Submit your Article

The Ministry of Health and Population has directed the health institutions not to carry out any activities to identify the gender of babies in pregnant women. Under Secretary at the ministry Yekdev Khanal has written to the government, private and community health institutions to avoid sex-selective ultrasound. The Ministry has also directed the health institutions and laboratories to paste such information at their premises. The ministry's circulation to the health institutions comes as the recently released report of the National Housing and Population Census, 2021 has shown imbalances on sex ratio of newborns in the country. In recent years, the number of newborn boys is higher compared to the girls mostly due to sex-selective fetus abortion, which is a crime in the eyes of law.

What’s stopping Nepal, a country with good hydropower potential, from going electric? Before navigating the choppy waters for possible answers, it will be worthwhile to recall in brief what the then Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, pledged on behalf of Nepal at the World Leaders’ Summit during the 26th Conference of Parties in Glasgow. While reiterating Nepal’s firm commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement, the PM pledged to decarbonize the national economy in all sectors with the aim of reaching a net zero emission by 2045. During the last 40 years, disasters have caused Nepal physical and economic damage worth $6 billion, he pointed, adding: We will ensure that 15 percent of our total energy is supplied from clean energy sources and maintain 45 percent of our country under forest cover by 2030. Fast forward World Environment Day (05 June, 2023). In his address on the big day, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed confidence that the day will inspire all concerned to transform into results the several initiatives and commitments the government has made at national and international fora to combat environmental problems. PM Dahal pledged that his government will make the Environment Conservation and Climate Change Management National Council more effective. When it comes to swearing by the green cause, successive governments have not been lagging behind. But the status of implementation of their lofty promises leaves much to be desired. In this context, government pledges to develop one more cross-border pipeline (Siliguri-Charali), extend the Motihari-Amlekhgunj cross-border pipeline up to Lothar of Chitwan and develop more pipelines for easing oil supply within the country are likely to result in increased consumption of fossil fuel instead of the green energy (hydroelectricity), taking a heavier toll on environmental well-being and public health. India’s per capita energy consumption stands at 1255 MW against Nepal’s 300 MW (approx). Still, Nepal aims to earn big by selling the green energy to a monopsony market, despite reports that consumption of green energy within the country yield multiple benefits, electrifying the economy as a whole, whereas the sale largely benefits the buyers. Therefore, Nepal should focus more on increasing domestic consumption of the green energy. As the transport sector has a huge contribution to Nepal’s greenhouse gas emissions, the government should think seriously—and act—to switch to electric mass transit systems throughout the country, to begin with. Through policy interventions, it should create a conducive environment for the production of vehicles that run on electricity in Nepal itself. On the consumer end, reduced taxes on private electric vehicles like two-wheelers and four-wheelers will provide considerable relief.

Hydropower promoter and climate change activist Krishna Prasad Bhandari has taken an initiative to set up Climate Impact and Evaluation Fund (CIEF).

According to Bhandari, the main aim of the fund is to conduct study and research on the impact of climate change in hydropower projects and suggest ways for possible mitigation.

The main areas of research will be environmental balance and impact of climate change in hydropower projects and electricity centers. Bhandari has submitted an application to the Independent Power Producers’ Association (IPPAN), providing Rs 51,000 as seed money for the establishment of the fund. In his proposal, Bhandari has said preventive measures are necessary that the hydropower sector could face in the coming days due to climate change related disasters.

The clean energy that Nepal produces is a main source of green energy, and through such green energy we can produce green hydrogen that could power electric vehicles as well as contribute to the production of chemical fertilizers, Bhandari has proposed.

He has also drawn the attention of IPPN to play a vital role on how to maximize the benefit from carbon tax and carbon credit. As Nepal has already announced its plan to l achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, Bhandari said the government needs to promote clean energy policies. To implement such a policy, there is a need for strong and productive collaboration between government and private sector for the management of catchment and maintaining a status quo of watershed Management Conservation.

Adverse impacts of climate change are already seen in the Himalayas which are the sources of many rivers. The government and IPPN should take the environmental issues without any delay and with a sense of urgency, Bhandari said.

The date and organizer of Asia Cup 2023 have been finalized. Nepal have already been selected in the Asia Cup which has become indefinite due to the political dispute between India and Pakistan. Issuing a statement on Thursday, the International Cricket Council said that the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 31 to September 17. Four matches of the 16th edition of the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan and remaining games in Sri Lanka. A total of 13 One-Day International (ODI) games will be played in the tournament where Nepal along with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will participate. The participating teams will be divided into two groups and the top two will make it to the ‘super four’. The top two teams from super four will make the journey to the finals. Nepal will play against Indian and Pakistan in the group stage. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Bagladesh and Afghanistan are in another group. Nepal were selected in the Asia Cup by defeating the UAE in the final of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup at home ground. Sri Lanka had become defending champion by defeating Pakistan in the final held in UAE.

President of the Independent Power Producers' Association-Nepal (IPPAN) Krishna Prasad Acharya today said the government should pave the way for the private sector to trade electric power. The private sector has had a large investment in the energy sector, he argued while speaking at the inaugural session of the 21st annual general meeting of the IPPAN today. He stressed the need for the country to make optimum utilization of energy, the foundation of economic prosperity for a country. "Lately, carbon emission reduction has been a global issue. Nepal is one of the countries with the ability to contribute to carbon reduction. There is much potential for clean energy in Nepal. There is potential for hydropower and solar energy," he said. Saying that increment of internal power consumption has been a challenge, he suggested increasing power consumption in industries, irrigation, electric ovens and electric vehicles. The private sector could play a role in power consumption increment and energy export, he was of the view. Referring to the recent Indian visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, he said, "The visit focused on economic issues. More so, this focused on energy. This is a matter of happiness for power entrepreneurs." The matter of reaching a memorandum of understanding to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity during the visit was an important achievement itself for Nepal, he said.  

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 5.00 points to close at 2,042.07 points on Thursday. Similarly, the sensitive index plunged by 0.30 points to close at 383. 39 points. A total of 7,896,478-unit shares of 270 companies were traded for Rs 3. 16 billion. Meanwhile, City Hotel Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 97 percent. Similarly, Bhugol Energy Development Company Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 5.86 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 98 trillion.

Nepal resumed exporting power to India regularly starting from June 12 as continuous rainfalls in the last few days increased the water levels in the rivers, paving the way for generating more electricity in the country. With the late arrival of the monsoon, regular export of power to India resumed late compared to last year when Nepal had started exporting power from June 2. The country witnessed a prolonged dry season this year. “We sold 6,000 MW hours of electricity on Monday and 7,000 MW hours of electricity on Tuesday,” said a senior official of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). “Export of 7,000-megawatt hours is also taking place on Wednesday.” The official said that Nepal has received a relatively good price for its electricity as it has been selling power in the nighttime. “We have been receiving prices over INR 6 per unit." After the production of power in the country increased to around 1,800 MW in recent days, NEA could sell the electricity at night time when energy demand is low. On Wednesday, domestic demand for power stood at 1,849MW because of the hot weather when more power is consumed due to the increase in the use of appliances such as air coolers, fans, air conditioners, and refrigerators. On May 26, the NEA exported electricity to India for the first time in over five months as domestic power production surged amid rainfall. According to the power utility body, it had sold 600 MW hours of electricity to India in the evening. But the exports were discontinued since May 27 rainfall didn’t continue. “Now, with the arrival of monsoon, I think we don’t need to discontinue selling power to India,” the NEA official said. India has allowed Nepal to sell up to 452.6 MW from 10 hydropower projects. However, Nepal has been seeking approval to export more electricity to its southern neighbor as the country's power generation capacity has grown substantially. According to NEA, the country’s power generation capacity has already reached around 2,700 MW, while the projected peak domestic demand for power in the current fiscal year is 2,036MW. The country’s power generation capacity is expected to rise to 2,853MW by the end of the current fiscal year. By the end of the next fiscal year, the country’s electricity generation capacity is expected to rise further, to 4,507 MW and to 5,251 MW by the end of the fiscal year 2024/25. NEA has projected Nepal’s domestic demand for power to rise to 2,280 MW in mid-July 2024 and 2,568 MW in mid-July 2025. As production is projected to rise sharply, limited domestic demands will lead to surplus power availability in the country. So, NEA officials say that the country needs urgent approval from the Indian authority to prevent power from being wasted. “We have sought approval for exporting power from over two dozen power projects with a combined capacity of over 800 MW,” the NEA official said. The southern neighbor has long been rejecting giving the approval to export power generated by the 456MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, citing the involvement of a Chinese contractor to build a part of the project. “Besides power from Upper Tamakoshi, we have sent requests for approval for exporting power from other various projects but India is yet to give approval,” the official said. India has been delaying approval for selling more power in India’s day-ahead market. On the other hand, the southern neighbor has been ready to give Nepal access to its power market through a long-term power purchase agreement. The two countries inked a long-term power trade deal during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s recent visit to India. “The countries could sign the final agreement for energy trading in the next two weeks,” said another NEA official. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared during the joint press conference with Nepali Prime Minister Dahal that the southern neighbor would buy up to 10,000MW of Nepal’s power in the next 10 years. “The announcement is obviously very good to boost investment and production of power in Nepal but we have to see how seriously India will be ready to implement its own announcement and end red tape in the approval process,” said an office bearer of Independent Power Producers Association Nepal. Since last year, electricity has emerged as one of the biggest export items of the country. According to the NEA, it exported power worth over Rs 11 billion in the last wet season. Modi’s announcement of buying 10,000 MW in 10 years could encourage more investment and more power generation in Nepal. Officials say there is a real opportunity for Nepal to cash in on the Indian energy market considering that the southern neighbor has been pushing for renewable energy.  

Proposed Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki presented his action plan in a meeting of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee on Thursday. Karki, currently serving as the acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said that if he was appointed the Chief Justice, his primary responsibilities would be to provide fair, prompt, and quality services based on the Constitution, laws, and principles of the judiciary. Karki said that he would be determined to ensure 'justice for all' during his term as the CJ. The program scheduled for today to question him and receive his replies has been rescheduled for 8:00 am on Friday. On Wednesday, the Committee conducted discussions with the complainants regarding the recommendation of Karki's appointment as Chief Justice. The Constitutional Council recommended Karki for the post of Chief Justice on May 8. A total of 29 complaints were registered challenging his appointment as the CJ.