The highest atmospheric pollution monitoring station in the world (Ev-K²-CNR Committee’s ABC-Pyramid station) located in Khumbu Valley at a height of 5,079 m has begun to collect data on the composition of the atmosphere over the Himalayas and the Asian plateau.
The monitoring station.
The monitoring station.
(Photo courtesy: Ev-K²-CNR)
A press release issued by the Ev-K²-CNR Committee on Thursday said, “Continuous measurements are being carried out, using instruments like nephelometer, DMPS-SMPS, optical particle counter, black carbon and ozone analyser. All meteorological parameters are also being monitored.”
“Hi-volume sampling for aerosol chemical composition (inorganic, organic, mass and dust) and steel flask sampling for the analyses of halocarbons relevant for climate issues have also begun, while measurements of AOD will be started in the coming months,” the statement adds.
ABC-Pyramid will make up for a lack of crucial information from remote, high altitude areas in the South Asian region on the environmental consequences of the rapid economic development of one of the most densely populated areas of the world.
“Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment in Asia (SHARE-Asia) program, aims to provide data on background conditions of the troposphere, while helping researchers quantify pollution levels at high altitudes of the Himalayan ridges and study regional and long-range air mass transport of natural and anthropogenic compounds,” the statement adds.
Spokesperson of Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Sitaula was released on Friday following the Supreme Court’s (SC) order.
Spokesperson of Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Sitaula
Spokesperson of Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Sitaula
(Photo source : THT)
Acting upon a habeas corpus writ petition filed by advocate Raju Katuwal, a division bench of Justices Arjun Prasad Jha Singh and Parmananda Jha issued the order to release him saying there were not sufficient grounds to detain him.
Police had arrested Nepali Congress (NC) spokesperson, Krishna Sitaula, from his residence Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, a single bench of Justice Badri Kumar Basnet issued the order, asking the authorities to present the NC leader before the SC.
Sitaula was earlier arrested from the domestic wing of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu while he was on his way to the eastern town of Biratnagar on February 10 and released on Monday (Feb 20) following the Supreme Court’s order.
Maoists shot dead a cadre of Nepali Congress (NC) Bindeshwore Yadav at Santipur area of Dhanusa district on Wednesday.
Maoists killed Yadav despite their commitment not to attack political party activists and civilians.
Iissuing a press statement on Friday, the NC condemned the killing.
The party has expressed deep concern over the Maoists not abiding by the 12-point pact reached between the Maoists and the seven-party alliance. Protesting the brutal and inhuman killing of honest, innocent and unarmed party activist, the Nepali Congress has urged the Maoist leadership to warn their grassroots activists to respect the 12-point pact.
Meanwhile, a press statement issued by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Friday said a group of Maoists severely beat and shot General Manager of Ganga Industry LP Jain at Lipanibarta area of Parsha district on Thursday.
Jain is undergoing treatment at the Narayani sub-regional hospital.
One policeman was killed on the spot in a landmine explosion planted by Maoists in Dailekh district on Friday, various reports said.
Police constable Nanda Bahadur Pun, part of a security patrol from Dullu base camp, died when the Maoist triggered the mine at Siling Bazaar at around 8:30 this morning, reports said.
The patrolling security forces and the Maoists also exchanged fire after the explosion, the reports added.
Meanwhile, four Royal Nepal Army (RNA) personnel are reported to have been injured in a Maoist bomb attack at Malukhola in Dolakha district on Thursday.
Two of them were seriously-injured. They have been airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.
Home Minister Kamal Thapa said that the country was moving towards the holding parliamentary polls to reactivate democracy after the success of the municipal polls.
Home Minister Kamal Thapa. (File photo)
Home Minister Kamal Thapa. (File photo)
Talking to journalists after the meeting of the breakaway faction of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party led by him, Home Minister Thapa said all should accept His Majesty King Gyanendra’s message on the occasion of the democracy day and should find consensus to restore peace and democracy.
He further said that the success of municipal polls had created a positive environment for parliamentary polls and added that the RPP is in favour of creating an conducive environment for participation of all in it.
He added it was the government’s responsibility to create such an environment and that the government was working towards it. He also called the seven agitating political parties not to miss the opportunity for national consensus.
He informed that the meeting discussed about the future strategy and organization status of the party.
According to participants of the meeting, the meeting has urged the ministers representing the RPP in the royal government to play the role of facilitators for holding talks and finding consensus among the constitutional forces of the country.
The meeting described the recent remarks of the American Ambassador James F Moriarty as relevant to the present political situation of the country.
American envoy Moriarty had criticised the 12-point pact between the seven agitating political parties and Maoists and called for dialogue between the King and political parties to resolve problems of the country.
Nepal has urged the Indian government for resumption of military supplies, which have been suspended since the royal move of February 1 last year, agency reports said.
“There have been some requests from His Majesty’s Government of Nepal for resumption of military supplies. The issue of military supplies to Nepal remains under constant review of the Government,” Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, E. Ahamed, informed the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, on Wednesday.
Presenting a written reply to the parliament, he mentioned that India had dispatched some non-lethal supplies to Nepal that were in the pipeline after the lifting of emergency in April 2005 and release of several political leaders and activists. “As a close and friendly neighbour of Nepal, India wishes to see an early return of peace, stability and development in Nepal,” the minister added.
Reports further quoted Ahmad as saying that the Indian government was “aware that Nepal received certain quantities of arm supplies, lethal and non-lethal, from third country sources, including China and Pakistan”.
No further details were given regarding the Nepal government’s request for military supplies. Nepali authorities are yet to confirm this officially.
Along with India, which is the major military supplier to the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), the United States and the United Kingdom have also suspended their military assistance to Nepal after the royal move, urging for early restoration of democratic process.
Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey (File Photo)
Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey (File Photo)
Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey has said that the King’s address to the nation on February 1 and February 19 this year have opened the door for all political forces having faith in multiparty democracy to seriously engage in constructive dialogue to end the impasse in the country.
“The ball is now in the court of the political parties to respond positively to the King’s call for national solidarity with a view of ensuring that peace and democracy are never again jeopardized,” the state run Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) quoted Minister Pandey as saying.
Minister Pandey made this remark while addressing the heads of diplomatic missions at a dinner he hosted to bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Park Sang-hoon, at the Foreign Ministry Wednesday evening.
Stating that restoration of peace, stability and reenergizing democratic process in keeping with country’s vital interest and welfare of the people has been the overarching goal of His Majesty the King, Minister Pandey termed His Majesty’s call for an early reactivation of democratic process through ballots as a reflection of His Majesty’s profound commitment to constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy.
Minister Pandey expressed hope that Nepal’s friends in the international community would lend valuable support to the King’s step and urge all democratic forces to seize the opportunity in the larger interest of the country and people, the press release said.
Minister Pandey also lauded the role of outgoing ambassador of the Republic of Korea in strengthening relations between the Kingdom of Nepal and the Republic of Korea by remaining perfectly within the confines of diplomatic norms and practices.
He further said that one of the defining features of relationship between the two countries is both countries’ understanding of the values of peace and national dignity and their abiding faith in such fundamental principles of inter-state relationship as sovereign equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, appreciation of each other’s sensitivities and difficulties, the RSS added.
He added that strict adherence to these principles always keeps relations between the countries in a happy state, free of troubles and irritants.
Tanka Dhakal (File Photo)
Tanka Dhakal (File Photo)
The Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) has reminded Local Development Minister Tanka Dhakal about the debt he has to pay to the bank, a newspaper report said on Thursday.
The ADB had placed minister Dhakal on its defaulters’ list for not repaying the debts he owes to the ADB.
According to the Kathmandu Post, the bank recently sent an official letter to Dhakal who has not even bothered to contact the bank or pay interest on the principal sum of Rs 900,000 for the last two years, according to a bank source.
Dhakal had taken the loan in 1997 from Inaruwa and Bhojpur branches of the bank.
The 10th central committee meeting of the CPN-UML that kicked off in the capital on Wednesday discussed the formation of a joint political front of the agitating parties and professional organisations to give an outlet to the present political crisis.
The meeting is also expected to discuss future programmes of the joint movement which would be proposed in a meeting of the seven-party alliance for its endorsement.
Party general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal could not attend the meeting as he is under house arrest for the past one month and the government on Monday extended Nepal’s house arrest by two more months.
Acting general secretary of the party, Amrit Kumar Bohara, presented a working paper on Wednesday’s meeting.
Talking to journalists, standing committee member Pradip Nepal informed that the party would propose to form a broader front of seven agitating parties and other professional bodies to give momentum to the ongoing movement.
Most of the party leaders who expressed their views on Wednesday’s meeting approved the need of such a front.
Two standing committee members Jhala Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, however, remained absent from the meeting for “security reasons”. The CPN-UML also accused the government of sending plainclothes policemen outside the party office, Balkhu, where the meeting is taking place.
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has introduced a new ‘monetary instruments’ to control inflation and bring about price stability.
Bijay Nath Bhattarai (File Photo)
Bijay Nath Bhattarai (File Photo)
Releasing a mid-term review of monetary policy on Wednesday, governor of NRB, Bijay Nath Bhattarai, said that the central bank has revised bank rates by 25 basis points to 6.25 percent from an earlier level of six percent which is expected to bring about stability in the money market and prices, according to newspaper reports.
Bhattarai said that the supply shock, especially of oil prices, has generated pressure on the overall price level.
Keshav Acharya, chief of research department at the NRB, said that a hike in petroleum prices has increased inflationary pressures. He also said that due to internal conflict, there is a greater government expense and a larger budget deficit.
“The Nepalese economy continues to suffer from the decade long insurgency and has lately been victim of bad weather. Economic growth is expected to remain modest and less than the target initially set,” said Acharya.
The government has targeted to achieve economic growth rate of 4.5 to 5 percent during the current fiscal year.
According to the review, the overall trade deficit during the first half of the current fiscal year has increased by 24 percent to Rs 54 billion mainly due to higher growth in imports compared to exports. Imports from India against the payment of convertible currency have increased Rs 12.82 billion from August to December 2005.
According to NRB, the total international reserve, during the first five months of current fiscal year, has gone up to Rs 140 billion, which is enough to finance merchandise imports for over ten months. However, the reserve of Indian currency, which used to constitute over 10 percent of the total reserve in 2003, has slipped to 4.5 percent.
The NRB has purchased Indian currency worth US$ 290 million during the first six months to ensure smooth supply of Indian currency.