KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Graveling begins on newly opened track at Krishnabhir
Graveling work has begun on the newly opened track at Krishnabhir along the Prithvi Highway. The work includes widening the road, levelling its surface and laying gravel. The track is being constructed by cutting into the adjacent hillside after the Trishuli River eroded the base of the road on September 1, causing the highway section to sink. Work is being carried out at a rapid pace from both ends. Dhiraj Dhakal, an engineer with the Western Section of the Naubise–Muglin Road Project, said gravel was now being laid along the newly opened track.
All four Pashupatinath Temple doors to open at 3 am on Teej
All four doors of Pashupatinath Temple will be opened from 3 a.m. on Monday on the occasion of Haritalika Teej. The Pashupati Area Development Trust has made special arrangements for worship and darshan for devotees on September 14. As large numbers of devotees are expected at Pashupatinath during Teej, five queues will be arranged outside the temple and eight queues inside the temple premises to facilitate the movement of devotees. For the safety of devotees and management of the festival area, security posts will be established by Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police. As a significant number of devotees are expected to be women, the Trust said the number of female security personnel would be increased to strengthen security arrangements.
Oli labels Balen-led government as repressive and anti-people
CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has described the current government led by Balendra Shah as a repressive, oppressive, anti-people and authoritarian regime. He also claimed that such a government would soon come to an end. Speaking after receiving a memorandum from the Federation of Nepali Journalists and the task force dedicated to the preservation of print media on Sunday afternoon, Oli said he had personally been committed to the struggle for equality and freedom for the past six decades. He said he remained on the front line of the fight for people’s rights and freedoms. Oli said those in power should understand those who stand for freedom, arguing that rulers who take pleasure in the difficulties faced by others cannot remain in power. He said such rulers would eventually face opposition from the people and be defeated.
Five arrested in Nuwakot for allegedly stealing gold from flood victim’s body
Five people have been arrested for allegedly stealing gold jewellery from the body of a woman who died in the Bhotekoshi flood in Sirkhali, Bidur Municipality–3, Nuwakot, on August 26. The District Police Office, Nuwakot, arrested five local residents from Sirkhali four days ago. Those arrested have been identified as Dipesh Bhujel, Suresh Rimal, Dinesh Pandit, Nirajan Thapa Magar and Rajesh Rimal, all from Bidur Municipality–3. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and spokesperson for the District Police Office, Nuwakot, Ekbal Hawari, said the five are being investigated on allegations of removing gold jewellery from the woman’s body. The police have obtained a five-day remand from the district court and are continuing their investigation.
Govt moves to establish IoE constituent college in Madhes Province
The government has initiated preparations to establish a new constituent college of the Institute of Engineering (IoE), Tribhuvan University, in Madhes Province to expand access to engineering education in the region. Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel said the government is working to establish the IoE college in Madhes to provide greater access to technical education and reduce the need for students from the province to travel to other parts of the country to pursue engineering studies. A large number of students from Madhes currently travel to Kathmandu and other provinces for engineering education, placing additional financial and logistical burdens on students and their families.
Bhotekoshi flood damages 7,570 private houses
The flash flood in the Bhotekoshi river on August 26 damaged 7,570 private buildings across five districts, displacing nearly 33,000 people, according to a government assessment. A Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report jointly prepared by the National Planning Commission and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority estimates that Rs 95.82 billion will be required for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected private buildings. The two agencies conducted a joint assessment of the economic losses caused by the disaster and the resources required for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Authorities intensify DNA testing to identify flood victims
Authorities are collecting DNA samples from relatives of victims across the country to scientifically identify those who died or went missing in the Bhote Koshi river floods. The process aims to facilitate the return of remains to the families of the victims. Central Police Spokesperson Abinarayan Kafle stated that relatives can provide blood samples at their respective district police offices. In the Kathmandu Valley, samples are collected at the Nepal Police Hospital, while in other districts, health workers at district hospitals coordinate the collection and send the samples to the central forensic laboratory. So far, samples have been collected from 37 districts.
Lingden accuses UML of repeating practice of trading MPs
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairperson Rajendra Lingden has accused the CPN-UML of failing to break away from past political practices, alleging that the party again engaged in the trading of lawmakers during the formation of the Bagmati Province government. Addressing the RPP Kathmandu District Convention on Sunday, Lingden said the UML had repeated what he described as the practice of buying and selling lawmakers to influence government formation. “It seems that a party like the UML has failed to correct the distortions of the past and has repeated the practice of buying and selling MPs,” Lingden said.
Weaponisation of technology, critical minerals can hinder our shared progress: PM Modi at BRICS Summit
Noting that weaponization of technology and critical minerals can hinder shared progress of BRICS countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that there is need of inclusivity in the adoption of technology. Addressing the open session ‘Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth’ on the second day of the summit, PM Modi said the BRICS Logistic Supply Chain Cooperation Framework will “help make our supply chains more reliable and resilient”. “Under the umbrella of innovation, the BRICS Incubator Network will connect our startups and incubators. We have proposed the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to promote innovative and scalable solutions,” he said.
KMC seeks NAC building for multi-storey parking facility
Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has requested the federal government to hand over the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) building at New Road for conversion into a multi-storey parking facility to ease the chronic shortage of parking space in the city’s core area. Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol made the proposal while addressing a programme organised to mark the 34th founding anniversary of the Metropolitan Police Force. Dangol said the metropolis has formally approached the federal government seeking permission to use the NAC building for a multi-level parking facility. She said the proposed project could provide a long-term solution to the persistent parking problem in the New Road and surrounding areas.
Rasuwa flood damages seven health institutions worth Rs 236.6 million
The flood that struck the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa on August 26 has damaged seven health institutions, with total losses estimated at Rs 236.6 million. According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment report prepared by the National Planning Commission and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, four health posts were completely destroyed, while two primary health care centres and one hospital sustained partial damage. The assessment estimates that physical infrastructure suffered damage worth Rs 195 million, while medical equipment and other health-related assets worth Rs 41.6 million were destroyed.
Chief of Army Staff Sigdel leaves for China
Chief of Army Staff General Ashok Raj Sigdel left for Beijing on Sunday morning for an official visit to China. At the invitation of the Chinese government, General Sigdel will be in China from September 13 to 19. According to the Nepali Army, he will participate in the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a major international security and defence conference. Before his departure, a contingent of the Nepali Army accorded General Sigdel a guard of honour at a military base.
NA begins blasting to reopen flood-damaged Prithvi Highway
The Nepali Army (NA) has begun blasting work along the Sital Bazaar section of the Prithvi Highway in Dhading to reopen the road after a portion of the highway was washed away by the Trishuli River during the recent floods. As immediate reconstruction of a retaining wall at the damaged section was not considered feasible, an engineering team from the Kali Prasad Battalion under the Nepali Army’s Central Command has been mobilised for the operation. According to the project, the army’s technical team is working to remove the severely damaged section and develop a new track to restore vehicular movement. The floods triggered by the disaster in Rasuwa on August 26 caused extensive damage to the Prithvi Highway at several locations in Dhading. Sections around Sital Bazaar, Krishna Bhir and Parewa Bhir were washed away or severely eroded by the swollen Trishuli River, disrupting one of the country’s major road connections and affecting traffic between Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara.
Nepal should revise strategy to benefit from India-China ties: Dr. Bhattarai
Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has described the BRICS summit held in New Delhi and the bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit as positive developments, urging Nepal to adopt a strategy that allows it to benefit from the evolving relations between its two neighbours. Sharing his views on social media, Bhattarai said Nepal should move away from the traditional approach of exploiting differences between India and China to serve short-term political interests. “We must learn from the mistakes of our rulers who sought to advance their temporary power interests by playing on the distance between India and China and ultimately kept the country trapped in a cycle of underdevelopment and dependence,” he said.
Bhotekoshi flood damages 18 schools across three districts
The Bhotekoshi flood has affected 18 schools in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, with 11 schools suffering complete damage and total losses estimated at Rs 937.3 million. The findings are based on the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report prepared by the National Planning Commission and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The report estimates that school buildings and educational assets sustained damage worth Rs 937.3 million. According to the assessment, 56 buildings across the 18 affected schools were damaged. A total of 152 rooms sustained partial damage, while another 156 rooms were completely destroyed.
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