Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Wednesday have prioritised a host of issues. The end of Dr Govinda KC’s 23-day fast-unto-death and signing of three agreements between Nepal and China have received much attention in their front page. Likewise, stories narrating situations in various districts of the country, especially those of Terai, after recent floods and landslides have been given prominence in the press today.
Important
Dr KC ‘postpones’ strike in view of monsoon crisis
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital’s senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC, who was fasting unto death demanding various reforms in Nepal’s medical education sector, has ended his strike on the 23rd day on Tuesday and almost all newspapers have carried the story in front page with a picture.
According to Nagarik anchor story, Dr KC decided not to continue the hunger strike after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba himself took initiatives to address his demands. Dr KC, however, has said he “postponed” the strike keeping recent crisis caused by heavy rainfall-triggered floods and landslides in various parts of the country in consideration.
Dr KC has warned that he will resume the strike after life of flood victims is brought back to normalcy as his major demand about the Medical Education Bill is yet to be addressed, says Annapurna Post. The report claims that the government is unlikely to meet the demand.
Meanwhile, the government formed a high-level task force to study how the government can purchase the Manmohan Institute of Health Sciences among other medical colleges which have already received letters of interest for operation, says Rajdhani anchor news.
Chief Secretary Rajendra Kishore Kshatri heads the panel comprising secretaries of Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Finance among others.
Flood victims still await relief
Stories dispatched from various Terai districts have received prominent attention in all newspapers. The Himalayan Times lead story filed from Rautahat says hundreds of flood-hit families have been taking shelter at public places and local schools and living on empty stomachs for want of relief and relocation. Those who could not find shelters are living under makeshift tents, risking snakebites.
Meanwhile, Nepal Samacharpatra lead story says reports of looting and theft incidents have increased in the district after recent floods.
In Saptari, locals of Tilathi have decided not to accept relief goods to be provided by the government demanding a permanent solution to the problem, says The Kathmandu Post. The small village with around 100 households near the Indian border has become synonymous to flooding in recent years as it is experiencing the crisis almost every monsoon.
Floodwaters from Khado and Jitta rivers gush into almost every household here, displacing locals. “All we want is a permanent solution to the flooding crisis. And the solution is a permanent dyke,” locals have been quoted in the report.
Ignored
Newly built Babai bridge collapses
A new bridge constructed over the Babai River in Bardiya district has collapsed following a flooding on Monday, Republica anchor story says.
The report quotes Daya Kanta Jha, spokesperson of the Department of Roads, as saying that a pillar of the 425-metre bridge has collapsed and Magargadhi, a community of some 500 households, has been cut off from the district headquarters, Gulariya.
The bridge was opened to traffic around a year ago, though it was yet to be formally handed over to the government for operation. The handover was delayed as the National Vigilance Centre had found that no gabion wire had been used for river training as required and questions had also been raised over the quality of the approach road, the report informing quoting DoR officials.
Pappu Construction Private Limited had constructed bridge.
Commission renews urge to announce poll dates immediately
The Election Commission has met Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and urged him to announce the date for federal House of Representatives elections, reports Gorkhapatra.
The Commission wants to hold the polls in November third week and the date announced by tomorrow (Thursday).
In response to the delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav, the Prime Minister has said he will hold a meeting with top leaders of major political parties today and seek a consensus for the poll date.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Wednesday deputed officials for September 18 local level elections in eight districts of Province 2, according to a Rajdhani report. The constitutional body also announced that the election code of conduct for September 18 polls came into effect from yesterday.
Interesting
58,000 tress being cut down for hydro projects
The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation has allowed various hydropower projects to cut down around 58,000 trees in this fiscal year, reports the anchor story in Abhiyan.
Whereas 2,233 trees will be chopped down for construction of 14 hydro power projects, other 55,318 trees will be cut to construct four electricity transmission lines.
Besides these, the Ministry has also allowed Lamjung-based Chhandikhola Micro Hydropower Project and Sankhuwasabha-based Arun III Hydropower Project to cut down required trees. The Ministry, however, has not clarified how many trees will be felled by them.
Meanwhile, Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal has commented that the government’s rule to plant 25 trees for cutting down one tree is impractical and unscientific, the report adds.
