Kathmandu, September 20
The Gandaki Province government has urged youths on an indefinite hunger strike at the Manaslu Base Camp to suspend their protest and join talks to address their demands concerning the safety of communities in the Himalayan region.
In a public appeal issued on Sunday, the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers said the demands would be best addressed through dialogue and discussions involving all three levels of government and civil society.
The provincial government said it was positive about coordinating with the federal government, local governments and other relevant agencies to address the issues raised by the protesters.
The office said the demands were sensitive and directly related to public safety, adding that the provincial government was serious about the concerns raised by the youths.
A 10-member group led by Dhawa Nurbu Lama, a resident of Samagaun in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-1 of northern Gorkha, began an indefinite hunger strike at the Manaslu Base Camp on Friday.
The group has put forward several demands related to mitigating the impacts of climate change and reducing risks to Himalayan communities.
The protesters have warned the government that the risk of glacial lake outburst floods has increased due to climate change and urged authorities to take preventive measures.
They have called for the measurement and risk assessment of vulnerable glacial lakes in northern Gorkha, including Birendra Lake in Samagaun, Kal Lake in Prok and Hariyo Lake in Pugen, to assess the possibility of future outbursts.
They have also demanded arrangements for joint monitoring by the mechanisms of Nepal and China of glacial lakes on the Chinese side located near human settlements in Nepal.
The group has called for aerial monitoring of glacial lakes in the Manaslu region and Chum Valley and the installation of warning sirens near vulnerable settlements to provide early warnings in the event of a disaster.
The provincial government has urged the protesters to immediately suspend the hunger strike and come to the negotiating table to seek solutions to their demands.
