Tag: government

  • Partial Lunar eclipse to grace Kathmandu skies on October 28-29

    Partial Lunar eclipse to grace Kathmandu skies on October 28-29

    KATHMANDU: Nepal is set to witness the celestial spectacle of a partial lunar eclipse from the night of October 28th to the early hours of October 29th.

    The Nepal Calendar Determination Committee confirmed this occurrence on Saturday (October 28-29).

    According to Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai, the eclipse is expected to begin at 1:19 a.m., with its culmination marked at 2:38 a.m., as stated in the committee-approved calendar (almanac).

    While the moon will enter the penumbral phase at midnight on October 28, the umbral phase, where the eclipse becomes more pronounced, will begin in the early hours of October 29.

    During this period, customary practices and activities should be observed, and endeavors driven by specific aspirations are to be avoided, emphasized the theologian.

    He underscored that there are specific prohibitions detailed in the scriptures, discouraging actions.

    The Committee has pointed out that this lunar eclipse holds a unique significance as it will be the sole eclipse to grace the year 2080 BS.

  • 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.

  • Year Of Intense Wildfires In Nepal May Help Scientists Predict Future Blazes

    Year Of Intense Wildfires In Nepal May Help Scientists Predict Future Blazes

    KATHMANDU :  In the forested foothills and plateaus below the world’s highest mountains, the spring of 2021 delivered a harsh and hot vision of the future under continued climate warming — a fire season that was 10 times worse than the average of the previous 20 years.

    One of the most densely forested countries in South Asia, Nepal has always been afflicted by wildfires, but researchers from Nepal, Taiwan, Germany and the United States have found that substantial precipitation deficits and warmer-than-normal temperatures preceded huge conflagrations across Nepal. And while the team’s analysis suggests these conditions will become more common in coming decades, the scientists are also hopeful that a relatively simple statistical model they have devised will make it easier for local and national leaders in Nepal to see these blazes coming, and intervene in time to spare lives, homes, crops and forests.

    “One of the beautiful and effective things that my home country has done in the past few decades to save our forests is to put the stewardship of these lands into the hands of local citizens, and this has resulted in rapid reforestation,” said the study’s lead author, Binod Pokharel, a climate scientist at Tribhuvan University in Nepal and Utah State University in the United States. “The downside of this approach, though, is that there is no centralized forest management agency in Nepal, so firefighting is also left to locals, and they don’t have the resources they need to fight this growing problem.”

    Pokharel was confident, however, that if local leaders had an easy way to know when fires would be most likely, they could mobilize their communities more effectively to prevent and mitigate the blazes. To that end, he worked with two research scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Michael Wehner and Alan Rhodes, to examine the historical and future-projected accuracy of different precipitation indices to offer an early warning for likely wildfires.

    In doing so, the team devised an easy-to-use precipitation index — a running average of actual precipitation amounts in the fall and early winter compared to the long-term mean for the same months — that offers a robust signal of enhanced fire risk in the spring. Their methods were recently described ina paper published in the journal Climatic Change.

    “Of course, we’ve always known that drought makes fire more likely in general, but this process allows us to quantify that risk better and with more lead time,” said co-author Shankar Sharma, who is also a researcher at Tribhuvan University. “If the precipitation index for November and December indicates high likelihood of fire, communities can begin the mobilization and preparation process for early spring.”

    Such forecasts will likely be important if Nepal continues its successful efforts to reforest its lands. In the early 1990s, the forested areas of the country’s once verdant countryside were down to about 25% of the total landmass. Under the community-driven forest management policies of the past 30 years, however, the forests have grown back and now cover about half the nation.

    “One troubling aspect we saw in our analysis is that the areas of the country that have been ablaze are some of the areas that have enjoyed the greatest rates of growth over the past few decades,” said Matthew LaPlante, a co-author of the study who is an associate professor of journalism at Utah State University and a Ph.D. student in that university’s climate science program. “This association needs a lot more analysis, but what it potentially tells us is that in a world that has warmed and dried, we may not be able to simply regrow forests in places they once were.”

    Co-author Wan-Yu Liu, a professor who specializes in forest policy and economics at Taiwan’s National Chung Hsing University, said that the association between forest regrowth and fire will be further examined in coming years because similar studies are lacking. “There are many implications for people in other parts of the world where reforestation is happening,” she said.

    “This study reveals that climate change has already increased the likelihood of drought in Nepal exacerbating forest fires and the impacts on human health,” said Wehner of Berkeley Lab. “Multidisciplinary collaborations like this between Utah State University, Berkeley Lab scientists, and our scientific colleagues in developing nations are vital to understanding the risks of climate change and the urgency of working toward solutions.”

    Simon Wang, another co-author and climate scientist at Utah State University, said that while global and regional climates are inexorably changing, “our knowledge of these changes is expanding quickly, and the more we know, the more we can prepare, adapt, innovate, and work together in local, national, and global communities to solve our shared challenges.”

  • Chhath festival concludes

    Chhath festival concludes

    Dhangadhi : Chhath festival concluded with the worshiping of the sun god on Monday.

    It is believed that Chhath Puja is in practice since Vedic ages.

    Many stories around Chhath Puja are narrated and shared among people. It is said that Karna, who was the son of the Sun, performed this puja. Karna was the king of Anga Desh, which is believed to be present day Bhagalpur in Bihar.

    It is also said that Draupadi had also observed this fast in order to beat the obstacles and hurdles that had come in hers and Pandavas’ life.

    It is also said that Sita was blessed with Luv and Kush after she did the Chhath Puja.

  • The 114th birth anniversary of Mahakavi  Laxmi Prasad Devkota

    The 114th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota

    KATHMANDU: The 114th birth anniversary of Mahakavi (great poet laureate) of Nepali literature, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, is being marked by organizing various programs in the country and abroad today.

    Devkota is one of the most influential and acclaimed poets of Nepali literature.

    Poet laureate Devkota, born on Kartik 27, 1966 BS, on the auspicious day of Laxmi Puja of the Tihar festival has contributed a lot to modern Nepali literature with several masterpieces.

    He also contributed to internationalizing the Nepali language and literature. Shakuntala, Sulochana, Maharanapartap and some others are his famous literary creations.

    Similarly, Devkota’s Munamadan is the most popular piece in Nepali literature.

    Poet Devkota played a vital role to make the Nepali language mandatory in the school curriculum when he served as the Education Minister.

    Poet laureate Devkota also contributed a lot to establishing then Royal Nepal Academy.

    He passed away on Bhadra 29, 2016 BS.

  • Govt warns action against those criticizing foreign nations, development projects

    Govt warns action against those criticizing foreign nations, development projects

    KATHMANDU : The Ministry of Home Affairs has warned general public and media houses not to pass negative comments about the development projects funded or supported by foreign nations.

    Issuing a press statement recently, the Ministry expressed a serious concern over negative comments being passed about foreign countries, foreign nationals and their properties in social media and other media channels.

    The home ministry has also maintained that the government is monitoring such activities and has warned against those involved in such activities.

    Following such a directive from the government, huge public outcry has erupted against the government. Social media platforms are being flooded, accusing the government of paving a path to endorse the Millennium Corporate Challenge (MCC) of the United States of America (USA). Some also view the government’s move as a policy to stop anti-India protests regarding the Darchula incident. From Ratopati

  • PM Oli warns HoR dissolution could repeat

    PM Oli warns HoR dissolution could repeat

    KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Oli, justifying his move of dissolving the House of Representatives (HoR), warned the HoR could be dissolved again if a precarious situation arrives where the government and Parliament do not function effectively.

    Addressing an all-party meeting at Shital Niwas Tuesday, PM Oli remarked going for fresh elections was the obvious course of action if the political stalemate continued.

    “Article 76 and 85 have provisions for Parliament dissolution. If the government and Parliament do not run smoothly, the House could be dismissed again. One should not raise their eyebrows if so happens,” the PM told the gathering of party leaders Tuesday.

    The PM also expressed dissatisfaction over the allegation of regression against his House dissolution move.

    Likewise, parliamentary party leaders raised questions over the role of the president in the HoR dissolution at the meeting. Replying to such references, President Bhandari stated that she had truthfully abided by the constitution.

    President Bhandari said political cooperation and consensus should be continued for effective implementation of the statute and for strengthening democracy in the country. She also stressed dialogue, cooperation and unity were unique features of Nepali politics.

    The meeting concluded with the president apprising the leaders about her two-day official visit to Bangladesh on March 22.

    The meeting, which was supposed to narrow down the differences among the political parties, failed to yield a positive outcome.

  • Election will not take place: Prachanda

    Election will not take place: Prachanda

    CHITWAN: Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Prachanda-Nepal faction, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has stated that the election will not take place as the move to dissolve the House of Representatives (HoR) was not taken with the intention of holding the poll.

    “Let me make it clear that the election will not be held at any cost,” Prachanda told reporters in Chitwan on Monday adding “The government has no intention to hold the same.,”

    Stating that the dissolution of the House was against the interest of the nation, people, democracy and the constitution, he termed PM Oli’s move as “regressive”.

    Saying that the achievements made through a long struggle and sacrifice were currently imperiled, the former Prime Minister said they were in the movement to protect the constitution and democracy.

    Chair Dahal is scheduled to address a mass meeting to be held in Chitwan on February 24.

  • Election will not take place: Prachanda

    Election will not take place: Prachanda

    CHITWAN: Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Prachanda-Nepal faction, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has stated that the election will not take place as the move to dissolve the House of Representatives (HoR) was not taken with the intention of holding the poll.

    “Let me make it clear that the election will not be held at any cost,” Prachanda told reporters in Chitwan on Monday adding “The government has no intention to hold the same.,”

    Stating that the dissolution of the House was against the interest of the nation, people, democracy and the constitution, he termed PM Oli’s move as “regressive”.

    Saying that the achievements made through a long struggle and sacrifice were currently imperiled, the former Prime Minister said they were in the movement to protect the constitution and democracy.

    Chair Dahal is scheduled to address a mass meeting to be held in Chitwan on February 24.

  • Decision on recommendation for women for foreign visit not taken: Minister Mahato

    Decision on recommendation for women for foreign visit not taken: Minister Mahato

    KATHMANDU: Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Julie Kumari Mahato has said that the decision requiring women below 40 to present recommendations from the local level and family for visit visas was not taken by the government.

    Speaking at an interaction organized by the Ministry here today, she said that there is no truth behind the media reports about women below 40 requiring approval to go on a foreign visit.

    “It was only a discussion made by individuals, and efforts have been made to malign the government in a bad light,” she said.

    Stating that the Department of Immigration made a proposal to the Home Ministry to apply such a provision, a demonstration took place outside the Department today. The DoI has however made it clear that the rule would apply for only gulf countries and Africa, as many women were going on a visit visa and ending up working there inviting risks.