Norvic To Have Digital Cathlab

By Our Correspondent

With the installation of a digital Cathlab, Norvic-Escorts Health Care and Research Centre will have one of the most advanced technologies for cardio therapy in the country. This will be Nepal’s first digital Cathlab in the private sector.

The Cathlab will be installed at its cardiac centre at Thapathali on July 21, and Dr. Ravi Kasilwal, senior consultant cardiologist at the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, will initiate the procedures of the Cathlab by performing coronary angiography for two days on the 21st and 22nd of the month.

The Cathlab with digital configuration, such as the one to be installed at Norvic, will enlarge and enhance the range of diagnostic procedures such as Angiography, Angioplasty, Balloon Mistral Valvotomy (BMV) and pacemaker attachments with superior fluoroscopy applications and enhanced X-Ray imaging technology.

Moreover, the Cathlab at Norvic will also be uplinked on-line with the Escorts Heart Institute at New Delhi, expanding its optional utility. This will enable consultations among specialists at both ends.

The installation of the Cathlab will be a landmark in Norvic’s plan to create a much needed super-specialty cardiac centre in the country.

This is more so because cases of heart ailments are increasing in the country. It is estimated that 10 per cent of the population are under threat of cardiac problems. But timely intervention with accurate and expert diagnosis, treatment and care goes a long way to reduce the hazards of cardiac problems. The non-availability of such facilities within the country till now meant exorbitant costs to go abroad for treatment coupled with both physical hardships and mental trauma. Things are expected to change for the better after such a facility is set up here.

Beside, Norvic has been conducting various programmes such as health packages, cardiac check-up plans, BMV camp and TEE (Transesophageal Echocardiography), medical symposiums while bringing out user-friendly health guides to create awareness for cardiac and other allied problems.

Since the beginning of the year, Norvic has also introduced neurological facilities and set up a trauma care and rehabilitation centre.

Since May last year, Norvic has provided cardiac consultations to more than 4,500 patients, neuro consultations to more than 3,700 and general consultations to more than 3,600 patients.

In the same period about 200 surgeries related to cardiac and neuro have been performed at Norvic, several of which were highly critical such as Aneuyrysm, pituitary adenoma and bore hole surgeries. And also more than 7,000 investigations related to ECHO, TMT, ECG and CCC have also been performed.

B’deshi Commerce Minister Expected To Visit Nepal

By Our Correspondent

Three years after India gave Nepal and Bangladesh the green signal to use the Fulbari corridor for trade, both the countries have not been able to benefit from it.

The three-year time frame expired on May 31, 2000. However, India has allowed Nepal to use the trade route for one more year upon the request of Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola during his recent visit to India.

Bangladeshi officials here say that both Nepal and Bangladesh must work jointly to prove the utility of the trade route provided by India.

Shedding light on the shortcomings that have been obstructing trade and commerce between the two countries through the Phulbari route, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal Cyril Sikder said both the countries should benefit from the facility.

Ambassador Sikder further informed the Nepalese media at an interaction programme organised by Editors’ Society that the government of Bangladesh has improved facilities at the Banglabandh port where Nepalese vehicles load and unload their goods.

Talking about the potential of exporting and importing of goods and services Sikder said that Nepal could export hydropower to Bangladesh whereas it can import natural gas from Bangladesh.

He also said that both the countries could benefit a lot if they join hands for the promotion of the tourism industry as well since both of them have great tourism potentials.

On the occasion Ambassador Sikder also informed that Bangladeshi Commerce minister was looking forward to visiting Nepal to sign a transport agreement.

Recycling Will Take Care Of Garbage: Poudel

Deputy Prime Minister and Local Development Minister Ram Chandra Poudel says the government is committed to solving the garbage problem of the capital city. Poudel informed that the process of recycling Kathmandu’s waste would begin within a year at the proposed landfill site at Syuchatar. Poudel, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is one of the influential second generation leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress.

On Friday, he talked to B. M. Dahal of this weekly at his residence on issues ranging from Kathmandu’s solid waste management, preparation for the NC’s upcoming general convention to the government’s efforts to maintain peace and order in the country. Excerpts:

What are the government’s immediate plans to solve the garbage problem of Kathmandu?

Since it is not possible to dump garbage at the Gokarna dumping site, we have started dumping the solid waste on the banks of the Bagmati river to construct a link road along with a green belt from Gokarna to Sundarijal. The Local Development Ministry is working together with a High Power Bagmati Sewerage Development Project in this regard. This is just a temporary management of Kathmandu’s garbage. This has helped garbage management and construction of a road and green belt simultaneously.

But the local people are creating obstructions.

Some people have plots of land on the banks of the river. Now they are demanding compensation for the land being used to construct the road and green belt. The Local Development Ministry has taken into consideration the grievances of the local people. I am proposing to the cabinet to give land to them in close vicinity of the area. Besides, the local people will have easy access to Kathmandu as the road will be an alternate route to link the area with Gaushala. The people of Mulpani and Gokarna will also benefit from this alternate road.

What is the government doing for a permanent solution to Kathmandu’s garbage problem?

The government is planning to establish a recycling plant at Syuchatar to utilise the garbage to produce compost and generate electricity and gas. The process of establishing a plant has been pushed ahead. Out of more than a dozen proposals submitted by different companies from various parts of the world to manage the garbage, we have selected six. This will be a permanent solution to the problem.

When will the recycling plant be installed?

It will come into operation within a year. The government is very serious about it.

The Syuchatar locals also do not want garbage to be brought to their area.

Syuchatar is the most appropriate place to manage the garbage of the city as it is not far from the city.

The local people’s major concern is that the garbage could affect their health. But the garbage will not be dumped there. It will be recycled. So, it will not be hazardous to the people’s health. The Ministry is pooling land to install the plant.

The government seems to be withdrawing its decisions while seeking the landfill site due to local people’s pressure.

A democratic government does not want to suppress the people. But this does not mean that the government cannot decide. One thing is true that people have the tendency to misuse their rights.

Is there good coordination between the government and the Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)?

All the local bodies are autonomous. They have their own responsibilities. And the government has its own responsibility too. It monitors their activities and provides facilities to them. So far as the issue of coordination between the government and the KMC is concerned, we have good relations.

Talking about your party, what impact will the recent decisions of the Central Working Committee meeting have on the party’s image and performance?

The decisions are positive. In the CWC meetings, discussions were held not only on how to run the government and party but also on how to develop relations with other political parties and fight the present violence and killings.

Besides, issues were raised to revamp the party’s organisational structure and election procedures within the party. Some committees have been formed to make the upcoming general convention of the party a success. In brief, the decisions of the meeting will have long-term impact on the party. It has also encouraged us to run the government more efficiently.

Will you also be fielding your candidacy for the post of party president?

It is too early to think about it. But I am also a potential candidate.

What direction will the upcoming general convention give to the party?

We should not think that replacing the leadership alone will give new momentum to the party. What the party needs now is to be directed towards new thinking. Some arguments have come up in the party to clarify its ideological philosophy on the ground of reality for its smooth running.

Garbage!

By Our Correspondent

Kathmandu stinks. Mounds of garbage at almost every street corner and thoroughfare of the capital city indicate the failure of the government and the Kathmandu Municipal Corporation to manage the waste produced. The main reason is the inability to find a dumping site after the one at Gokarana filled up and the proposed one at Syuchatar facing trouble with the local people.

The only option left for the government is to leave the waste uncollected. The government has, however, decided to go ahead with the construction of a dumping site near Syuchatar.

According to Surya Sharan Regmi, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Local Development, the process of developing a landfill site at Syuchatar is underway.

"We are dumping the garbage along the Bagmati river where a link road wil be built," said Regmi.

Despite protests from the local people of Syuchatar, the government has already started pooling land for the construction of the landfill site in the area.

Due to lack of a dumping site, the Kathmandu Municipal Corporation has begun dumping the waste along a 6-km stretch of the Bagmati river from Gokarna to Guheshwori despite loud protests from environmentalists and others.

However, the dumping is being done mainly as a filling for the construction of the Bagmati Link road on that stretch.

Shant Raj Pokhrel, division chief of the garbage management section at KMC, says the garbage has been taken to the banks of the Bagmati river to serve a dual purpose. Since there is no place to dump the waste, it is being used in the construction of the link road.

Former MP and coordinator of the High Power Bagmati Sewerage Development Project Bidur Prasad Poudel says that garbage has been allowed to be buried for the construction of the link road. The idea was submitted by technicians of the Royal Nepal Army, which is constructing the road.

"The use of garbage will cut down on the cost of the road’s construction and it may help solve Kathmandu’s garbage problem for the time being," says Poudel.

He says that any leakage of the garbage would be taken to a treatment plant at Tilganga through a drain that has been constructed along the banks of the Bagmati river.

However, this will only be a temporary solution to the problem. Kathmandu will again face the problem of a dumping site once the filling of the road is complete. Kathmandu alone generates around 350 metric tones of garbage everyday. Similarly, Lalitpur produces 70-80 metric tones of solid waste daily.

But Regmi is confident that the Syuchatar landfill site will be ready by the time the link road is completed. But Syuchatar, too, will only provide temporary respite for a few years to Kathmandu’s garbage problem.

Kathmandu will have to think of a long-term solution. For that, Regmi says, Okharpauwa of Nuwakot district may be the most viable option. According to him, the government is already working on a plan to construct a landfill site there.

One Dollar Per Tourist For Wildlife Conservation

By Our Correspondent

From July 1, each in-house guest at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza will be paying US$ 1 or local currency equivalent in what is an innovative fund-raising programme to help conserve Nepal’s endangered wildlife.

The in-hotel fundraising programme, sloganed as ‘Sleep well, you have just saved a life’ has been launched by the joint initiative of the Bass Hotels and Resorts, which owns the Soaltee Crowne Plaza, and the World Wild Life Fund (WWF) in 33 hotels in 10 countries of the Asia and Pacific region.

Bass, which controls 3,000 hotels globally and 200 of them in the Asia Pacific region, is the owner of Holiday Inn, Inter-Continental and Crowne Plaza chains of hotels. It will shortly be acquiring the Park Royal chain also.

"The donation, although charged on the bill, will be by choice, and every guest will be asked whether he or she wants to donate to the WWF fund. So far no one has said no," Ribhu Chatterjee, General Manager of the Soaltee Crowne Plaza said at a press meet on Friday.

Presently, the programme is for five months till November, and if it becomes successful, it might be continued. Soaltee plans to generate about US$ 1500 during that period.

"It is awareness and the participation of the private sector and the people which is more important than the amount of money," Chatterjee said.

According to Chandra Gurung, country representative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the money generated by the programme will be used for anti-poaching activities especially of the rhinos.

According to the WWF, out of 150 rhinos, which have died in recent years, 80 per cent of them have fallen prey to the poachers.

Trekking Peaks Fees Up

By Our Correspondent

Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN) has come heavily against the unilateral decision of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) to hike fees for 18 trekking peaks it administers.

"The new fees will only encourage illegal climbing of these mountains," a press release of the association says, adding, "no climbing royalties are demanded in countries of Europe, America and Africa.

NMA has decided to hike royalty for the 18 peaks effective from 2001, which it says comes 22 years after the fees were last fixed.

An expedition comprising of four members to any of the four mountains in group A —Island peak, Mera peak, Labouche and Farchema — will cost US $ 350. An extra $ 150 is charged for each additional member. Previously, a 10-member expedition paid US $300 only.

A four-member expedition to the B category will now cost US $300, and an extra $100 for each additional member.

Last year, NMA gave permission to 786 teams to climb various trekking peaks.

The new fees, according to TAAN, have been increased unilaterally without consultation with related bodies by as much as 1700 per cent, which is not only impractical but also unscientific.

While NMA issues permits to the 18 trekking peaks, climbing permits to the more than 100 mountaineering peaks that range in height from 6,500 m to the 8,848 m-high Everest, are issued by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation (MoCTCA). Royalty for mountaineering expeditions cost anywhere between US$ 1,500 to US$ 10,000 for a seven-member team. An expedition to Mount Everest costs US$ 50,000 for a seven-member team.

RA To Fly To Bangalore

By Our Corespondent

Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) has announced scheduled flights to the Indian city of Bangalore from September. This is the second time it has announced flights to the south Indian city known for its booming information technology. The RA management says it would operate two flights a week.

The national flag carrier had earlier announced at the 12th PATA Eco-Tourism Travel and Mart in Pokhara in January this year that it would be flying to Bangalore from March 26. But it was forced to withdraw its decision due to an acute shortage of aircraft.

RNAC had to provide compensation worth millions of rupees to the travel agents in India and Nepal for tickets sold after it decided to postpone its flights. The postponement also eroded the credibility of the state-owned airline.