Chitwan rhinos off to home far away from home

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Sukhibar, Chitwan, Nov. 20: In their bid to lessen the mounting pressure of the steadily increasing rhino population against this national park's carrying capacity, the authorities here Sunday began to trans-locate 10 of these one-horned endangered species to two other protected areas further to the west.

Tall and thick savanna grasses almost thwarted their effort to capture the first rhino yesterday as guests keenly kept on watching the live-show of its capture. The elephant-riding technicians combed the grassland for more than six hours and ended up locating only one bull rhino.

Other spooky ones that were sighted now here and now there, simply vanished thanks to the thick tall grasses providing secured and camouflaged hideout.

The bull would perhaps have dodged off too, had it not been for a glade between the Rue River Bank and the jungle. Once the around 15-20 year old rhino appeared in the open area, its seekers closed up and so did the visitors on elephants' back providing no way out for the confused animal.

The "U" formation left it no choice but to move straight forward without diverting until it reached a riverine forest -- an ideal place for the mission. Circled by more than 20 men-carrying elephants, this was where the bull with 34 centimetre long horn was darted and was carried away in a sledge to be finally trans-located to Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve.

The real field day taught the park authorities one lesson: This is not the right season for rhino trans-location.

"The tough time we had today shows that this is not the right season for trans-location," said Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General at the Department of Wild Life and National Park Conservation (DWNPC), who himself was in the darting team. "The tall grasses that we have during this time of the year was the reason of our access problem."

Of the 10 rhinos to be trans-located within this week, at least two females will be transferred to Royal Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve and the remaining will be carried off to Royal Bardiya National Park (RBNP).

"This was something we did without any foreign expert," said Dr. Shanta Raj Gyawali, a Rhino expert with King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation -- the organisation that technically assisted the DWNPC for the rhino trans-location. "We have gained expertise in this since we have been doing it for the last so many years," Gyawali, who had led the technical team to dart and load the rhino in a truck, said.

Home to around 550 rhinos, the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) is increasingly becoming congested to the growing number of this rare species. It was the same jungle where poaching, human-settlement, and big-game hunting had pushed the number of rhinos to an all time low -- only 45 -- in the late 1960's.

Things began to improve after the government declared the above 1,100 square kilometres of this jungle as the first protected area -- among the present 16 conserved areas -- in the country. Under the armed army guards, the national park saw the rhino- population rise to 350 by 1987.

The prime attraction of this national park -- the one horned rhinos -- began to reach western and south-east Asian nations as gifts. By early 90's more than 20 rhinos were already gifted.

In yet another indication of the increasing number of rhinos in the RCNP, the park officials began to trans-locate these one-horned animals since 1986 when 13 of them were shifted to RBNP.

Five years later, 25 other rhinos were transported to Bardiya followed by four more in 1999. Earlier this year, 10 rhinos were loaded in trucks and were released in the Bardiya jungle where around 70 of them roam in the wilderness today.

Even as so many rhinos have either been gifted or trans-located all over the years, the rhino population continues to grow healthily in this national park. That has resulted into a number of complications. The acreage of the existing grassland -- the prime habitat of the rhinos -- is not able to keep up with the rapidly increasing number of these animals.

With the grassy area remaining the same, the rhinos fight among themselves to claim their share, sometimes even killing one another. With their number running out of capacity of the national park, these pachyderms have even begun to be menace for the human settlement in the park's buffer-zone. Increasing cases of crop-raiding have led to the poisoning of these rare species.

"When the number of animals reach more than the carrying capacity of the area they need to be trans-located," said Claude Martin, visiting Director General of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), who had darted the rhino yesterday. WWF had funded the trans-location billed at around 30,000 US Dollars.

So, how will the new home for the rhinos at RBNP be? It is going to be perfect, according to Shiva Raj Bhatta, Warden at RBNP. "We have accommodated rhinos before as well."

What needs waiting and watching is the development at the Shukla Phanta Wildlife reserve where only one lonesome bull rhino has been found so far. With two female rhinos very shortly joining it, the wildlife reserve in the far-west could turn into what RCNP is today, conservationists say. And, it's all the matter of time.

Nepal committed to uphold ILO Declaration: Koirala

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 20: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala reiterated Nepal's commitment to promoting International Labour Organisation's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Works, which was adopted in 1998.

"The Declaration that enhances human rights and social justice, gives hope to million of women, children and workers who suffer untold exploitation, discrimination and inhuman conditions in many parts of the world," Koirala said.

"These principles and rights are at the core of democracy, equality and sustainable development," Koirala told a regional meeting on the Application of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Works here today. The workshop is being attended by 75 participants from 24 countries and organised by ILO in collaboration with Japan and the USA.

Prime Minister Koirala further said that His Majesty's Government stood for the rights of all workers to organise and bargain for themselves.

"However, eliminating child labour represents a real challenge to developing countries like Nepal, where socio-economic and cultural factors are not apparently conducive," Koirala observed. "In this regard, the government appreciates the initiative taken by ILO/IPEC to launch time bound project together with HMG of Nepal to abolish child labour."

He further said that women workers were also facing many kinds of exploitation, suppression and injustice. "The concrete actions are needed to promote gender equality for integrating them into national development."

Andrew Samet, Deputy Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Labour, said that the United States had placed a great emphasis on the fundamental rights at works, on core labour standards and on promoting the work of the ILO.

He said that ILO Declaration was not only about human rights at works, it was also about rights that could bring greater economic success, stronger accountability and stability.

Ms Kimie Iwata, Assistant Minister of Labour of Japan said that the Declaration would not only further strengthen the ILO's activity in the realisation of core labour standards but also would spread the concept and significance of core labour standard around the world.

Ms Mitsuko Horiuchi, ILO's Regional Director of Asia and Pacific said that Nepal was chosen for the venue of this important regional meet because of her firm commitment to making human rights a cornerstone of development. "Social development and economic development must go hand in hand in a people centred democracy," she added.

L. B. Thapa, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, said that Nepal did not lack political will to address issues relating to compliance and implementation of ILO instruments inherent in the Declaration. "However, the modest resources and infantile stage of administrative machinery required for implementation deter for the speedy implementation of these instruments into real life."

Roger Bohning, who represented ILO's Headquarters in Geneva, said that the minimum conditions for work to qualify as decent work would include the rights to organise and bargain collectively, to refuse forced and child labour and to work free from discrimination.

The meet is expected to discuss various aspects regarding the implementation of the Declaration across the region.

Cottage industry development stressed

Kathmandu, Nov. 20 (RSS): Federation of Cottage and Small Industries of Nepal and Centre for Development and Governance jointly organised a seminar on development of small and medium enterprises in Nepal here today.

The objectives of the seminar are to present a clear cut view on the development of small and medium industries, identify the prospects and challenges in the development of industries and find out the roles and position of the financial institutions in the promotion of the sector.

While 98 per cent of the enterprises in Nepal fall in the small and medium enterprises category, its contribution in the national income is about 65 per cent.

If the sector is developed, employment could be provided to about 300,000 to 400,000 economically active manpower annually, according to concerned experts.

Experts at the seminar expressed the view that though promotion of small and medium enterprises seems to be the main option for the economic development of Nepal, the main constraints in this sector are the lack of specific and proper governmental policy and deprivation of the application of modern technology.

They emphasised the need to keep the process of liberalisation and globalisation in mind, identify the areas of competitiveness and profitability, and intensify the process of the development of small and medium enterprises to enable Nepalese products to enter the world market as soon as possible.

Inaugurating the seminar, member of the CPN-UML standing committee and MP Bharat Mohan Adhikari said that the role of small and medium enterprises is very important, next only to agriculture.

He noted that as industrialisation refers to development of this sector, industrial policy should be designed in line with national consensus with new ideas and there should be commitment and honesty in the implementation of the policy.

Third vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) Binod Bahadur Shrestha said that the role of this sector is very important for the economic prosperity of the nation.

President of the Federation of Cottage and Small Industries of Nepal Basudev Giri said that the outcome of the seminar would be vital for the development of the sector as only 30 per cent of the 130,000 registered cottage and small industries are being run while the remaining are ailing.

Chairman of the Centre of Development and Governance Dr. Bishwakeshar Maskey said that emphasis should be laid on formulating strategies for the development of this sector with the utilisation of the information technology and e-commerce which had begun with the beginning of the 2st century.

Director general of the Department of Cottage and Small Industries Leelamani Paudel and chief manager of the Nepal Rastra Bank Ganesh Kumar Shrestha presented separate working papers at the seminar.

About 60 representatives from various governmental and non-governmental organisations are attending the seminar.

Infotainment helps public to make their decision

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu Nov. 20: Infotainment – a combination of information and entertainment – does indeed shape public life, experts said here today.

The conclusion was drawn following a presentation of the project 'Using Audience Involvement to Understand How Entertainment- Education Works'. The presenter of the paper, Dr. Suruchi Sood, Programme Officer II, Research and Evaluation Division of the John Hopkins University, said that radio programmes are of immense value to tackle population problems gripping nations like Nepal.

Even if radio communication has some constraints, it has been promoting the interpersonal communication and resulting into the behavioural change of the public, said Sood while making her presentation.

Spousal communication due to the interpersonal communication on marital life is helpful to delay pregnancy and maintaining safe maternity, Sood told the participants.

During the meeting, experts also revealed that distant-education programme over the radio helps to promote the knowledge and skill of the health workers.

"We have two types of Radio Communication Programmes-Distant Education Programme and Radio Drama Serial- both has a significant impact," said Pius Mishra, Senior Programme Officer, John Hopkins University.

The distant education programme is significantly successful in promoting the knowledge and the skills of the health workers and radio drama serial has been educational for the general public, he added.

With its coverage in three districts -- Dhankuta, Sunsari and Chitawan -- the project was jointly launched by the National Health Education, Information and Communication Centre and John Hopkins University/Centre for Communication Programmes.