Our Resources

By Rupak Thapaliya

In rural areas where small population exists, and where huge projects are not possible, due to various unavoidable constraints, micro-hydro projects seem to be a viable option.

At present, only around 16% of the total land in Nepal is covered by the forest area. Four decades ago, the forest area of Nepal accounted to around 40%.

led to huge loss of forests. Forest is one such resource, which has not only economic but also ecological importance.

Is Nepal a poor country? Yes! We say. But on what basis?

Nepal has a huge potential for hydro-energy generation. We know that Nepal has so far exploited only 300 MW of hydroelectricity of the total 83.000 MW that can be produced. This figure is a mere 0.36% of the total capacity. So, it is high time we recognize the need for harnessing vast hydroelectricity of our country. Export of electricity can be a major source of income for the country. Presently, despite such a huge hydro-energy potential, Nepal has been importing electricity from India. Less than 15% of the population has so far had the opportunity of using electricity in their homes. This figure is even lower (3%) for the rural population.

The hydropower that could be tapped from Nepal’s rivers could provide cheap energy source, which can be obtained through large projects or through micro-hydro projects in rural areas. The use of renewable energy resource like hydro-energy is even economically feasible.

It is a known fact that the theoretical hydroelectric potential of Nepal’s rivers is 83 million KW. The entire world, on the other hand, has a potential to produce 5610 million KW power. This figure is almost 1.5% of the world’s potential, which is high when compared to 0.11% of the total land on earth Nepal occupies.

Our economy cannot support to launch large-scale hydroelectric projects. Hence, emphasis has to be laid on installing micro-hydro projects. In rural areas where small population exists and where huge projects are not possible due to various unavoidable constraints, micro-hydro projects seem to be a viable option. Micro-hydro projects are easy to install, require less money and manpower and can support a significant size of population.

Another major natural resource, which needs to be focused in the context of our country, is the forest resource. Presently, only around 16% of the total land in Nepal is covered by the forest area. Some four decades ago, when malaria still prevailed in the Terai, the forest area of Nepal accounted to around 40%. The migration of the population from the Hills to the Terai, thereby causing destruction of the forest area for settlement led to huge loss of forests. Forest is one such resource, which has not only economic but also ecological importance. Its obvious ecological significance lies in controlling soil erosion and floods, prevention of water logging, ecosystem balance, and species conservation among many others. Many valuable medicinal herbs can also be extracted from forests. Our forests range from subtropical and tropical to alpine type. Accordingly, there is also a wide diversity in the vegetation diversity is also wide. Regulated extraction of timber and non-timber products from our forests and their export can help us enhance our economy.

Being a third world developing nation, Nepal, cannot aim to achieve development through modern technology. The only option left for us is development through indigenous systems and sustainable use of natural resources. By sustainability, we mean, wise use of resources keeping in view the needs of the future generation. Thus sustainable use requires controlled use of resources and control on their exploitation. In our context, we thus have to see to it that, our forests are not depleted and that the water flowing through our land does not get wasted. Every year millions of litres of water flow out of our country and only a negligible fraction of this water has been used for purposes such as electricity production and irrigation. Similarly, we have not been able to recognize the real value of some extremely valuable plant species. Such plant species have been victims of either illegal extraction and trade or of lack of conservation efforts. We need to take steps for their conservation, rather early.

The forest and water resources, if properly managed can lead Nepal to a better future.

Prints & paintings

An exhibition of prints and paintings was inaugurated by Dr. Sue Vokes, historian and culture specialist at Sidhartha Art Gallery revisited on 15th Feb 2002. The artist is Uma Shankar Shah. Welcoming the guests, artists and sty lovers Sangeeta Thapa spoke about artist Shah. Sue Vokes who is also the president of Nepalese Culture Studies Groups, appreciated Shah’s paintings. There are Night View I etching, Temple City I, oil on canvas, the entrance etching, golden temple etching, Kama Mandala etching, Love and God III unique print, Temple City II, oil on Canvas. External Bliss etching, Temple City III, etching, Mask and Wooden Dolls I etching, Night View II, etching Tradition etching, Tradition and composition I etching, Temple city IV oil on canvas, on canvas, Masks and Wooden Dolls II etching, Tradition and composition etching, Temple City III oil on canvas, Temple IX oil on canvas, Love and God II etching, love and God IV unique print, love and god I, unique print. Bhairav etching, masks on walls etching, temple city X etching, Kama and Nag etching, Golden Gate etching.

This is a good mixture of prints and paintings. Artist Shah does not use brilliant and dazzling colours in his paintings. He likes to use mild and moderate colours, because he loves to depict the evening and night scene and setting of the Kathmandu Valley. He is lover of cultural heritage of Nepal. So he is fascinated by its rich and renowned cultural property. He depicts it in his etchings and paintings. He is religious minded painter. So his paintings are mystic and divine. He wants to give divine touch in his art. It soothes the tension striven mind of today’s worried man and woman both. His paintings also give a message of cultural awareness. So it arouses cultural curiosity in its viewers.

Today’s all arts are abstract but they depict the daily life of the people somehow or other. Mr. Shah’s art is also not exception to it but his art world is mainly dominated by cultural legacy and at the same time by spiritual supremacy. He is an artist of love, beauty and nature. He is highly impressed and influenced by Kathmandu’s art, sculpture craft and culture. So he loves to paint it in his paintings. - RD Rakesh

Sexual harassment at Workplace

By Laxman Datt Pant

Working 8 hours together, a young computer instructor and his partner in Pokhara spent their days rushing to accidents. They shared the exhilaration of losing them and at last, one day, exhausted, they fell into each other’s arms.

When men and women work together, sexual attraction comes with the territory not just in high adrenaline occupations, but in any small work setting, from laboratory to library and elsewhere. But there are deep obstacles and taboos too, which can make the situation even more exciting and stimulating.

And confusingly, what is man supposed to think about when a woman leans over his shoulder to touch a keyboard and her hair brushes his cheeks?

How should a woman response when she enters a meeting and a man’s eye flit down to her legs? Is flirting forbidden? Are jokes with sexy punch lines allowed?

The answers may mean anything but clear.

No body is going to legislate sexuality out of the work place thinking that it’s a part of one’s identity and we can’t completely turn off just because we’re working.

Sexual feelings exist is one thing and acting on them is another. Nowadays, more than ever learning, to manage sexuality on the job with bosses, peers and employees can be crucial to your career survival and success.

Some tips, according to the experts, may prevent sensitive situations from turning into full-blown problems;

(A) Dress Appropriately:- The 20-years old receptionist in an insurance office at Thamel was stunned to hear that a department head had complained about her short skirts. "Don’t you think that’s his problem?" She protested to her supervisor. "Not entirely," her boss replied." As a woman, you’re responsible for the signals you send. Does that mean, women have to wear high necked blouses and bulky jackets? Not at all, there is no need to hide female earns, but there’s a big difference between being feminine and flaunting sexuality."

(B) Watch your body language:- Man tends to interpret almost any behavior as more charged with sexual meaning than woman does.

Man typically considers more than 25 female gestures provocative tossing hair, staring into man’s eyes, glancing sideways and then demurely dropping her eyes, rubbing her arm, smiling, touching a man and repeatedly crossing and uncrossing her legs. Woman conversely is attracted by specific male attributes.

Some women are turned on by men who are powerful. A well dressed man can stimulate desire in a woman. So, beware of the signals you’re sending and how they may be misinterpret. Talk about how much you love your spouse, display photos of your husband and kids.

(C) Watch what you speak:- When the first contingent of girls joined a previously all boy group of St. Xavier college, the boy continued to swear and joke as they always had. Women are highly sensitive to verbal cues and expressions that men use casually, especially sexual ones are taken very seriously by them.

Sexual jokes should be avoided, as should comment that are even slightly suggestive. It’s hard to believe you’re being taken seriously, when a man is saying how great you look in red. Such remarks convey the message that " females in the workplace are potential sex partners first, women second and co-workers third." Thus, men and women should keep sexually tinged comments out of workplace.

(D) Know the risks of romance:- Many affairs that do ignite in the red-hot intensity of the workplace can quickly cool. Couples may change into completely different personalities outside the artificial world of work. A daring fire fighter may turn into a couch potato at home, causing his romantic colleague to wonder, what did I ever see in him? Office liaisons may be more dangerous than ever. An affair can wreck not just a marriage but a career these days.

(E) Keep intensity:- A 25 years old young lady says, " Every night I’d find myself thinking about what to wear the next day," Although she hated to admit it, the object of her thoughts was her boss. "He was smart, handsome, thoughtful, good looking and married." Once in a while it’s nice to think of the people you work with as full human beings who think about sex but sometimes the feelings go deeper.

Suddenly a man and woman who’ve been working intensely to meet a deadline, save a life or launch a product, may look at each other in a different way. When you’re operating on all cylinders, adrenaline hits every part of your body.

A young woman may play on a coed softball team every weekend and really grow to love those guys, but also like that you share on intensity, but it’s not the same as sexual intimacy. The strong feelings you may have, aren’t romantic and shouldn’t lead to the bedroom.

(F) Don’t cross the line:- One of the most popular directors at a giant software company in Kathmandu, was a gregarious who would frequently put his arm around his assistant’s shoulders and pull her towards him. After eight months, she complained about his behavior.

He was stunned. He thought he was being a warm supportive boss, but his assistant didn’t like being touched by the man who had power over her carrier.

Sexual harassment can involve a spectrum of verbal, non verbal and physical acts. It’s rarely black and white. Since most targets of sexual harassment are women, that usually translates into what a reasonable ‘woman’ would think which may be quite different from a man’s.

It’s better to treat others the way they would like to be treated. Sexual harassment in the work place damages everybody who is near it.

It harms the victim, the victim’s family, and the harasser, who may loes his job, co-workers, who not only face a lawsuit but also have problems with productivity and morale. The healthiest workplace is one in which man and woman respect one another and learn to work as the members of the same group.

Heritage tour 
Bodey The town of tongue piercers

By Razen Manandhar

Though situated in the middle of the Kathmandu Valley, a small town of Bodey, which stands as a border between Kathamndu and Bhaktapur is one among the seldom visited destinations in the valley. Still, people remember this ancient town at least once in a year, during the famous festival of tongue-piercing that takes place on the second day of the new year, in March.

The 6,000 ropani of fertile land, that used to supply vegetable for the capital is occupied by a compact settlement of Newar community with some 8,000 population. It was a separate village until it became a part of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality in 1996.

Except the nucleus settlement at the centre of the region, the city is more or less plain with green farms, where the villagers plant rice, wheat and vegetables all through the calendar. The silvery range of Himalayas in the background and with tile-roofed houses and temples, the whole settlement is a bulk of ancient and mediaeval history, culture and tradition.

The historians have not yet found the exact date of Bodey’s origin. But they believe there has been a big town like settlement as early as 7th century and has developed as a beautiful and cultured settlement.

There is a big jungle in the north eastern part of the town where the temple of Nilbarahi lies. Over two thousand years ago, according to the legends, the actual city of Bodey was situated at Sankhakot, the very place where now the jungle is stretching. In those days, it was a very fertile land and the gods used to assist the locals for good harvest. But after the demos started disturbing the peace-loving people, they shifted their settlement to the present Bodey. The locals believe that one can find pieces of bricks and other archaeological remains from the jungle. It was legendary King Bikramaditya or Bikram Sen who acquired the land from King Dharmagat and discovered the hidden god of Nilbarahi 2388
years ago.

The oldest evidence the historians have found in Bodey dates back to the days of King

Jishnugupta (around 633AD). They believe Bodey was called Yapringram and was the second capital of the Kathmandu Valley in around 4th century.

It was called Bodyan, Bodda, Bosingram, Bude, Dhammapur, Jayadhammapuri etc. in different historical evidences.

Nilbarahi temple of Tigni is one of the main destinations for Nepali visitors in Bode. It lies some two kilometres away from the main town that it gives the pilgrims and visitors a fresh air of the green jungle and peaceful environment. It has become a cozy picnic spot for the locals as well as the campus students of the capital city in these days.The monuments are located in a dozen of squares of the town. Lachhi Tole has Bhairav, Bhimsen, Saraswati, Kalika, Ganesh, Mahadev, Big chaitya, Narayan and Mahakali temple. Bhangu Tole is proud to have Mahalaxmi, Ganesh, Natyeshwor, Sleeping Narayan, Big Chaitya. Khanshi also has big and small temple of Nilbarahi and chaitya.

Laykoo, that literally means the royal palace, now has no significance of its name but it still possesses temples of Kalika and Ganesh. Similarly, Bishnughat has Narayan temple with Garuda and Krishna temple there. In Chanko, there are big chaitya, Chandeshowri and others temples while Khapla has small Chaitya and Dyomaiju temple. On the other hand, the temples of Nilbarahi, Ganesh, Dwarpal, Saraswati, Chaitya, Mahadev and others are there in the hill of Tigni.

The makers of Bodey has also made a scientific management of water bodies that recharged the underground water for the whole year that also provides water for over a dozen wells, used by the locals for drinking and other purposes. There are small ponds in Lacchi, Nachhu Tole, Laykoo, Khanshi and Koyapukhoo. The ponds also support half a dozen of traditional stone spouts too. Similarly, there are 15 patis, 4 sattals and 3 platforms, where locals spend their leisure time and communicate with others.

Different streets from Bodey can lead to Sancho, Sankhu, Mulpani, Jungle of Nilbarahi, Gakhu, Nagadesh and Bhaktapur through interesting winding tracks.

The locals are not aware of the significance of possessing the monuments that give the town of Bodey its identity. But they are proud to have them in their locality. Among the Newars too, the people of one locality feel themselves superior than others who have less temples in theirs. This is the deep-rooted attachment to the cultural heritage they own. If worked in proper way, it won’t be difficult there to make their realize the value of the monument and need to conserve them.

Madness In March at Radisson

By Yesjay

Unlike your everyday Dal and Bhat, relish on some amazing dishes from different corners of the World that are complete wholesome meals served with appropriate condiments. If you are in a different mood for this month, then Radisson is the best place for you. To suit local tastes, Radisson has selected genuine dishes so that they match the Nepali palates.

A toast to St Patrick to have driven away the snakes from the shores of Ireland, or simply an occasion to celebrate the greens of summer with green beer, Radisson has come up with lots of exciting programs throughout the month.

Here is some good news for you for those who want a place to release your stress. There is the Madness In March at the Radisson Hotel just for you.

Take a look to what the hotel has to offer for this month

In the Fun Café, for just rupees 350 nett, you can enjoy combo meals with burgers, French fries, coke and pastries. In the Splash Bar and Grill, one can sway with the live music every Wednesdays with buffet to carry on.

The Best of Madness in March at Radisson is for the senior citizens. On the mid of this month that is the 15th, you get as much discount as your age. Wow, isn’t it excellent? If you are 45 years and above, please do not miss this golden opportunity. If you are qualified and at the age of 50, then you get a discount of 50 percent on the total bill and amazingly if you are 80 years old then you get a discount of 80 percent.

People who love sweets and pastries might be thinking that there are no programs for them. Don’t worry, there are lots of gift hampers for any occasion available at the pastry shop with cakes of your choice of toffees, wine, bouquet of flowers assorted cookies and others for a very reasonable price.

Inspite of all these if you cannot make it on any day, do drop in for honeymoon splendour. Nearly at the end of the month that is on the 28th, on the roof top, full moon day, the married couples must come along with their marriage invitation cards. Candles will be lit to make the evening more charm and the couples can make their own menu from the choicest of ingredients.

Also, a special tea menu from the best tea gardens in the world is served at the Fun Café at the Radisson Hotel.

Make sure you do not miss this opportunity.

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