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The Karnali Highway, constructed under the command of the Nepal Army, has been in operation for 11 years. But all these years, passengers haven’t been able to travel safely on the highway, where hundreds have died in road accidents. The highway, which links Surkhet with Jumla, is so treacherous that it is often dubbed a ‘death-way’. In the past two years, although the frequency of accidents has declined, the suffering of the passengers hasn’t. They have to travel for two days to make a trip that should take no more than eight hours. That the highway is only single lane was already a hassle. What has compounded the problem is the delay in the construction of bridges on it.

The government has invested Rs 150 mil­lion to construct five of these bridges. (Cur­rently, most vehicles plying the highway have to ford treacherous rivers.) Another 18 bridges are being built with a World Bank grant of Rs 600 million, according to the Road Divi­sion Office, Jumla. But construction works are marred by problems.

For instance construction of the bridge over Takulla River has been halted, no one knows exactly why. The Road Division had recom­mended that its constructor, Jagriti Tulchi Durga JV, be blacklisted.

“But the Supreme Court issued an order not to place the company on the blacklist,” rues division head Madhav Prasad Adhikari.

However, construction of another bridge project that had earlier been halted has now resumed. The project had begun seven years ago under an agreement that it would be completed in 15 months. But the bridge remains incomplete after seven years, and the construction resumed only recently after the road division warned the constructor, Yakthumhang Goldengate JV, that it would be blacklisted.

“The company has agreed to bear all the additional cost incurred by the delay and to seek payment only after the construc­tion is complete,” says the Road Division Office, Jumla. This bridge is being built at a spot where vehicles get stuck for weeks when there’s a landslide.

Raj Bahadur Mahat, chairperson of Jumla Civil Society, laments that the government has failed to take action against construction companies that have dragged construction for years. “These companies enjoy political protection, which is why they can get away with abandoning the work. If the state is indeed serious about Karnali’s welfare, upgrading the highway is a must,” says Mahat.

The road division claims that building the bridges and widening the highway is a top pri­ority, and that construction has picked up pace after it took charge of the work in February. Earlier the Nepal Army was in charge.

The road division office claims that is doesn’t have the necessary budget for highway expan­sion and upgrade. It also argues that construc­tion work has suffered due to the region’s remoteness and the 2015-16 blockade.

By Govinda Devkota | Nepalgunj

The much-awaited Melamchi Water Supply Project is finally near completion. A ‘breakthrough’ on April 10 in the 7.5-km Sindhu-Gyalthum section of the 26-km tunnel has raised the odds that Melamchi River’s water will reach the Kathmandu Valley before the Dashain festival in October.

Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation Bina Magar said that with the latest breakthrough, the tunnel-digging work of the project has been completed. “We intend to finish the remaining tasks in the next four months, so valley residents will get to consume the water from Melamchi latest by Dashain,” said Magar. After taking over the ministry on Feb­ruary 18, Magar had observed the project site and instructed the project chief to carry out the breakthrough in 25 days. It was completed four days before the deadline.

Of the total project cost of Rs 76.7 billion, Rs 24.2 billion has already been spent, with 80 percent being borne by the Asian Development Bank and the remaining by the Nepal government.

The main objectives of the project, according to the ADB, are to alleviate the chronic water shortage in Kathmandu Valley on a sustainable, long-term basis, and to improve the health and well-being of its inhabitants. It is expected to bring 170 million liters of water to the capital every day. The much-delayed proj­ect also seeks to develop a comprehensive institutional framework for urban water management in the valley.

Earlier breakthroughs in the tunnel work included the 9.4-km Sundarijal-Sindhu sec­tion in 2016 and the 8.2-km Gyalthum-Ambathan section in late 2017.

“Melamchi’s water will be supplied to Kathmandu’s households in September if things go smoothly. But even if there are technical difficulties, that will happen by October,” says Ramchandra Devkota, executive director of the Melam­chi Water Supply Board.

“We are working on a Detailed Project Report to bring an additional 170 million liters of water each from Yangri and Larke rivers. Both will require 11-km long tunnels,” said Devkota. Tiresh Prasad Khatri, director of the Project Imple­mentation Directorate, KUKL, informed that the state water utility will need 15 days to supply water to households after it reaches Sundarijal.

By YUVARAJ PURI | SINDHUPALCHOK

With inputs from Gopikrishna Dhungana in Kathmandu

Weekly Editorial Cartoon

 “Why isn’t Thamel, which is at the heart of Nepali tourism, open 24 hours a day?” The questioner was visibly angry at the government’s inability to do so. The event was a public hearing in Thamel of top cops and administrators of Kathmandu district on a recent Friday evening. The incoming chief of Nepal Police, Sarbendra Khanal, who was instrumental in making Thamel a no-vehicle zone, must have heard this question many times. It is just a sliver of the immense challenge he will face.

Khanal takes over as the Inspector General of Nepal Police as the country is making a difficult transition to a federal structure. Nepal Police, which is still highly centralized, is struggling with this drastic change. The number of crimes this fiscal is up, by eight percent from the previous year, with murders and rapes accounting for most of the increase. There are now an average of over three rapes in Nepal every day. It falls on Khanal to enhance public trust in his institution, to sincerely implement the slogan of “Police My Friend”. A trusted police force is also an effective one.

You wouldn’t bet against Khanal. After all, he has had a stellar career. His investigative skills were amply demonstrated when he looked into and led the suc­cessful prosecution of national footballers enmeshed in match-fixing. Besides his investigative skills, Khanal was as noted for his tough line against notorious dons. Khanal, who had received top marks in the internal evaluation of Nepal Police to choose the new police chief, is one of the rare Inspector Generals whose appointment was based largely on merit. This will, hopefully, set a strong precedent.

It would have been better still had Khanal been first appointed the Assistant Inspector General (AIG), the second highest rank, and promoted to Inspector Gen­eral after some time. But as all serving AIGs had retired at the same time, the government had no option but to choose from among the third-highest ranking Depu­ty Inspector Generals (DIGs), Khanal among them. To ensure that there is no such void in the future, and that the next police chief is well trained as an administrator, the provision of compulsory retirement after 30 years of service has to be modified. The sooner the better.

The good news is that merit has prevailed over poli­ticking in the appointment of the Nepal Police chief, as well as the new chief of the Armed Police Force, which is now led by Shailendra Khanal, another competent hand. This bodes well in these uncertain times.

Weekly Editorial Cartoon

Tarang Entertainment in association with Live&Loud events pre­sented Pandora’s Jukebox show on April 30. In its second edition, the event showcased different bands from diverse genres of music—rock, heavy rock, funk and metal. Five bands—featuring Tumbleweed Inc. with special guest ASM, Deplore, Kramasha Nepal and The Mellow Malady—ignited the stage promoting only ‘original music’. “It is a platform, and also an appreciation for those involved in making original music,” Suyash Rajbhandari, the coordinator of the event told APEX. “The purpose here is to promote Nepali artists making their own composi­tions.”

Music enthusiasts gathered to witness the talented bands performing in the crowded venue at Club 25 Hrs. The Mellow Malady, a band, per­forming on stage for the very first time, set the mood for the evening. Performances from Deplore, ASM, Krama­sha Nepal and Tumbleweed Inc. followed. All the artists performed their original com­positions, from their albums as well as singles to an awe­struck audience.

The turnout was big. The atmosphere outside the venue was cold and breezy. But the people who entered with their jackets and hoodies on, were soon throwing their clothes away as the event progressed. There were plenty of head-bangers and ad lib artists among the audience. “I know my neck will ache for a couple of days” said Binod Chhetri, a music-lover attending the event. “But, it’s worth it, these bands are just superb.”

The first edition of Pando­ra’s Jukebox was held in Pur­ple Haze last year. In recent times, musicians and artists making original music have been overshadowed by cover singers who garner popular­ity by singing old songs that are already popular. With restaurants, bars, clubs and YouTube taken over by cover musicians, Pandora’s Jukebox is an event created to support young Nepali musicians who compose, record and perform their own songs, thus greatly contributing to the Nepali music industry. APEX BUREAU

Helicopter is the only vehicle for emergency rescues in Nepal’s mountains, as rough terrains and lack of road access make build­ing airports for airplanes impossible there. Nepal’s mountains have thus been dependent on helicopters for conveyance as well as rescue opera­tions, medical evaluation and relief flights. On March 31, Simrik Air, a recog­nized name in high-altitude flying and rescue/evacuations, helped a couple of Czech nationals who had gone missing while on a trek in the Dhaulagiri region (Marpha). Capt. Surendra Paudel and Rescue Spe­cialists Tsering Pande Bhote and Sonam Chhiring Lama successfully airlifted them to Kathmandu in a Simrik Air helicopter.

Kamil Moravec and Jiri Kalabis were suspected to have fallen off a cliff and trapped in a dangerous gorge 3,500 meters above sea level, where Kamil was severely injured and had his left leg broken. The area they were trapped in is inaccessible by road, making rescue difficult. Enter Simrik Air’s ‘high-altitude long line rescue team’.

Simrik Air, established in 2001, is a leading helicopter company in Nepal with a solid track record in high-altitude rescue with experi­enced pilots and rescue specialists trained in the US and Switzerland.

Greasy Laundry, a Nepali clothing line of handcrafted designer clothes and acces­sories, started operation this week inside the premises of Tangalwood, Gahanapokhari, Kathmandu. Designed and owned by Bikrant Shrestha and Rajeeb Sayami—both musicians, biking enthusiasts and entrepreneurs—the ‘passionately handcrafted’ Greasy Laundry offers denim pants, jackets and other accessories for both men and women.

With plans to start its own produc­tion in the near future, the clothing line is now collaborating with Indo­nesian brands NBDN (NOBRAND­EDON) for the denim range and Kana Goods for other wears and accessories.

“The idea is to collaborate with different international brands to bring customized clothing to Nepal,” Shrestha says. “We have started with two Indonesians clothing compa­nies and will soon introduce more brands in the Nepali market.”

NBDN is a denim brand focused on ‘heritage work-street concept,’ making handwoven and hand-dyed denims that represent their “human made” and “human taste” taglines. Likewise, Kana Goods is an Indone­sian fashion brand which specializes in production of natural materials using indigo dyes.

Aimed at the fashion-conscious youth of Nepal, the price ranges for Greasy Laundry products are slightly on the higher side. “Of course when we start our own pro­duction, the prices will decrease,” says Bikrant.

“But they will still be for the niche market as we do not want to go into mass production. Our focus is mainly carefully-crafted boutique denims”.