will present their national agenda at the meeting.

Valley street children suffer from malnutrition

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KATHMANDU, June 4 : A majority of street children in Kathmandu have been found suffering from conjunctivitis and other diseases related to Vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition, it was disclosed here during an eye-camp organised jointly by the BP Koirala Lions Centres for Ophthalmic Studies (BPKLCOS) and the Child Workers’ Concern in Nepal (CWIN) Helpline Centres.

Dr. Bhagawat Nepal, eye specialist at the BPKLCOS said most street children in Kathmandu have developed conjunctivitis (eye-infection), Vitamin A deficiency and are severely malnourished.

According to health worker Damayanti Poudel of CWIN helpline clinics, several street children also suffer from measles, chickenpox and viral fever.

"We provide free eye-camp and other medical check-ups for these children," said Bharat Adhikari, programme manager of the CWIN Helpline Centres in Kathmandu.

According to CWIN’s study, there are an estimated 1,400 migrant children in Kathmandu who work in buses, mini-buses, microbuses and three-wheelers as handy-boys. "These category of children are worst affected."

The number of underage children working in Kathmandu rose from about 300 to 500 in the last two years with the coming of microbuses, according to Adhikari. This aside, the total number of ‘working’ children in Kathmandu now stands at around 36,000. This includes about 1,400 migrant children. A majority of these children do not have access to descent food, health and sanitation. They work under strenuous conditions in microbuses or three-wheelers to eat a full-stomach meal.

Some like Man Dev KC of Salyan relies completely on gift and donation to be alive in the cold street of Kathmandu. "I have never tested Rio myself before but I had seen my fortunate colleagues seeping it everywhere." KC, barely a ten-year-old child was all smiles today when the child workers provided him with a Rio, a ready-to-drink mango juice manufactured in the country.

Asmin Gurung, 17 of Dharan, Sunsari even lost one of his ears just to eke out a living in this city of temples. This happened to him when a group of drug addicts approached him for drugs. "When I defended that I don’t take drugs, they cut off my right ear and fled."

Gurung was studying at seventh grade in Dharan when a group of friends persuaded him to come to Kathmandu for better opportunities. He is now realizing that Kathmandu is worst and his friends were liars.

One of the street child who refused to be identified said he was sold off in Kathmandu after an elderly person brought him here saying that he would provide him with free schooling. He was cheated innumerable times and avoids speaking to strangers. "He has stopped talking to strangers since he was cheated and maltreated on number of occasions," said a CWIN official.

The stories of street children are never ending. Some are so sad that even the so-called stonehearted cannot control tears rolling down his cheek.

Probe into airways accord sought

KATHMANDU, June 4 PR) - Advocates Laxman Acharya and Basu Dev Sharma today filed an application at the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA), seeking a probe into the agreement between the government and Qatar Airways allowing the latter to operate air services in Nepal.

In the application, they have claimed that the agreement caused ‘professional loss’ to the national flag-carrier Royal Nepal Airline Corporation (RNAC), indicating some irregularities in the deal. In the application, Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Executive and Management Committees of RNAC, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Civil Aviation, have been named as defendants in the case.

Oratory contest held

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KATHMANDU, June 4 : An oratory contest on ‘Children as Zone of Peace’ was held here today among the secondary schools of the Bhaktapur Municipality, according to a press release issued here today.

Participated by 15 school students of 10 schools of the municipality, the programme was jointly organised by Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN) and the Child Rights Forum Unit of Adarsha Ma Vi, Layaku, Bhaktapur, the release said. The programme was organised as part of the nation-wide campaign on ‘Children as Zone of Peace’, which was launched six months ago with an objective of raising awareness to protect children from armed conflict.

At the contest, Rubina Shrestha of Madhyapur Model School stood first and Reshma Shrestha of Adarsha Ma Vi bagged the second prize. Likewise, Pratistha Mishra of SOS Hermann Gmeiner School and Moti Ram Poudel of Bode Ma Vi bagged the third and consolation prizes, the release said.

3 bandits killed in encounter in Morang district

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BIRATNAGAR, June 4 : At least three bandits were killed yesterday during an encounter with police in eastern Bardanga Village Development Committee. The slain bandits are yet to be identified and police suspect that they were Indian nationals.

Police Inspector Suman Timsina at Rangeli area police station said that policemen on a regular patrol and a group of bandits exchanged fire for about an hour on the banks of the Bakraha River that lies close to the Nepal-India border. He said they took pre-emptive action against them acting on a tip-off from locals. The police also recovered two homemade pistols and an axe from the slain bandits. A large number of police personnel were deployed along the border area after they came to know that a group of bandits were planning to plunder in Govindapur, Dainiya and Bardanda VDCs.

Acute water shortage in remote Dhaulagoha VDC of Kalikot

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KALIKOT, June 4 : The remote and socially deprived Dhaulagoha VDC of Kalikot has been facing acute water shortage recently. Such water problem has surged up due to negligence over the repairing and maintenance of the taps arranged by the government drinking water office in ward-1,2 and 3. This problem is further heightened by the drying up of water in traditional taps, ponds and wells in other wards too.

A local, Bishnukanta Pyakurel laments that it is difficult for them to obtain a bucket of water. According to another local, his ward has one traditional tap with decreasing water volume which has to satisfy 143 households of about 800 members, and as a result they have to wait in queue for many hours and sometimes the whole day before one’s turn.

According to a housewife, Lalpura Pyakurel, due to this water shortage she stays in the queue forgoing her sleep to obtain that meager amount of water she requires for cooking and drinking. Another local, Hari Neupane, informs of the feuds that takes place almost everyday for water. According to him, 75 percent of the quarrel and fight is because of this tug-of-war for the water.

The outgoing vice-chairman of this VDC, Bishnurishi Pyakurel reiterates that he had taken this problem to the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning back in 1997, and ever since has been presenting an agenda in every district council meeting. The former vice-president of the District Development Committee (DDC), Satya Bahadur Shahi contends that he had informed the Asian Development Bank about this water problem. Though the water project was brought to their VDC in 1994/95, it did not benefit much due to the dispute over water-sources, he added.

Hetauda Municipality to be declared plastic free zone

By Pratap Bista

HETAUDA, June 4 : The Hetauda Environment Reform Co-ordination Committee (HERCC) has decided to announce Hetauda municipality as a plastic pollution controlled region (PPCR) on the occasion of World Environment Day, yesterday. HERCC has decided to prohibit the sale and use of plastic bag less than 20 micron in size.

It is learnt that this is the first municipality in the country, which is going to announce this region as a PPCR. This municipality had been announced as the Plastic Free City in March 28, 1994 jointly by Hetauda municipality and the Makwanpur Chambers of Commerce and Industries but failed to give continuity to this endeavour. It was alleged that they could not provide any alternative substitute to plastic bag, while on the other hand they could not stop the inflow of plastic bags into this municipality.

After the Needle Campaign conducted by the Nabajeevan Jyoti Club situated in Chaughada of Hetauda municipality-6 was successful in controlling the use of plastic bags, this campaign was extended to the entire municipality. This campaign was initiated in June 5, 1993 and was first tried out in Chaughada Bazaar, which had been successfully converted to a Plastic Pollution Controlled Region.

According to this campaign, the municipality has been distributing big iron needles free of cost to all the houses in each ward of this municipality. The people are then required to collect all the plastic bags and pierce them into this needle which will then be bought by the municipality, informed the chief of the health and environment department of the municipality. It is learnt that around 14,000 iron needles have already been distributed to the houses of this municipality.

Army accused of killing unarmed Maoist cadre

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MANTHALI, Ramechhap, June 4 : Maoist leadership today accused the Royal Nepal Army of killing an unarmed Maoist cadre after taking him under military control in Fulasi Village Development Committee.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post over telephone, Maoist district secretary Lalit claimed that Thir Bahadur Yonjan of Daduwa Nagi village was shot dead after his arrest yesterday. He said that three unarmed Maoist cadres were on a peaceful campaign in the VDC when the army arrested them. He said that one of the cadres escaped from the army control while another girl, identified as Bishnu Kumari Thapa, was arrested along with Yonjan at a time when they were taking snacks at a tea-stall.

"The army arrested our tired and unarmed comrades when they were sipping tea and were changing batteries of a hand-mike. The army dragged Yonjan and shot him dead a few yards away from the tea-shop," said Lalit. He also claimed that Yonjan was already dead on the spot but his body was airlifted to Kathmandu simply to cover up their mistake.

The Defence Ministry, however, claimed yesterday that an armed Maoist was shot dead in self-defence. But the Ministry identified the slain Maoist as Ram Bahadur Tamang.

Seven houses looted in Siraha

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SIRAHA, June 4 : In two separate incidents yesterday night, cash and valuables worth over Rs. 600,000 were looted from seven houses of Siraha district, according to the District Police Office (DPO).

A group of looters plundered the houses of Anirudra Mandal including his son’s, Rajendra Mandal, Matuk Malaha and Ram Prakash Mukhiya, according to Mukti Nath Mukhiya, the Superintendent of Police. Similarly, another group of looters ransacked the houses of Om Prakash Mahato and Rajendra Mahato in Lahan Municipality-10. Police have arrested four suspects in connection with the looting, said a police source.

Nepali inspection team visits eastern border area

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ILAM, June 4 : A team of Nepali officials today visited the eastern Nepal-India border to take stock of the situation after the Indian government unilaterally started replacing old border pillars without informing the Nepali side.

The inspection team comprises Om Kumar Basnet, chief of Border Administration Office in Pashupatinagar, and other officials of the Survey Office.

The Local Administration Office said that a Nepali team overseeing the overall management in the eastern Nepal-India border, led by Bhaskar Sharma, is still busy in Birgunj and it is expected to arrive in Ilam by the second week of September. But the Indian side is unilaterally replacing old border pillars from Panchthar to Ilam district without informing the Nepali side. According to the agreement reached between the two countries, no unilateral decisions are taken regarding the border issue and they are decided bilaterally.

Ilam Chief District Officer Prem Prasad Sapkota, during his visit to border town of Pashupatinagar on Sunday, raised official objection to the Indian side for unilaterally replacing the border pillars without the knowledge of the Nepal government.

Terror-striken women leave their houses for safety

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HETAUDA, June 4 : Terrorised by the looting and gang rape incidents by a gang of looters, young girls and women of Raksirang VDC-8 of Makwanpur district do not spend nights in their houses these days.

After early evening meals, they go to the safe Pyangche area, near Manahari Bazaar to spend nights. However, the males gather in some houses and sleep outside with the determination to counter any evil. It was on May 16 that a gang of around 12 masked looters looted the houses of Hira Laal Syangtan and Bishnu Maya Praja of Chraute Damar area and raped the women in the houses.

Likewise, the looters on May 23 went through looting and rape crimes in three houses of Manjedada area of the ward. Police are unable to trace the criminals as yet.

Mysterious disease affects school children

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MAHOTTARI, June 4 : A mysterious disease has gripped at least five students of Pancha Dhara Secondary School in Maisthan VDC of Mahottari district. The disease has surfaced even in Dumsidada and Gadhanta, two remote VDCs of the district, according to concerned sources.

The disease is characterised by various features such as headache, fainting, delirium and a sort of hysteria. The disease had possessed Lalita Wagle, a grade ten student of the school for the first time on May 29, according to Hem Sagar Wagle, a schoolteacher.

The same disease affected other students of different classes in the succeeding days as informed by the teacher. Sabina Ghimire, another grade ten student who was affected by the disease was treated in the Zonal Hospital, Janakpur. However, after her discharge from the hospital the disease resurfaced, according to family sources.

Even a team of health workers headed by Dr. Ram Lakhan Shah, the medical superintendent of the district hospital who visited the affected site failed to identify the disease.

"To my bewilderment, all those possessed by the disease are physically sound," said Dr. Shah. The patients are rushed to Kathmandu for treatment and the locals have lodged an application at the DDC requesting the control of the disease in the affected area.

Hospital faces manpower crunch, schools closed for fear of disease

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DAMAULI, June 4 : The increase of viral influenza cases aided by scorching weather in Damauli, the headquarters of Tanahun district and its periphery has resulted in extreme pressure on the health workers in the district headquarters, according to concerned sources. The primary health centre, which was turned into a hospital last year, was short of adequate manpower. The increasing number of patients at an average of 125 a day has only aggravated the situation, said the hospital sources.

The hospital has only eight health workers. Repeated requests to the concerned bodies for arranging employees has fallen to deaf ear resulting in a manpower crisis, according to Dr. Pitambar Subedi, the chief at the District Public Health Office.

Meanwhile, a dozen private and government schools in Damauli and its periphery have been closed down due to adverse weather.

Meanwhile, our reports from Narayangadh states that around 33 private schools in Bharatpur, the headquarters of Chitwan district are closed down for a week from today for fear of viral influenza. The move was taken after the schools recorded thin attendance due to the disease, according to Hem Raj Sharma, the central member of the Chitwan PABSON.