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Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said language, literature, culture and drama are the treasures of the nation.

In his address to an award distribution ceremony organised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation at Nepal Academy today, the Prime Minister said, "Language, literature and culture reflect our civilisation, are the heritages of national pride and such heritages have their contribution to enhancing the nation's image."

He said, "Nation's language, culture, art, music and drama are our civilisation, culture and national identities and being based on the same, we have been able to earn our distinct identity internationally, too." The Prime Minister stressed the need of recognising those contributing to the creations of language and culture from the State-level which also encourages a new generation to get involved in creative works.

He also said that he was hopeful that those winning the awards on the occasion would give their best to the respective field in the future too. As the Prime Minister said, the government is always ready to help for the development of the relevant sector.

On the occasion, 43 people had won awards including National and Provincial Talent Award, Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota Award, Bhagat Sarbajeet Manab Maryada National Award, Gopal Prasad Rimal National Award and Itihas Shiromani Baburam Acharya Award under various nine genres.

Muslims across the country are celebrating Bakra-Eid with zest and zeal on Sunday.

The festival, also known as Eid al-Adha, falls on the 70th day after Ramadan, the nine month of the Hijri (Islamic lunar calendar).

The festival is observed commemorating the moment when Ibrahim, the first of the Old Testament who became ready to sacrifice his son at the command of Allah, the Muslim God, some 1435 years back as per the Hijri calendar, said Mohammad Khursid of Ghantaghar-Jame Mosque.

On this day, Muslims visit mosques, madrasas and Eidgah and offer their prayers to Allah, observe Namaj and exchange greetings to each other. They also observe a stringent dawn-to-dusk fast today.

Reading Namaj, observing Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca Medina), Roja (fasting), offering donations and sacrifices are the five main good deeds supposed to be followed by the Muslim people.

The government has declared a public holiday to celebrate the festival.

Photos: Saroj Baiju

The weather across the nation would remain partly to generally cloudy as well as well as there is a possibility of rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning at some places today.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning is likely to take place at some places of Province 1, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces and few places of the remaining provinces due to influence of the Monsoon wind.

The sky of province 1, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces has now remained generally cloudy. Similarly, the weather of the remaining provinces is partly to generally cloudy and rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning is now taking places at few places of these provinces.

Light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorm and lightning has been predicted across the country while there is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places of province 1 and Madhes Province as well as few places of the remaining provinces in the night.

The weather in Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces will remain generally to fully cloudy and partly to generally cloudy at the remaining provinces on Saturday.

According to the Department, many places of Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces will witness light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning as well as few places of the remaining provinces.

Likewise, Heavy rainfall has been forecast at one or two places of province 1 and Bagmati province as well as few places of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

Thirty-six rhinoceroses have died in Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its buffer zone in the current fiscal year. Out of these, two were killed due to poaching and the remaining due to natural causes.

CNP's information officer Ganesh Prasad Timilsina said that the latest casualty, a female rhino of around 25 years, was found dead near the Meghauli Range post. Its horn and hooves are safe and the Park authorities believe that it must have died of natural causes as there are no wounds on its body.

Of the two rhinos killed by poachers in the current fiscal year, the horn and hooves of one had been taken away by the poachers while those of the next one were found intact.

Timilsina said 34 rhinoceroses died of natural causes and half them due to fighting among each other. Most of the rhinos died due to old age, getting stuck in swamp, tiger attack and falling in ditches.

Thirty-three rhinos had died due to natural causes last fiscal year, 2020/21. Years back, 44 rhinoceroses had died due to natural causes in one year. This is the highest number of rhino casualty due to natural causes so far.

The death rate of rhinos is increasing with the increase in the number of rhinos. CNP's chief conservation officer Haribhadra Acharya said maximum possible efforts are being made to reduce the number of rhino death due to natural causes.

According to him, the CNP has made a plan for internal relocation of rhinoceroses so that there is no high number of the animal at one place. Along with this, the CNP has emphasized on managing the rhino habitat. A proposal has been forwarded for developing model grassland for the rhino.

CNP has geared towards developing grasslands and water sources at separate places with the increasing trend of rhinos dying due to fighting when many rhinos lived at a single place.

Coliform bacteria has been detected in various drinking water sources of Baglung district.

Health Office, Baglung conducted tests on samples taken from 84 drinking water sources which showed coliform present in most of the sources.

The Office detailed that coliform was found in the drinking water sources distributed by Baglung Town Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Organisation as well as in most of the other drinking water sources in the district.

However, the water distributed in taps in the town has no coliform as chlorine powder is used in the water tank for the treatment of water, said a lab technician at the Health Office, Dilli Acharya.

In course of conducting test of water sources in Baglung municipality, coliform was found at 10 water sources while the diarrhea-causing bacteria was detected in seven out of 10 water sources in Jaimini municipality, three out of 12 water sources in Galkot municipality, two out of seven water sources in Dhorpatan municipality, seven out of 16 water sources in Tamankhola rural municipality and three out of nine water sources in Badigad rural municipality.

Acharya added that coliform was found at four water sources of Nishikhola rural municipality, four out of 11 water sources at Tamankhola rural municipality and four out of 12 water sources at Bareng rural municipality.

The Health Office has carried out test of water sources on a representative basis at the request of local levels.

Britannica defines this coliform bacteria as any of various rod-shaped microorganisms that occur in the intestinal tracts of animals, including humans, and that are widespread in the environment. It adds that this bacteria serve as critical indicators of water quality and more precisely show evidence of recent fecal contamination of water supplies.

Most of the places of the country would witness rainfall for next three days due to influence of the monsoon wind.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the weather across the nation would remain partly to generally cloudy and light to moderate rainfall has been predicted at many places.

The Department has requested all to adopt precautions as there is risk of landslide, soil erosion, increase in water level of rivers and streams, and daily life and transport service might be affected as there is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall at many places of the country.

Light to moderate rainfall is now taking place at few places of Province 1, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces.

The sky across the country will remain generally cloudy in the night and light to moderate rain is likely to take place at some places of Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces and at few places of the remaining provinces.

Newly appointed Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal on Wednesday.

During the meeting that took place at the Ministry in Singha Durbar today, they discussed the topics of bilateral relations and cooperation between Nepal and India.

On the occasion, Minister Bhusal said that the Nepal-India ties were moving forward on the basis of friendship, equality, cooperation and mutual respect. She expressed the confidence that this relation will become stronger in the days to come.

Stating that important works have been carried out in the energy sector between Nepal and India in recent times, the Energy Minister hoped that this collaboration between the two nations will be further expanded in the days ahead.

“The energy trade taking place between Nepal and India at present is positive. India needs the clean energy from Nepal. So, in this context Nepal is willing to move ahead by signing a long-term electricity trade agreement in coming days. I have the conviction that important success would be achieved in power trade sector during your term in office,” Minister Bhusal said.

She stressed on the need of taking ahead the Pancheshwor Hydroelectricity Project as well as of actively implementing the understanding reached between the two countries regarding the damage caused by flood.

Ambassador Srivastava on the occasion gave assurances that he would make whatever initiatives he can for further expanding the collaboration and partnership between the two countries. Noting that significant achievement has been made in the electricity trade sector in the last one year, he said the collaboration of both the governments is worth appreciating in this.

“Power trade is beneficial to both countries. There would be consistent support from our side on this,” the Indian Ambassador said, giving assurances of making relentless efforts for electricity production and trade.

Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Sagar Kumar Rai, Joint Secretary duo Baburam Bhandari and Chiranjivi Chataut and the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present in the meeting.

The 65-km long Besisahar-Chame road will remain closed for a week.

The road will remain closed since 8.00 am this morning for its up-gradation in Marsyangdi rural municipality-4, Syange.

Chief of Dumre-Besisahar-Chame road project office, Achyut Bilas Pant shared up-gradation would be expedited by completely halting vehicular movement for a week.

As informed, Shree Krishna Construction Service has been entrusted with the responsibility to carry out road up-gradation works at the cost of Rs 6 million.

The Road Division Office, Damauli had initiated its construction works since 2051 BS.

The road has been frequently closed during the rainy season. Last year too, the road section remained closed for a month due to flooding and landslide.