In a bid to address the overarching issues related to the environment, forests and climate change in the new federal structure, the Ministry of Forest and Environment has started drafting and amending
At least two people have been killed from an unknown disease on Thursday at Pipalmadi-9 in Sindhuli district. Over three dozens are still suffering from the same disease in the Bufar village. According to the police, Pramesh Majhi of Sanu-Bufar and an unidentified woman died due to the disease. The victims manifested symptoms including headache, fever, vomiting and body pain, the public health post informed. Local residents expressed dissatisfaction towards the health post for not paying attention towards treating the disease.
Landslide and flood triggered by incessant rainfall for a week killed at least three persons and five others are feared dead here in the district on Monday. Local Lalu Prasad Acharya, Bhakti Prasad Acharya, Maniram Acharya were buried as a landslide swept away nine houses at Dahachaur of Sukatiya-8 at around 4 am on Monday. They are feared dead. Kamal Bahadur Magar and Dan Bahadur Baral of Kashikandh-7 of Dailekh district, who had been staying at Maniram's hotel were also swept away by the landslide.
Hundreds of locals at Haripur, Sripur, Laukahi and western Kushaha villages in Sunsari district have fled their homes after the swollen Saptakoshi River damaged an embankment in western Kushaha village and began inundating settlements Monday. As of Monday evening, over 25,000 locals left their homes for Inaruwa, Saptari and neighboring Indian villages. Long caravans of people were seen setting out to safer grounds with their belongings on rickshaws, tractors, bicycles and other conveyances.
UNDP's resident representative in Nepal, Robert Piper said Wednesday that the Government of Nepal has not been able to translate the risk agenda into action as most buildings constructed in the capital are hardly earthquake-resistant. Speaking to media persons at a program in Kathmandu, he also expressed serious concerns as Nepal could be hit by major earthquake like that of 1934. He also urged the government to implement the New Disaster Management Act, 2007, which may prevent casualties.
Responding to food scarcities ahead of the festive season, the government is preparing to import 50,000 quintals of rice through Nepal Food Corporation to ease the shortage, a senior government official said. A committee led by Gyandarshan Udash, joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, recommended to the ministry to import rice from any country to improve the supply amid reports of acute food shortage in different districts ahead of major feasts.
The flood hit people of Paya Tole at Malibar of Jaleshwor Municipality-12 are yet to receive relief materials although four days have slipped by since the village got deluged by flood water. While the flood waters from local Ratu river continuing to wreak havoc in the village neither the government nor other concerned organizations have taken initiatives to rescue the villagers. After the flood waters ruined the food stocks and ravaged the households, people here are reeling under starvation and lack of sleep.
Nepali Congress (NC) Central Office Monday organised a tree plantation ceremony to mark the 26th remembrance day of the party's founding leader late BP Koirala. On the occasion, NC central leaders and party cadres planted diverse kinds of plants along the Bagmati river banks at Balkhu. The participants discussed the contribution of late Koirala in the Nepali politics.
- Following its lackluster performance, the Government of Nepal and World Bank (WB) have restructured the Power Development Fund (PDF). PDF will no longer exclusively invest in small and medium power projects as it was initially supposed to do. The Fund is currently studying areas in which it can most effectively invest to promote hydropower development.
As reports of natural calamities -- inundation, landslides, windstorm, flood -- in this monsoon season come in a large scale, the Home Ministry, which is responsible for providing rescue and relief to victims of disasters, now on will prioritize disaster prevention measures in a bid to minimize the affects of natural disaster as part of long term plan, said a ministry official.
Nepal posted economic growth of 4.7 percent in producers' price -- highest in seven years -- in 2007/08, but failed to check rise in unemployment, which went up contrary to general expectations due to a sharp shrinkage in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing sector, the mainstay of semi and unskilled urban employment, grew at a squeezed rate of 0.18 percent during the year, whereas it had grown by 2.55 percent last year. "Lack of fresh recruitment in the public sector also contributed to the rise in unemployment," says the Economic Survey for 2008/09.
