‘Increase wood-based energy for tourism’

Lalitpur, Apr. 4 (RSS): The main source of energy for the 90 per cent of the people who live in the rural areas of Nepal is firewood. Firewood constitutes 78 per cent of the total energy consumption.

Despite Nepal’s potentials of immense hydro power, we have to fulfill the demand for energy from bio-energy as the possibility for the facility for hydro power is minimal for the next 25 years for most of the people.

A national training on wood-based energy was organised by the Institute of Engineering (IOE) in association with the regional development project of the world food organisation.

Inaugurating the training, secretary of the Ministry of Population and Environment Dr. Govind Raj Bhatta called for expansion of forest by stopping its destruction so as to bring about balance between energy and environment.

Dean of the IOE Prof. Dr. Jivraj Pokhrel said increase of wood-based energy can help promote tourism in the rural areas.

Director of the energy study centre Prof. Jagannath Shrestha stressed for the sustainable use of forest-based energy.

Representative of the world food organisation to Nepal W. Suider said poverty can be alleviated by maximum use of wood-based energy.

Taranath Bhattarai of the regional development project of wood-based energy and Dean of the Institute of Forestry Prof. Abhaya Kumar Das called for state attention on the development of bio-energy.

The four-day training is participated in by 13 experts on agriculture and energy.

HIV test made mandatory at Kebarebhanjyang of Syangja

Syangjya, Apr. 4 (RSS): HIV/AIDS test has been made mandatory for the residents of Kebarebhanjyang Village Development Committee going abroad for jobs as well as those returning home, according to VDC chairman Laxmi Kant Regmi.

Regmi said that the HIV/AIDS test had been made mandatory for the local residents to control HIV/AIDS and other venereal diseases which has been spreading in the district.

At present 1,436 men and 859 women are literate in the Village Development Committee.

Of the total 4,454 people in the VDC, 557 people have gone to India and 401 to United Kingdom, Hong Kong, United States of America, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Dubai and Pakistan for work.

Bajura team meets Malla

Kathmandu, Apr. 4 (RSS): A delegation of Bajura district led by DDC vice chairman Rangaman Shahi met Minister of State for Works and Physical Planning Suresh Malla today and apprised him of the problems of the district.

Other members of the delegation were assistant Minister for Land Reforms Janakraj Giri, MP Gorakh Bahadur Bogati of Humla, MP Chandra Bahadur Shahi of Mugu district, Bajura DDC chairman Lal Bahadur Thapa, DDC members Balwan Thapa, Dev Bahadur Rokaya and Mrs Srijana Shaha, and NC general convention member Man Bahadur Rawal.

Gratitude expressed

Kathmandu, Apr. 4 (RSS):  Mrs Koili Devi, the first woman singer of Nepal, returned to her home at Brahma Tole after treatments for heart problem at the T.U. Teaching Hospital today.

The Koili Devi Music Trust Management committee has expressed gratitude to director of the hospital Dr Mahendra Nepal, and Dr Arun Sayami and Dr Bikas Dali for the waiver of all hospital costs except the cost of pace maker and medicines.

Kuwait envoy meets Gauchan

Kathmandu, Apr. 4 (RSS): Ambassador of the State of Kuwait Abdullah A. Al-Murad paid a courtesy call on Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Romi Gauchan Thakali at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shital Niwas today.

Matters of mutual interest and bilateral relations between Nepal and Kuwait were discussed during the meeting.

Maoists injure NC worker in Pokhara

Pokhara, Apr. 4 (RSS):  Maoist workers attacked and seriously injured former Kaski DDC member and NC active member Hari Prasad Lamichhane at his house last night.

According to CDO Narendraraj Adhikari, he has been taken to Kathmandu for the treatment of his broken leg.

Similarly, a bomb which went off at Agriculture Development Bank office in Pokhara damaged window glasses of the building and damaged the wall of the southern part.

Two peons of the office fainted by the boom of the last, but they regained their consciousness in while.

Excavation works of Kakrebihar in full swing

Nepalgunj, Apr. 4 (RSS): The excavation of the ruins at Kakrebihar of Latikoili village development committee (VDC) of Surkhet district is being carried out intensively under the supervision of the Department of Archaeology.

Being carried out under the Kakrebihar excavation and survey project from February 22, 2001, it is expected to be completed by May, it is learnt.

The task of numbering 800 boulders and taking measurements to draw maps and photographs has been completed by yesterday under the excavation being carried out in a bid to find out the entire profile including shape, seize and height of Kakrebihar, according to engineer of the team undertaking the excavation Purna Bahadur Shrestha.

Apart from engineer Shrestha, the team led by archaeologist Uddhav Acharya includes another engineer Kalidas Neupanay, surveyor Shalik Ram Kattel, overseer Bhuvan Silwal and photographer Purandar Man Vaidya.

No inscription or engraving concerning the construction of Kakrebihar has been available hitherto, but it is likely to have been built around the 12th century, project chief Acharya said.

Stating that though it was called Kakrebihar, a temple of Shikhar style existed at the site of excavation, he made it clear that there was no trace of any "Vihar" even if it had existed there.

Kakrebihar, very important from the point of view of art and architecture, is also the biggest example of rock architecture in Nepal, Acharya claimed.

It is estimated that there are over four thousand rocks in the ruins. It is evident that the temple had a staircase all around, 28 sides and 20 corners, said engineer Shrestha. He also disclosed that a few words were engraved on some of the rocks.

The architecture of the temple, also found in districts such as Dailekh and Humla in the Mid and Far-western Regions, resembles that of the Khasa-Malla period of the thirteenth century, it is understood.

Most of the boulders used in the temple are sandy and the big ones weigh from three and a half to four tons.

It was believed that the temple was razed by earthquake or the passage of time. But on the basis of studies so far it is now being concluded that it was demolished by infidels, project chief acharya said in response to a query. Generally, the statues have been dismembered, heads of an elephant, two lions and Buddha statues have been severed.

Two Buddhas, stone carvings of elephants and two lions along with the broken pieces have been handed over to Surkhet museum.

As mentioned earlier, the numbering of the stones, drawing the map and taking of photographs launched at a cost of Rs 700,000 have been completed and now the design of the temple is to be drawn with a computer. Then, if there are necessary budgetary provisions, there is a plan to reconstruct the temple using the ruins also, from the fiscal year 2002-03.

Archaeologist Uddhav Acharya said that there was no basis at present to say clearly whether the statues found during the excavation were Jain or Buddhist. According to him, the word ‘Sribatsa’ is engraved and there is no hump of hair in the Jain statues which also have "Dhatra" and are nude. Most of the Buddha statues do not have these, though found in a few of them.

A nine member security committee with the Latikoili VDC chairman as the chairman has been created to ensure the safety of the stones taken out during excavation and also of the remains scattered here and there at the project site. Also, two security personnel each have been posted day and night, it is learnt.

There is a good prospect of religious and internal tourism if, after the excavation concludes, a temple could be constructed at Kakrebihar at a distance of five kilometre from Birendranagar municipality, the headquarters of Surkhet, overlooking the surkhet valley.

Pokhara, Kamagane to establish sister relations

Pokhara, Apr. 4 (RSS): Sister city relations will be formally established between Pokhara sub-metropolitan city and Komagane city of Japan on April 18.

A 33-member delegation under the leadership of the mayor of Komagane city is arriving in Pokhara on April 16 for this purpose.

Under the terms of the agreement between the two cities, Komagane city will assist Pokhara sub-metropolis in city planning and construction of a old people’s house and a maternity hospital under the social welfare programme.

Similarly, exchange of volunteers, construction of a friendship park, construction of a water treatment plant and establishment of Pokhara welfare centre are also covered by the agreement.

Similarly, under the terms of the agreement, Pokhara sub-metropolis will provide assistance to research students of anthropology from Komagane, provide Nepali language, music and cultural volunteers and provide free health check-up services to tourists from Komagane visiting Pokhara.

Mayor Krishna Thapa gave this information at a press conference here today.

Policy for electronic media sought

Kathmandu, Apr. 4 (RSS):  CPN-UML Standing Committee member Jhalanath Khanal, inaugurating a seminar on the development of electronic media in Nepal organised by the Remote Region Development Nepal here today, complained that proper development of electronic media has not been possible due to lack of right policies.

Stating that the government should have its clear views on information policies, Khanal stressed that state media should not be politicized.

Various other speakers including senior journalist Prem Kaidi and president of NTV employees association Manohari Thapa also spoke at the function chaired by Gorakh Bahadur G.C.

Schemes to alleviate poverty in Banke

Nepalgunj, Apr. 4 (RSS): Community, skill, agriculture and livestock development programmes will be launched in Banke district under the Western-Terai Poverty Alleviation Progamme in the fiscal year 2058/59.

Under the Western-Terai Poverty Alleviation Programme, agriculture and livestock extension training, skill development training, culvert construction, rural road improvement, afforestation, nursery development, hand pump installation, education, health and cleanliness awareness programmes will be implemented in the district.

A grant assistance of rs 495,000 from His Majesty’s Government and foreign assiatance of Rs 8495,000 is expected to be received for the Western-Terai Poverty Alleviation Programme in the fiscal year 2058/59.

The family members of 4,000 households is reported to have benefitted from the various programmes launched by the Western-Terai Poverty Alleviation Programme in the last fiscal year.

Seventeen projects like construction of culverts, repair of roads, afforestation, nursery development and hume pipe installation were launched in Shamsergunj, Kohalpur, Titihiriya and Naubasta village development committes of Banke district.

Likewise, 218 persons were provided agriculture and livestock extention training, 124 persons skill development training and 174 persons health education and cleanliness training.

Thw Western-Terai Poverty Alleviation Programme launched in five VDCs in the fiscal year 2055/56 has been extended to 10 VDCs at present.

At present the Western-Terai Poverty Alleviation Programme is being implemented in Shamshergunj, Kohalpur, Titihiriya, Naubasta, Rajhena, Kanchanpur, Kamdi, Puraina, Bhawanipur and Sonpur village development committees of Banke district.

Pilgrimage for senior citizens

Kathmandu, Apr. 4 (RSS):  The Rotary Club of Kathmandu Midtown organised a pilgrimage for the senior citizens of the Social Welfare Council-run Elders’ Home at Pashupati, Gaushala.

As part of the pilgrimage, about 70 senior citizens of the elders’ home were taken on a pilgrimage to the temple of Palanchowk Bhagawati where the elderly persons experienced a new kind of feeling in their life, the club stated.

The Rotary Club is learnt to be gradually extending its social services to such activities.