KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Valley has received heavy rainfall this morning. The freezing cold compounded by snowfall has forced Kathmanduites to stay indoors.
A view of snowfall from Country Villa Hotel Nagarkot. Photo courtesy: Rohit Phuyal
Nagarkot, Shivapuri, Tarebhir, Chandragiri, Daman including Kathmandu Valley have received rainfall along with snowfall this morning.
A view of snowfall from Country Villa Hotel Nagarkot. Photo courtesy: Rohit Phuyal
A view of snowfall from Country Villa Hotel Nagarkot. Photo courtesy: Rohit Phuyal
A view of Chandragiri covered in snow. (Photo courtesy: Ghamaraj Luitel’s Facebook)
A view of Chandragiri covered in snow. (Photo courtesy: Ghamaraj Luitel’s Facebook)
Manang and Mustang districts also witnessed snowfall yesterday.
Photo: RSS
KATHMANDU: The preparations are underway to bring the bodies of those killed in the Air Dynasty chopper crash on Wednesday. All the seven bodies including that of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari’s are being airlifted to Kathmandu, said Nepal Army.
Seven people including Tourism Minister Adhikari were killed in the chopper crash that occurred in Pathibhara area in Taplejung district when they were flying back to Kathmandu. Four bodies out of seven had been brought to Suketar airport yesterday while the remaining four three bodies were brought to Suketar this morning.
However, the task of airlifting bodies to Kathmandu has been hit due to bad weather. Chief District Officer Anuj Bhandari said the bodies will be airlifted to Kathmandu as soon as the weather clears.
The accident took place when Adhikari along with six others flew toward Pathibhara of Taplejung after carrying out a feasibility study of the proposed airport in Chuhandanda of Tehrathum district.
Adhikari to be conferred state honor
Meanwhile, the government has decided to confer state honor on Tourism Minister Adhikari. A cabinet meeting held in Baluwatar on Wednesday evening took a decision to this effect.
All the educational institutes, government offices and diplomatic missions will remain closed while the national flag will be lowered half-mast to mourn the death of those killed in the Air Dynasty chopper crash.
KATHMANDU: The tragic accident of Air Dynasty chopper crash in Taplejung district on Wednesday has hit the headlines of daily newspapers today. The Himalayan Times has reported that Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari and six others died on the spot when an Air Dynasty chopper crashed near Pathibhara area of Taplejung district yesterday.
Under the headline, ‘Rising star of Nepali politics no more,’ THT has written that the death of Tourism Minister Adhikari has cast a pall of gloom in his hometown Pokhara. Adhikari had played a significant role in the tourism development, construction of rural roads and conservation of lakes such a Phewa, Begnas and Rupa.
Gorkhapatra daily has also prioritized Air Dynasty chopper crash in today’s edition. Seven people including Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari died when the ill-fated chopper crashed near Pathibhara area in Taplejung district, Gorkhapatra reported. The daily has also highlighted formation a probe committee into the accident. Meanwhile, the government has marked national mourning day today in tribute to the chopper crash victims. President, Prime Minister and leaders have expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident.
Similarly, Naya Patrika daily has highlighted the accident of chopper crash, escalated tension between Pakistan and India as well as the strike being staged by the cooking LP Gas industrialists. Nepal has urged both the neighbors to exercise maximum restraints. The stakeholders have said that if the war were escalated, it would affect Nepal too, especially in its exports and imports sector. Meanwhile, the LP Gas industrialists have staged a strike to pile pressure on the government, seeking commission.
Likewise Karobar daily has highlighted Mauritius and Japan as the major labor destinations in terms of income and implementation of Belt and Road Initiatives to connect Nepal with the entire world. It has also included the Air Dynasty chopper crash in today’s edition.
SUKETAR: Nepal Army said they would airlift the bodies of the chopper crash victims to Kathmandu tomorrow.
Nepal Army personnel brought some bodies from the site to Suketar Airport of Taplejung.
A helicopter of Air Dynasty carrying a team comprising Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabidra Adhikari had left Kathmandu for feasibility study of airport at Chuhandanda of Terhathum met with the accident at Darebhir of Taplejung while returning to Kathmandu.
KATHMANDU: All seven bodies of those killed in the Air Dynasty chopper crash in Taplejung have been recovered from the site, Home Ministry officials said.
All seven people on-board the helicopter, including Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation died in the crash when it crashed at 1:30 pm on Wednesday.
Ram Krishna Subedi, spokesperson of the Home Ministry said the bodies have been retrieved from the crash site. There helicopters were sent to the site in Taplejung for the rescue.
The ill-fated chopper crashed at Tarebhir at Pathibhara of Taplejung when it was returning Chuhandana after offering puja at the Pathibhara temple.
Those killed in the crash were tourism entrepreneur Ang Tshiring Sherpa; Prime Minister KP Oli’s personal secretary Yubraj Dahal; Deputy Director General at CAAN Birendra Shrestha; security officer Arjun Ghimire; Birendra Bhochibhaya and captain Prabhakar KC.
They had flown to Taplejung from Kathmandu at 8 am on Wednesday morning for a feasibility study of the proposed airport at Chuhandanda in Tehrathum district.
KATHMANDU: All seven passengers on-board the ill-fated Air Dynasty chopper have died, police source said.
The helicopter belonging to Air Dynasty with seven people on-board, including Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari crashed in Taplejung when it was returning from Pathibhara at around 1:30 pm on Wednesday, according to Home Secretary Prem Kumar Rai.
On-board the ill-fated chopper were Minister Adhikari, Chairman of Yeti Airlines Ang Chhiring Sherpa, Birendra Prasad Shrestha, Yubraj Dahal, Prime Minister K P Oli’s personal secretary Arjun Kumar Ghimire, Birendra Bhochibhaiya, and captain Prabhakar KC.
KATHMANDU: A helicopter belonging to Air Dynasty with six people on board, including Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari has crashed this afternoon in Taplejung.
The helicopter was returning from Pathibhara of Taplejung district at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, according to Home Secretary Prem Kumar Rai.
On board the ill-fated chopper were Minister Adhikari, Chairman of Yeti Airlines Ang Chhiring Sherpa, Birendra Prasad Shrestha, Yubraj Dahal, and Arjun Kumar Ghimire. The name of the pilot is yet to be ascertained.
https://youtu.be/Ns-rl2wTxjg
DOTI: Participants of the national campaign against Chhaupadi tradition held at Doti headquarters, Silgadhi, called for declaring Doti as a Chhaupadi free district.
Chhaupadi is a tradition associated with menstruation taboo in which teenagers are secluded from home during the periods.
The demand came when the tradition is taking ugly form in the Sudurpaschim Province including Doti district. On the occasion, lawmaker Binda Pandey asked the local levels to stand tough against the presence of such ill practices in society.
The campaign was attended by Doti District Coordination Committee Coordinator Ram Bahadur Eir, the chiefs and deputy chiefs of all nine local governments in the district and ward chairs as well.
SAPTARI: An elderly couple at Khadak Municipality-5 is found dead under mysterious circumstances this morning. The deceased are identified as Saburi Sah, 70, and his wife Bechani Devi, 65. Police suspect that the duo was murdered since their body parts are charred, and the room and the courtyard of the house bloodstained, according to police.
Villagers had found the couple charred to death at their home at around 8 am. The deceased couple was financially well off. Further investigation in the case is underway, according to Superintendent of Police, Rajendra Bista.
KATHMANDU: Smuggling of invaluable medicinal herbs continues unabated in Nepal.
Authorities have claimed that high demand for the rare medicinal herbs in the markets of India, China, and other countries has tempted smugglers towards this lucrative business.
Around 7 hundred species of medicinal herbs are available in Nepal, according to a study conducted by the Department of Forests.
These rare species of herbs are going to be extinct if not protected by the government. The unbridled smuggling has posed a serious threat to the herbs.
Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries, including the government-owned Singha Durbar Vaidyakhana, have complained that they are facing a shortage of medicinal herbs in recent times.
Herbs worth Rs millions smuggled
The absence of effective monitoring has encouraged smugglers to smuggle these herbs.
On February 8, police arrested a person Sher Singh Dhami, 48, with 715 kilograms of Setak Chini, locally known as Khiraula, concealed in a house at Chainpur of Bajhang district. Dhami, who originally hails from Apihimal Rural Municipality, Dharchula, landed in police net while he was preparing to smuggle the herbs to India.
On October 30, a squad of Armed Police Force (APF), Kalabanjar seized 75 kilograms of spikenard (Jatamasi) from Duduwa Rural Municipality of Banke.
Similarly, on September 22, police rounded up Mane Rokaya with 1,012 kilograms of Setak Chini in Budhinanda Municipality of Bajura.
Rokaya had collected Setak Chini from a nearby jungle which is priced at Rs 1,600,000 per kilogram in the local market. He was held while he was preparing to smuggle it to India in cahoots.
Influential mafias, according to police, have a hand in smuggling. They, residing in India, smuggle Nepal’s herbs to various countries via India.
These incidents are only the tip of the iceberg. The statistics maintained by the Nepal Police has shown that herbs worth millions of rupees are seized annually.
Police seized herbs worth Rs 16.6 million from Karnali Province in the Fiscal Year 2017/18 alone. Likewise, various types of herbs were seized from Kalikot, Mugu, Rolpa, and Rukum while they were being smuggled to India.
SSP Uttam Raj Subedi, the spokesperson of Nepal Police, admits the smuggling of herbs to India through porous borders.
“Priceless herbs available in Nepal are mostly smuggled to India. Only small portions of the herbs are illegally sold in the third country,” said SSP Subedi.
Influential mafias, according to police, have a hand in smuggling. They, residing in India, smuggle Nepal’s herbs to various countries via India.
Herbs are seized when setting fails
Herbs are collected from Nepal’s hilly districts, including Kalikot, Mugu, Humla, Jumla, Dolpa, Jajarkot, Darchula, and Bhajhang. Locals collect herbs in cahoots with the forest officials, local representatives and police despite government’s ban on the collection of such herbs.
“Herbs are smuggled in cahoots with locals, local representatives and police,” an official at the Ministry of Forests and Environment told Khabarhub on the condition of anonymity.
The herbs are seized when a disgruntled police official informs the higher authority about it after he is deprived of his pie.
According to herbs trader, the herbs are seized when setting among the local representatives, forest officials and police fails.
Nepali pharmaceutical deprived of herbs
With the Nepal government’s ban on the collection of some certain herbs, Nepal pharmaceutical companies are facing the shortage of herbs, entrepreneurs said.
Government-owned Sindha Durbar Vaidyakhana Development Committee had called for a quotation seeking 91 items of herbs in the fiscal year 2016/17. However, only 40 items of herbs were made available.
A quotation seeking 300 kilograms of Hadchur had been announced in the fiscal year 2017/18.
Vaidyakhana has not been able to meet the demands of Ayurvedic medicines due to the shortage of herbs, said Hari Prasad Yadav, acting chief of Vaidyakhana Development Committee.
No conservation despite the ban
The government has not taken any initiation to protect invaluable herbs despite a ban imposed on their collection.
These rare species of herbs are going to be extinct if not protected by the government. The unbridled smuggling has posed a serious threat to the herbs.
Besides, fire, deforestation are the other causes leading to the disappearance of such priceless herbs.
“The government has to either bring concrete plans to protect these herbs or lift the ban on their collection,” said a trader.