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Cases of viral fever and dengue have been increasing in Sarlahi district for the past few days. The number of patients visiting private and government health facilities to receive treatment has increased lately.

The infection of viral fever is spreading rapidly following the change in the weather in the wake of incessant rainfall for a week, said Dr Nawal Kishore Jha, Deputy Medical Superintendent at the Provincial Hospital, Malangawa.

Patients complaining of sore throat, weakness and high fever are high in number in the hospital of late, said Dr Alok Kumar Kushbaha, Chief of Lalbandi Model Hospital.

Some 10 to 20 patients with infection of viral fever visit healthcare facilities at Lalbandi, Nawalpur, Hariban and Bagmati daily, added Dr Kushbaha.

Most of the viral fever cases were reported at Lalbandi, Nawalpur and Hariban, according to Mumtaz Mikrani, Chief of Department of Health at Lalbandi Municipality.

Similarly, cases of dengue are also on the rise in the district, according to Dr Jha at the Provincial Hospital. There are 61 dengue infected patients reported in the district at present.

To be protected from dengue and viral fever, doctors have advised to keep the surroundings clean so as to keep away mosquitoes and do not closely contact with the infected persons.

Meanwhile, those infected have been advised to take a rest and stay indoor as much as possible while it's scorching hot outside and follow health related precautions.

Baraha Pokhari Lake, a religious and tourist site in Khotang, included in the government’s list of next 100 destinations, is in a deteriorating state.

Situated in Baraha Pokhari Rural Municipality-1, this lake of great religious significance has suffered damage from monsoon floods and the subsequent debris deposits. The once spherical lake now appears altered due to debris deposits.

“Authorities in the rural municipality are not taking the necessary steps to restore the lake to its original form,” Dhruba Giri, a local of the area, said. Floodwaters continue to deposit debris in this lake which measures 330 meters in length and 210 meters in width. Some local people say that the water level has been gradually declining since the earthquake that occurred 90 years ago.

Another resident of the area, Dilliram Giri, mentioned that the 2015 earthquakes caused cracks to appear in the land near the lake. Surrounded by lush green hills on all sides, the lake has the potential to become a tourist destination if necessary infrastructure is built and needful promotional efforts are taken. However, the lake is facing an existential crisis due to a lack of conservation efforts. Despite the absence of a visible water source, the lake maintains its water throughout the year. The presence of red fish, native to the lake, adds to the allure of Baraha Pokhari.

Dhak Bahadur Karki, the ward chairman, suggests that the lake can be preserved by constructing structures to control the flow of debris. Locals say that the lake can return to its original state if water from a nearby river is diverted to it during the winter season. “Although the local unit derives its name from this lake, the authorities there are doing nothing for its preservation,” they lament.

The rare red fish found in the lake are dying due to a lack of conservation efforts. Locals report observing dead fish floating on the lake’s surface every day. Although no formal study has been conducted to determine the cause of the fish deaths, locals believe that increasing pollution in the lake’s waters is a contributing factor.

As local residents wash their clothes and bathe in the lake, it is believed that the soap water is causing the decline in fish population. Others attribute the declining fish population to rising temperatures. Fish experts explain that as water levels decrease and organic matter in the water increases, fish become susceptible to fungal infections and fluke rot disease, leading to their deaths. Some believe that the lack of attention to pond cleanliness also results in oxygen depletion due to the accumulated garbage.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar on Friday.

Prime Minister Dahal is leaving for China from New York on September 23.

According to a Baluwatar source, Ambassador Chen discussed possible agendas of Prime Minister Dahal’s China visit during the meeting.

China has been piling pressure on the Nepal government to implement the BRI project.

Prime Minister Dahal is preparing to sign the BRI project in Beijing without knowing whether it is under loan or grant.

The Nepal and Chinese sides have not disclosed which project will be signed.

ALSO READ: What are Dahal’s agenda in New York and Beijing?

“Prime Minister Dahal is preparing to sign the BRI project during his China visit. But China has also put forward grant projects,” an office bearer of the CPN (Maoist Center) said. “If one project is signed under loan then another will be signed under grant.”

During the meeting today, Prime Minister Dahal and Ambassador Chen also discussed taking the BRI project ahead. Prime Minister Dahal has hinted that he will sign some projects under the BRI.

China has been lobbying with the Nepal government to construct three industrial parks under the BRI project.

A Cabinet meeting will be held at 6 pm today to discuss the possible agendas of China visit and the agreements to be signed between the two countries.

Prime Minister Dahal has been claiming publicly that an agreement will be signed on the game changer project during his China visit.

CPN (Maoist Center) General Secretary Dev Gurung after returning from China had said that efforts are being made to sign agreements on important projects during the Prime Minister’s China visit.

Prime Minister Dahal is leaving for New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly at 6 pm on Saturday.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 600 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 111, 800 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 103, 500 per tola on Thursday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 250 per tola. It was traded at Rs 110, 650 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1,395 per tola today.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is scheduled to visit China from Sept 23, following his participation in the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

While bureaucratic preparations are underway, the prime minister is also engaging in consultations with political leaders to determine key issues to be raised with Chinese leaders. Nepali Ambassador to China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha has been holding meetings with high-ranking Chinese officials to finalize the potential agenda for the visit. 

While the Chinese side is insisting that both sides should focus on implementation of the past agreements, there are some key issues that Dahal needs to raise when he sits with Chinese officials. Foremost among these is China’s new map that does not acknowledge Nepal’s political map launched in 2020. Dahal has already pledged to raise this issue, and the nation is keenly anticipating how he will approach it and how the northern neighbor will react.

Of late, there are confusions in Nepal over some issues raised by China. For example, China has categorized the Pokhara International Airport as a major project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Nepali authorities have consistently refuted this claim, yet the Chinese side has not clarified its stance. Likewise, there are confusions on BRI even eight years after signing of the agreement. It is the duty of the Prime Minister Dahal to articulate Nepal's concerns on the initiative.

Furthermore, there are confusions in both the political and diplomatic circles of Nepal about China’s new initiatives such as Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song recently said that Nepal is already a part of GCI. His predecessor, Hou Yanqi, too, had publicly declared that Nepal had joined the GSI.

Another pressing issue is the absence of a joint border inspection between Nepal and China. This has given rise to various issues including allegations of border encroachment by China. During his visit, Dahal should urge Beijing for a joint inspection of the border. While there are other bilateral matters that require attention, it is paramount that Dahal take up the aforementioned issues with Beijing. If both sides are genuinely committed to elevating the bilateral relationship to a new level, they must resolve these outstanding issues first.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balendra Shah has been listed as one of the 2023 TIME100 Next emerging leaders of the world.

Shah, who emerged into power as KMC's mayor after winning 2079 local elections, is one of 100 emerging people on the 2023 TIME100 Next.

The 33-year-old, who has a master's degree in structural engineering, ran as an independent and used TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to harness voter anger over the status quo, sparking a "Balen effect" that saw as many as 385 independent candidates triumph over veteran politicians in last spring's local election, reads the magazine.

“In a city still reeling from a deadly 2015 earthquake, Shah's campaign promises were simple but offered desperately needed fixes: better waste disposal and sanitation, safe drinking water, clean roads, and the preservation of cultural heritage alongside urban development.”

The magazine further said that his efforts to make good on these promises have been met with scrutiny, including in regard to their impact on the city's poor and their reliance on demolishing buildings deemed illegal.

Since coming into power, Shah has also signed agreements with officials to utilize landfill sites and announced plans to separate and dispose of non-degradable waste, the magazine further mentioned.

A meeting of the Legislature-Parliament on Thursday passed a condolence motion on the demise of Constituent Assembly Chairman and CPN-UML leader Subash Chandra Nembang.

The proposal tabled by Speaker Devraj Ghimire was unanimously approved by the meeting.

A minute's silence was also observed praying for eternal peace to the departed soul.

Earlier, the National Assembly passed a condolence motion on the demise of a member of the House of Representatives Nembang.

Born at Suntalibari in Ilam Municipality-7 on March 11, 1953, Nembang entered politics from All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), student wing of the UML.

Though he was a teacher and a lawyer, he made his career in politics. He has continuously been winning the election from Ilam-2 since 1999.

Prior to that, he was elected as a member of the National Assembly.

Nembang became the Minister of State for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 1994. Then he became General Administration and Local Development Minister.

He won the election from Ilam-2 in 1999.

Nembang became the Speaker on May 13, 2006.

After that, he held the same responsibility from January 17, 2007 to May 27, 2008. He was elected from Ilam-2 in the Constituent Assembly election.

He served as the Constituent Assembly member and Speaker from July 27, 2008 to May 27, 2012 and from February 18, 2014 to October 14, 2015.

He also won the election to the second Constituent Assembly of 2013 from Ilam-2.

Nembang won the election of 2017 and 2022 from the same constituency.

The UML Vice-Chairman Nembang had also become the candidate for the presidential election held in February.

He was also elected as the President of the Public Accounts Committee in 1999.

Nembang also served as the General Secretary of the Nepal Bar Association.

The next meeting of the Parliament will be held at 1 pm on Friday.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact hit a roadblock after the Finance Ministry raised concerns about the elevated cost of the transmission line project. Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat has expressed dissatisfaction over the financial proposals, which have exceeded the estimated cost. 

According to the Finance Ministry sources, discussions have started to call for the tender again for the construction of the transmission lines. Mahat, on Monday, discussed with MCA-Nepal executive director Khadga Bahadur Bisht about issuing the tender again. 

Six Indian companies had submitted bids to construct the power line which will be constructed in three separate packages. An association of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd and Power Mech Projects Ltd along with Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited, KEC International Ltd, Transrail Lighting Ltd, Tata Projects Ltd, and Larsen & Toubro Ltd participated in the bid. 

MCA-Nepal has prepared an estimated cost of constructing the transmission line at $226m. However, when financial proposals were opened, the total cost of the three packages stood at $365m, a staggering 66 percent increase over MCA Nepal’s initial estimates. With the huge difference between the initial estimates and financial proposals, the Finance Ministry is inclined to initiate a fresh bidding process for the construction of the transmission lines.

“The amount quoted in the financial proposals is unusually higher than the estimated cost,” said a senior official of the Finance Ministry. “Even if we were to accept the lowest bid, it would pose a significant budgetary challenge for us. We have no alternative but to initiate a fresh tender process.” Amid the Finance Ministry’s reservation over the pricing, the MCA Nepal has not made any official statements or disclosures regarding the matter.

MCC, the US aid agency has committed to provide $500m while the government had earlier pledged $197m to implement the transmission line and road improvement projects under the MCC Nepal Compact. Since the MCC will not provide an additional amount, the Finance Ministry believes it has to bear the additional financial burden if it accepts the financial proposals.

According to Finance Ministry officials, should these financing proposals be accepted, half of the total budget would have to be allocated to the transmission lines, potentially leaving insufficient funds for other critical components of the Nepal Compact. Initially, the government had planned to invest $130m, but an additional $67m had been contributed for the Nepal Compact. 

A 315-km high-capacity transmission line will be built and a section of the East-West Highway upgraded under the $500m US aid. Five segments of transmission lines to be built are—New Butwal-India Border (18km), New Butwal-New Damauli (90km), New Damauli-Ratmate (90km), Ratmate-New Hetauda (58km), and Ratmate-Lapsephedi (59km). Three substations will be built in Ratmate, Damauli, and Butwal.

Once completed, these transmission lines are expected to provide a vital missing link for power projects of different river basins to the existing high-voltage grid in Nepal.

The government has allocated Rs 10.84bn for the MCA-Nepal for the current fiscal year. While Rs 9.27bn had been set aside for the entity in the last fiscal year, only Rs 4.11bn was spent, according to the Finance Ministry.

Six years after Nepal signed an agreement with the MCC, the much-debated MCC Nepal Compact entered into the implementation phase on Aug 30. The execution of the Nepal Compact will span a precise five-year duration from its initiation, at which point the responsibility for the projects will shift to Nepal. Once this five-year period concludes, the funding from the MCC for the execution of the MCC Compact initiatives will cease.

Initially, the Nepal Compact was supposed to enter into the implementation stage on 30 June 2020. However, the delay in the ratification of the compact by Nepal’s Parliament amid a controversy threw the US assistance into uncertainty. The Nepal Compact finally moved ahead after the parliament endorsed it in Feb 2022. 

Price quoted by bidders