Farmers show interest in using organic manure

By A Staff Reporter

BAKHELDIHA (Kavre), Aug. 10: Farmers, especially women of Panchakhal and neighbouring areas, have started to show interest in using organic manure in their farms after Love Green Nepal has launched an awareness campaign about the disadvantage of chemical fertilisers and insecticides.
The farmers, who have learned about the benefits of the use of organic manure for a year, said they will not use the chemical fertilisers in the farms as they not only damage the quality of soil but also have adverse impacts on the people's health and local environment.

"We say that we are working for the future generation. But we are the original nature of soil by using chemicals. So, we have to be careful about this," said Nanda Prasad Lamichhane, one of the farmers taking part in the Organic Vegetable Farmers' Schooling Programme.

The participating farmers showed their collective commitment that they would encourage others to use the organic manure for the better health of the people and preservation of environment.

Brajesh Baidya, member of Love Green Nepal, said that the haphazard use of the chemical fertilisers has been killing useful insects and helping to create harmful ones.

Chaired by Ravi Lamichhane, Chairman of Love Green Nepal, Rajesh Silwal, Krishna Bahadur Baniya and chief of the district agriculture development office Khem Sharma Poudel, among others, spoke about the importance of the organic manure.

Ayurved practitioners rap notice of Medical Council

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: The Traditional Ayurved Practitioners Association has expressed its disagreement to the notice issued by the Ayurved Medical Council regarding the listing of the practitioners involved in the Ayurved, and has demanded for its amendment.

The Ayurved Medical Council, on June 7, had issued a notice calling for applications with recommendations from the District Administration Office that they have been involved in Ayurved medical practice since the last three generations. The Council wanted to list the Ayurved medical practitioners who are of 50 years of age. The Council said those defying the notice would be punished.
The Traditional Ayurved Practitioners Association, at a press conference on Friday, accused the Ayurved Council of trying to finish off the traditional medical practice.

Chairman of the Association Madhu Bajra Bajracharya said the age-limit is the most contentious issue, and it should be amended.

He said the council's notice says that they have to start the practice only at the age of 50, while those passing from the Naradevi Ayurveda Campus can start their practice after 17 or 18 years. "This regulation is not only against the interest of traditional Ayurveda but it will kill off this medial practice altogether. Rather it would benefit foreign pharmaceutical companies," Bajracharya said.

Secretary of the Association Sumir Kumar Rimal accused some Ayurved practitioners of working against this medical practice. He said it would close down companies producing Ayurvedic medicines, and the Vaidyas, who learn this mode of treatment in their families, would be displaced.

Women came out naked, ploughed at midnight to appease God Indra

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KOHALPUR, Aug. 10: About 200 women from the farming community in Banke district who depend on rain water for farming came out naked and ploughed midnight in Indrapur VDC of the district on Tuesday to appease God Indra who, as per a belief, will cause rainfall during drought.

All the naked women locked up the gates and shut the windows of their houses, with their husband inside, and ploughed the fields at midnight chanting hymns.

Similarly, women of Udaypur VDC also had resorted to ploughing the fields accompanied by vulgar dances in anticipation of rain, it is learnt.

Thai travel agents team meets KC

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: A 16-member delegation of Thai travel agents' trip met Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K.C. at his office on Friday.

On the occasion, Minister K.C. spoke about His Majesty's Government's commitment to develop tourism in Nepal.

He expressed the government's commitment to attract Thai people to visit Nepal especially to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mrs. Riddhi Baba Pradhan also spoke about the government's priority to develop tourism in the country.

During discussions, leader of the Thai delegation Mrs. Somsong Sachaphimukh spoke about the impression of the delegation after visiting different tourist destinations in Nepal and said that there are many places in Nepal, which could attract Thai people to visit the country.

Former president of Thailand Travel Agent Association Ms. Nuanchan Pientham also spoke about promoting Nepal in Thailand.

President of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) Narendra Bajracharya said that the delegation is visiting Nepal at the invitation of HAN and also spoke about the joint venture of HAN and Thai travel trade entrepreneurs.

More aid deposited to PM's fund

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: President of Lama Construction Company Limited Family Jipchhiring Lama Sherpa, on behalf of the company, Friday handed over a cheque of Rs 100,001 to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to be deposited in the Prime Minister's Natural Calamity Relief Fund. The sum was raised by the company.

Likewise, president of Sherpa Association of Nepal Jipchhiring Lama Sherpa, on behalf of the Association, handed over 170 pieces of relief materials worth Rs 250 thousand and a cheque of Rs 25 thousand to the Prime Minister's Natural Calamity Relief Fund.

The group of advisors working at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) have provided their five days salary, the officers from the special class to the gazetted second class their three days pay, the gazetted third class officers their two days, and the non-gazetted employees from first class to classless their one days pay to the Prime Minister's Natural Calamity Relief Fund.

Likewise, a meeting of the Nepal Law Reforms Commission presided over by its chairman has decided that officers from special class to gazetted second class officers of the commission will provide their three days pay, the gazetted third class officers their two days pay, the third officers their one and a half days pay and the non-gazetted and classless employees their one days pay to the Prime Minister's Natural Calamity fund to be provided to the victims of the recent flood and landslide triggered by incessant rain in various parts of the country.

All employees working under the Defence Ministry have decided to donate their three days' salary to be deposited in the Prime Minister's Natural Calamity Relief Fund as an assistance to the people affected by floods and landslides across the country.

Similarly the gazetted officer level employees of the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management will deposit financial assistance equivalent to two days' salary and the non-gazetted level employees one day's salary to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the people affected by the recent floods and landslides.

A meeting of the Ministry's employees chaired by secretary at the Ministry Ananta Raj Pandey took the decision to that effect.

Similarly, the Gangadevi Youth Club Baneshwar and British Gurkha Academy Bansbari have collected relief material and cash in aid of the victims of landslides and flooding in various parts of the country.
The relief material collected by Gangadevi Youth Club with the help of Bijuli Bazar Youth Club and Buddhanagar Youth Club includes over 50 sacks of clothing as well as shoes, noodles and beaten rice.

Similarly British Gurkha Academy collected rs 4l,l0l in cash including Rs l6,6l5 from the students and one day's salary contributed by the teachers and staff.

The relief material and cash will be distributed through the Red Cross.

Meanwhile, the member of Rastriya Prajantra Party (RPP) and member of National Assembly Bala Ram Ghartimagar has requested the government to be fair and objective while distributing relief assistance to the victims of natural disasters and terrorist acts in mid-western region of Nepal.
He was speaking at a press-meet organised yesterday by his party with an objective of providing information about the efforts made by rpp in solving the problems faced by people in the area and the RPP's role at the present context.

RPP assistant general secretary Khem Raj Pandit drew the attention of the concerned authority to be equally responsible to the people while distributing relief materials.

In a press release, the party has demanded quicker supply of foodstuffs to the victimised people of the area.

Illegal brick klins pollute environment

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DHULIKHEL, Aug 10: Illegally mushrooming brick kilns at Bhakundebeshi, a plain with scenic beauty on B. P. Road about 20 km from the district headquarters has had adverse effects on the environment of the place.

Neither have these kilns been registered as yet, says chief of Kavre District Cottage and Small Industries Office Krishna Bahadur Karki.

According to Krishna Chandra Acharya, president of Wildlife and Environment Conservation Forum Kavre, the direct ecological loss due to these kilns has been experienced at local schools, hospital, army barracks, market places and neighbouring villages like Khanalthok and Methinkot.

Chief of Cottage and Small Industries Office Karki says they are facing difficulty in taking penal action against the illegal kiln runners as no one has yet complained formally although he was already informed informally.

It is provisioned that a newspaper notice about a proposed kiln is to be issued and after counselling with locals about the effects within 15 days of publication registration can be applied for provided there are no objections.

On the other hand, Tika Bahadur Khanal, an entrepreneur involved in brick kilns says they had set up the kilns only after consulting with environmentalists. However, he confesses their failure in registering.

More than 10,000,000 bricks were sold from these kilns during the last fiscal year but without a penny paid in revenue.