Front page stories are almost same and similar in all major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Sunday. Few key issues have raised are muddy rainfall seen in Kathmandu and some other parts of the country, the parliamentary party meeting of Nepal Communist Party, and results of Nepali Congress trade union. The newspapers have also highlighted an agreement between Nepal and India to open more air routes.
Few sociocultural and economic issues have also made them to the front page today.
Important
Murky rainfall troubles stakeholders
Many newspapers have reported that the rainfall that Kathmandu Valley received on Friday evening and Saturday was murky and quoting meteorologists and experts, they have informed that the murky rainfall was a result of a dust storm entering Nepal via Rajasthan of India.
The rainfall indicates a higher level of pollution and it may have an adverse impact on human health, plants and animals, Department of Hydrology and Metropology, Rishiram Sharma, has told Nepal Samacharpatra. The Kathmandu Post, however, says most of such rainfalls have no severe impact other than contaminating water sources if rainwater gets mixed with them. Nonetheless, the government has told the members of the public not to use such water, according to Rajdhani.
The mountainous part of the country, however, has not witnessed such a rainfall, according to Nagarik. The report quotes met officials to say that Nepal had not recorded such a rainfall earlier.
NCP lawmakers told to support budget statement
Annapurna Post lead story for the day says the ruling Nepal Communist Party has directed its lawmakers not to protest the budget announcement for the next fiscal year that the government around three weeks.
During a parliamentary party meeting of the party, the party’s chairmen KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal also said the lawmakers should support the announcement as members of the ruling party.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli also told the meeting that his upcoming China visit would focus on promoting bilateral interests, reports Naya Patrika.
Nepal will have four new air gateways now
The lead story in Kantipur says Nepal’s dependence on only one air routes for international flights operating from and to various countries of the world except China and Bhutan has now ended as India has agreed to open four more gateways. The report informs that routes will now be opened via Biratnagar and Janakpur. Besides, there will be two more routes for Nepal-India corssborder flights via Mahendranagar-New Delhi and Janakpur-Patna.
However, it will take one more year to launch the operation along the new routes, according to Annapurna Post.
Discussions are yet to be held for opening more air routes via Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj, reports The Kathmandu Post in its lead story.
Earlier, there was a rote via Simara only.
Deuba losing grip in Nepali Congress?
As results of the election held to elect the new leadership of Nepali Congress-affiliated trade union, Nepal Trade Union Congress, have been announced, the party President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s dominance over sister wings has been seen weaker, according to reports in Kantipur, Republica and The Kathmandu Post.
Of 41 positions of the new leadership, the Deuba faction turned victorious in only only position whereas other positions were won by the candidates supported by his rivals including Ram Chandra Paudel, according to Kantipur.
Meanwhile, The Kathmandu Post comments that this is the third back to back defeat for the establishment faction as the rivals had emerged victorious in the polls of the party’s teachers’ union and engineers’ association.
On the other hand, two key leaders of anti-Deuba faction, Shashanka Koirala and Sherkhar Koirala, who are members of the party’s founder BP Koirala’s family, also held a meeting and it has been seen as an attempt to strengthen the ongoing campaigning against Deuba. according to Republica anchor story.
Ignored
Four workers missing in Arun
Annapurna Post anchor story says a landslide blocked an under-construction tunnel for the Arun III Hydropower Project in Phyaksinda Dobhan, Makalu of Sankhuwasabha dostroct and it also buried at least four workers underground.
The report says the landslide occurred on Friday evening and four excavators had tried to rescue the missing through the day yesterday, but in vain.
Nagarik says the search for the victims is underway.
Kantipur has also published an one-column brief story about the incident.
Two houses holding joint meeting today
As recommended by the Council of Ministers and summoned by President Bidya Devi Bhandari, the Federal Parliament Secretariat is holding a joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, according to reports in Gorkhapatra and Nepal Samacharpatra.
The meeting will endorse the regulation to operate joint meetings of the houses as well as joint parliamentary committees.
Interesting
Chinese investment goes up in Nepal
Naya Patrika lead story for the day informs that Chinese investment is steadily increasing in Nepal in past 10 months. Amounts of actual investment, investment pledge and interests in investment are increasing, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the report quotes experts to say the China is adding more investments to Nepal as a strategy to cope with the presence of India in the Nepali market.
