KATHMANDU: Economic Digest, a daily morning email digest, is basically a relatable summation of important business news from Nepal into easy-to-understand summaries.

Stress on making energy system pro-poor

Though the constitution and other acts and laws have mentioned state facilities for the poor, indigent and marginalized communities, effective implementation of such provisions is awaited, it is said.

Participants of a program organized by Nepal Energy Foundation here today to discuss measures for making energy system pro-poor made this argument.

People from the above mentioned groups could not take additional benefits from the energy system as in the other areas, they said.

Advocate and natural resources expert Dilraj Khanal said still 18 per cent population were economically not in position of using electricity and a larger population than this from marginalized castes and communities had no access to electricity.

As he said, the lack of concrete and clear definition about poor and confusions surrounding the poor identity cards have prevented the real poor from being entitled to state facilities.

Melamchi water is no more a fable: Minister Magar

Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Bina Magar has announced that Melamchi Drinking Water Project is no more a fable as the test operation of the project has already been executed.

Speaking at a press conference organized in the Ministry on Sunday, Minister Magar claimed that the project has been accomplished and there would be Melamchi water in the taps in Kathmandu soon.

“Melamchi’s water is no more a fable now, it has become a reality for the people of Kathmandu,” Minister Magar said, “Within mid-August there will be Melamchi Drinking Water Project’s water in the households of Kathmandu.”

She shared her commitment of bringing Melamchi water to Kathmandu within July 15 and distribute the water to Kathmandu Sites by mid-August.

“We successfully overcame the hurdles and challenges lying on the way,” she added, “Now we have completed the mission and are in the process of testing water. Soon there will be Melamchi water in the taps of Kathmandu.”

Locusts damage over 1,100 hectares of crops in Nepal

Locust swarms that entered Nepal from India last week have damaged over 1,100 hectares of crops.

According to the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre (PQPMC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the attack by swarms of locusts has resulted in crop damage to 1,118 hectares of land.

“Though the damage is considerably low, the locusts have dominantly damaged crops of five districts in Nepal,” Ram Krishna Subedi, coordinator at the Locust Information Center at PQPMC, said.

“They have not been causing additional damage to the crops in other places of the country because most of them have scattered from their original swarms.”

The locusts damaged crops in 580 hectares land in Dang, followed by 283 hectares damage in Pyuthan. Districts like Makwanpur, Arghakhanchi and Palpa sustained crop damage in 105, 100 and 50 hectares of land, respectively.

Locusts were spotted in 52 districts of Nepal but due to their relatively small size, the Nepali government has said that they have caused little damage. “They are continuously heading towards West and are very unlikely to cause further damage to the crops,” said Sahadev Prasad Humagain, chief at the PQPMC.

‘Pani puri’ ATM video goes viral

A video showing the ‘Auto Pani Puri Centre’ machine and a person explaining how the machine works has gone viral on social media.

According to the person, the working of the ‘Pani Puri’ machine is similar to that of an ATM saying that it took them some 6 months to make the machine. He also shows how the machine works saying that various options and tastes are available.

One just needs to put the money in and one-by-one the ordered ‘Pani Puri’ comes out. After the customer picks one, then only the second one comes out of the machine making it easier for the ‘pani puri’ lovers.

(Compiled and prepared by Swastik Aryal and Nitish Lal Shrestha)

Nepal Economic Digest is a daily morning email digest, basically relatable summations of the most important business news, happenings from Nepal into easy-to-understand summaries.