Almost all broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu on Sunday have given prominence to the bus accident in Dhading on Saturday morning that claimed the lives of at least 31 people, most of them from Saptari. Here’s a summary of stories that made it to the front pages:
Important
Trishuli bus plunge claims 31
At least 31 people were killed and dozen others injured when a bus heading to Kathmandu from Saptari fell off the road and onto the Trishuli river in Dhading on Saturday morning. Annapurna Post says that the accident shows that Nepal lacks qualified deivers to take the wheels on long-distance buses. It says that until 10 years ago, a driver could only work for eight hour shifts. But now the rule has been ignored and long-distance drivers do not get adequate sleep.
Naya Patrika identifies nine reasons why highway accidents happen in Nepal. According to the paper, the state of the roads, lack of monitoring of vehicles, lack of qualified and experienced drivers, undue pressure from passengers, lack of timely maintenance, overcrowding and overspeeding are the main causes of road accidents like the one in Dhading, in Nepal.
Nagarik says recommendations made by probe committees in the pas have not been implemented. Kantipur quotes a passenger of the ill-fated bus to say that the driver was making the journey under the influence of alcohol.
Kantipur, Annapurna Post and The Himalayan Times have reports from Tilathi and Boriya, the villages most of the deceased lived in.
Election Commission still confused
Kantipur says that although the Election Commission maintains that it continues to print ballot papers for the upcoming elections, sources have told the paper that the process has been halted following an order from the Supreme Court. The Commission is discussing ways to address the court order and present its case before the judges on Wednesday.
New foreign policy in the works
Naya Patrika says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is revising Nepal’s foreign policy. A taskforce assigned with the job is working on the final draft of tits report. The Cabinet had formed a 16-member committee under then foreign minister Prakash Sharan Mahat to work on the report. When Krishna Bahadur Mahara became the minister, he was involved in the project. The committee is currently looking at Nepal’s contribution to foreign armies and other issues related to Nepal’s diplomatic ties with other countries.
Ignored
No relief from pollution despite tall promises
Rajdhani, in its anchor for the day, says although local leaders contesting elections promised to make Kathmandu dust-free, they have not taken any steps towards achieving that goal. The paper quotes Kathmandu’s Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya as saying that according to prevailing laws, local bodies have no say when it comes to issues related to roads. He says that KMC’s hands are tied as vital pieces of legislation needed to clean the city have not been prepared.
Interesting
Final report for two Kathmandu metro routes prepared
Karobar reports that the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) has prepared its final report on two metro rail projects in Kathmandu. The first route will connect Budhanilkantha to Satdobato and the under-construction Kathmandu-Terai Fast-track. Similarly, the second route will connect Nagdhunga to Dhulikehl. The first route is 25 km long while the second route is 54 km long. The the two projects are estimated to cost around Rs 500 billion and can be built in four years, says the report. The two routes will require 35 MW of electricity to operate.
