Past, Present, Feature

Day: July 24, 2023

  • Lumpy skin disease kills 48,133 cattle

    More than 48,000 cattle have died so far from lumpy skin disease that has affected all of the country’s 77 districts.

    According to the latest data available with the Department of Livestock Services, 48,133 cattle died and 1,054,055 have been infected by the highly contagious viral disease since its outbreak in April.

    “Farmers in Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces have been greatly affected,” said Dr Chandra Dhakal, information officer at the Department of Livestock Services. “Currently, the virus has been found to be spreading in the cattle of Bagmati Province and those in the hills and mountainous parts of other provinces as well.”

  • Six more packages being X-rayed for possible gold

    Six more packages being X-rayed for possible gold

    The Department of Revenue Investigation has been examining six packages suspected to have contained smuggled gold after the seizure of one-and-a-half quintals of metals including gold last week.

    On Sunday, the investigation team formed by the department opened a few metal packs to examine if they contained smuggled gold. “Based on examination of two to three packs with open eyes, we failed to confirm the presence of gold in them,” said Nawaraj Adhikari, information officer at the DRI. “We plan to put them under an X-ray machine on Monday.”

    Adhikari said two large machines could not be opened on Sunday and they would be opened with the help of mechanics on Monday.

  • Making Nepali farmers happy

    Making Nepali farmers happy

    Farmer-managed irrigation system (FMIS), which is predominantly a surface irrigation system in Nepal, accounts for 51 percent of the country’s total surface irrigated area and contributes significantly to national food security. With roots dating back a century, this irrigation system possesses robust social capital. Moreover, its significance is growing amidst the challenges posed by rising global warming and energy scarcity.

    Traditional FMIS faces several challenges such as water scarcity, labour shortages due to outward migration, and increased operation and maintenance costs. As a result, many of them have become defunct or significantly reduced command areas in recent years. An illustrative case is the decline in the number of Rajkulos in Nepal.

    While exploring solutions to revive FMIS, one promising solution could lie in integrating it with groundwater-based irrigation systems. Research and pilot initiatives conducted by the International Water Management Institute offer compelling evidence that such integration could effectively address the challenges.