ADB to pull out of Rs 270m project
The Asian Development Bank is expected to pull out of the Rs 270 million waste management project in Butwal after the sub-metropolis failed to make use of the money. The concessional loan was to be used for waste management, a drinking water project and construction of a model village. As Butwal failed to make use of the funds, even after two extensions of the implementation deadline, the Manila-based bank is all set to pull out on December 31.The centerpiece of the proposed project was a waste treatment center at Charange. But the sub-metropolis had been unable to start construction due to the opposition of the locals who were determined not to allow anyone to pollute their area.
According to the ADB project’s Butwal unit manager Sikhar Lama Tamang, even without the opposition from the locals, the sub-metropolis was finding it hard to handle the project. Hence it will now try to explore other private public partnership options.
ADB’s new regulations for waste management are tough. The locals have to be unanimous in their support for such a project. Even a single objection could potentially sink it.
Ward Chairman of Butwal-7 Kamal Pratap Thapa said that some private organizations have already proposed to establish a waste management center if land was made available to them.
There had been discussions between Charange locals and Butwal sub-metropolis even in the absence of people’s representatives. After the local elections, in a last-ditch attempt to convince them, the sub-metropolitan had even proposed to take the inhabitants of Charange to India where they would inspect a modern water processing center. The proposal was rejected.
Rs 200 billion Lumbini corridor on the anvil
The Ministry of Urban Development and the Asian Development Bank are giving final touches to the plan for development of Rs 200-billion urban corridor centered on Lumbini. The two-stage project seeks to boost engagement between the fast-urbanizing areas and the surrounding rural areas. As envisioned, the first stage will be completed by 2030 while the second stage will be completed by 2050. This urban corridor will connect the places that are no more than an hour’s drive from each other. Right now the corridor will link Nawalparasi’s Ramgram, Rupandehi’s Butwal, Siddhartha Nagar, Sainamaina, Tilottama and Lumbini Cultural Municipality as well as Kapilvastu’s Kapilvastu and Krishna Nagar municipalities.
“The corridor will be built in a way that people from rural areas can return to their homes every day, instead of having to shift to the cities where they work,” says Edward Lemon, the ADB plan leader.
The first phase of the project will cost around Rs 94 billion. There are plans to build roads, agricultural products processing centers, shopping centers, bus parks, as well as sewage and drinking-water management systems.
Moreover, there are proposals for Butwal-Tilottama-Siddhartha Nagar and Lumbini-Tilaurakot-Devdaha-Ramgram road corridors, as well as to develop Siddhartha Nagar-Ramgram-Bhumahi, Krishna Nagar and Lumbini bypass roads into highways.
Crucially, the current plans do not talk about where the money for the ambitious project will come from.
#metoo, unsafe too
As the world marks the first anniversary of the #metoo campaign this month, the topic of sexual harassment of women could not be more relevant for Nepal. In a recent APEX poll, 93 of the 100 Nepali women who were surveyed reported having experienced some form of sexual harassment. The finding was hardly a surprise. Even though there have been efforts to ‘empower’ Nepali women since the 2006 political changes, including by ensuring their greater representation in vital decision-making bodies, ours is still a predominantly patriarchal society where the dice continues to be heavily loaded in favor of men.
The built-in social bias against ‘weaker and less capable’ women can often lead to horrendous consequences. Incidents of rapes in Nepal have rocketed: there have been more rapes in the past two months than in the previous two years, combined.
It would be hard to call Nepal an equal country so long as its women and girls continue to feel unsafe in public space. True, there are some legal measures for their protection. For instance, someone convicted of sexual harassment at workplace can be jailed for up to six months and/or fined Rs 50,000. Yet most women who have been harassed at work remain quiet fearing stigmatization and curtailment of their career prospects. That would not be the case if sex offense was taken more seriously and sexual offenders were seen to be harshly punished.
So there is little for Nepali women to cheer on the first anniversary of the #metoo movement. They continue to be constantly abused at home. Heckled by rowdy men out on the street. And sexually harassed at workplace. And yet, there is also a ray of hope. The whole country has rallied around the bereaved parents of Nirmala Pant, the 13-year-old girl who was brutally raped and murdered on July 26, and whose killers are still at large. Awareness of sexual crimes has increased and, increasingly, so has the realization among women that keeping quiet is not the only option. As a result, more and more women are coming out with their personal stories of harassment and discrimination. Starting of these difficult conversations is a rare silver-lining in an otherwise gloomy climate of fear and anger.
Trees for airport
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari has been repeatedly saying that the environmental fears over the Nijgadh International Airport are overblown. It is true that the airport, as envisioned, will cover over 8,000 hectares, which will make it the biggest in South Asia in area. It is also true that an estimated 2.4 million trees will have to be felled. But as Adhikari points out, the media and the broader public is missing a crucial catch.
In the first phase, only 2,500 hectares will be used, and as such just around 760,000 trees will have to go. As envisioned, after the first phase the airport will be able to handle 15 million passengers a year; after the second phase, in another five years, it will accommodate 30 million; and 60 million after the third phase, in five more years. If the airport does not get expected traffic after the first or the second phase, then it may not be expanded.
But the larger goal is to establish Nijgadh as a transit hub with easy access to 27 major Asian cities. If things go as planned, say the project’s backers, the airport could be a game-changer for Nepal, laying a firm foundation for national prosperity and development. But is the environmental cost of bringing down 760,000 trees in the first phase worth it, not to think of the two latter phases? Has the government done enough homework on the likely damage to the rich flora and fauna, as well as to human settlements nearby, after destroying the last remaining patch of dense forest in the Tarai belt? And was there really no option to Nijgadh?
The country without a doubt needs a second international airport to relieve the pressure on the overburdened TIA, and the government says expanding Bhairahawa or Pokhara airport was not an option. So perhaps Nijgadh is really irreplaceable. If so, the developers will have to be extremely careful about inflicting minimal ecological damage, in a country already beset by climate change-induced natural disasters. Perhaps it is also worth reevaluating Nijgadh’s role as a ‘transit hub’ after the development of passenger aircraft capable of flying 20 hours non-stop. While the ecological damages certainly have to be minimized, it would also be a tragedy to build another Hambantota, often dubbed “the world’s emptiest international airport.”
SWIM IN SISNERI
You might have swum in an artificial pool, or a scenic terrace pool. But nothing beats a natural pool with fresh water coming from the springs. Sisneri in Makwanpur district abutting Kathmandu has precisely such a pool that is both clean and cold. A three-hour drive from Kathmandu, the nature’s own swimming pool, with beautiful natural surroundings, is definitely worth the trip.
TREK IN HELAMBU
The Helambu Trek starts in Kathmandu and is completed in five to eight days. The typical seven-day itinerary is circular, with the first day’s section being repeated at the end of the walk. The sudden contrast between the cultures of lower and upper regions is striking in the shortest Himalayan trek from Kathmandu. Accommodation can be found in lodges and village guest houses that dot the trekking route.
GO SIGHTSEEING IN SAURAHA
This time of the year, Sauraha is the place to go with your friends and families to relax and rejuvenate. The moderately warm temperature of Sauraha, which lies in Chitwan district, will be perfect for you. Chill at the banks of Rapti River and watch animals like golden jackals and jungle cats prowl on the other side of the river. What better use of your holidays, right?
Biz Briefs...
New Bajaj showroom at Bharatpur
HH Bajaj, one of the largest selling automobiles brands in Nepal, opened a fully facilitated showroom called “NK Motors” in Bharatpur, Chitwan this week. The new showroom is expected to make it easier the access the different models of Bajaj bikes, their spare parts and accessories. Celebrating the launch, the showroom is offering exciting prizes for the customers for a limited period of time.
Café Coffee Day to open Durbar Marg outlet
After the successful launch and operation of its outlets in Jawalakhel and Basantapur, the Indian café chain Café Coffee Day is set to open its third outlet, at Durmarmarg, with a revised menu, that includes new and local food, and a bigger place for hangout.
“The outlet will compete shoulder to shoulder against established national and international food chains in the sophisticated neighborhood,” a press statement said. The chain, the biggest in India in terms of outlets, is owned by Coffee Day Global Limited. It had first entered Nepal in collaboration with Stavya Hospitality Pvt. With 1,682 outlets in India alone, Café Coffee Day also has extensions in other countries like Austria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Malaysia, and Nepal.
Colors “Chatta Cash Patta Luck” offer
Colors Appliances has announced its consumer scheme for Dashain and Tihar. The “Chatta Cash Patta Luck” scheme offers cash-back of up to Rs 14,090 on every purchase of a home appliance. In addition, one lucky customer will get a chance to win a 55” 4K smart TV through a bumper draw. The festive offer, which started on October 1, will be available for a limited period at all leading electronics and appliances stores in Nepal.
Marketed in Nepal by Universal Electrocom Pvt. Ltd, a part of the renowned business house Lucky Group, Colors offers wide range of household appliances at affordable prices.
