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CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Bishnu Prasad Poudel has said the party will play an effective role as an opposition in the post-election government. Talking to journalists in Butwal today, he said, “Though the party is the largest party in terms of the voters’ choice, we are the second party in the parliament and will not participate in the government to be formed ahead.” According to him, the party has so far discussed with none in regard with the formation of a new government as it lacks the majority. Stating the government would not be of any specific party, the leader, as the HoR member-elect from the Rupandehi-2, assured voters that the party’s decision not to join the government would have no impact in the development of Rupandehi.

The water from the Melamchi river brought to Sundarijal of Kathmandu is being distributed in the federal capital from today. The water was channeled via the tunnel aqueduct at Ambathan, the source of the Melamchi stream at Helambu Rural Municipality-1 in Sindhupalchok district. The water released into the conduit had reached the end point of the tunnel at Sundarijal, Gokarneshwar Municipality-1 on December 4. Initially this water was discharged into the Bagmati river for flushing the tunnel. "The tunnel was shut in June year after a massive landslide occurred in the Melamchi area damaged the tunnel structure at its source at Ambathan. So, the water that had been filled in the tunnel has been released into the Bagmati river to flush out the silt and debris in the tunnel," said Ram Chandra Poudel, the engineer with the Melamchi Water Supply Project. According to him, the water was filled in the tunnel since December 5 and the water filled in the tunnel has been released to Mahankalchaur branch since Thursday. Only a small amount of water has been channeled into the tunnel conduit in the beginning on a trial basis since the tunnel was closed for a long time. This water took a week to reach Sundarijal. Project spokesperson Rajendra Panta said that 175 million litres of water from the Melamchi river would be released into the tunnel daily from today. The project had first started distributing the Melamchi water to Kathmandu on March 28 last year. However, the supply was disrupted following major floods and landslides in Sindhupalchowk on June 15. The headworks of the project were completely damaged, accumulating dozens of feet high of pebbles, sand, and mud at the headworks. As the construction of the damaged headworks at Ambathan intake have not been completed yet, the water from Melamchi stream will be channeled into the tunnel and brought to Kathmandu only during winter. Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary is scheduled to inaugurate the distribution of the Melamchi water from Mahankalchaur water tank today.

A foreign national died and two others were injured when a mini-truck and a motorcycle collided with each other at Phisling of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality-3 in Chitwan. The deceased has been identified as bike rider Meyer Olbersleben (60) from Germany. He breathed his last in course of treatment at the Chitwan Medical College, DSP Bijay Raj Pundit, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Chitwan, said. The Bullet motorcycle (Na 41 Pa 548) heading towards Kathmandu from Narayangarh collided head-on with the mini-truck (Pra 03-001 Cha 1682) at around 10: 30 am today. One of the injured has been identified as Bir Bahadur Tamang (73) of Galchhi Rural Municipality-5, Dhadhing. He was traveling in the pickup van. He is also receiving the treatment at the Chitwan Medical College. Police said that they are looking into the case.

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun has offered his best wishes for happiness, peace, prosperity and good health to all Nepali people home and abroad on the occasion of 'Udhauli' and 'Yomari Punhi' festivals. May these festivals energize all Nepali people to pursue prosperity while strengthening unity and cooperation among us, he said in a message of greetings today. He also wished that these festivals contribute to conserving and promoting Nepali art, culture and custom. He also thanked the Election Commission, the government, and all Nepali people including security personnel, government employees and poll observers for their help in concluding the elections to the House of Representatives and the Province Assembly. Voting took place on November 20. 'Udhauli' is celebrated by the Kirat communities, and 'Yomari Punhi' by the Newar communities.

Udhauli, the second most important festival of the Kirant community, is being celebrated across the country with joy and fervor today. Udhauli festival is celebrated every year on the full moon day of month of Mangsir in the Lunar calendar. During the festival, the Kiranti folks gather together to celebrate the festival in an organised manner and exchange good wishes. According to the religious book Mundhum of the Kirants, time is divided into two parts, Udhauli and Ubhauli. The Kirant community believe that these two periods are divided on the basis of farming. The Ubhauli festival is celebrated on full moon day during the month of Baisakh. Ubhauli is a festival celebrated during plantation while Udhauli festival is celebrated at the time of harvesting of the crops.

'Pani Pandhero' (Water ATM) has become popular and its use has increased lately in the Kathmandu Valley. One can get 200 ml drinking water in a paper cup by inserting a two-rupee coin in the machine. It requires Rs 10 to fill a liter of bottle. The project was launched by the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB) in cooperation with the respective metropolis with the aim of providing people an easy access to safe drinking water. There are a total of 20 Water ATMs in the Valley (12 in Kathmandu, seven in Lalitpur and one in Bhaktapur). In Kathmandu, the water booths have been installed at Teku, Kalanki, Swayambhu, Baisdhara, Shankha Park, Shankhadhar Park, New Baneshwor, CIT Building, and at Shahid Gangalal, Teaching Hospital, Bir Hospital and Civil Service Hospital. Likewise, Lalitpur has them installed at the Nepal Engineers Association, Bangalamukhi Temple, Kusunti, Patan Hospital, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Pulchok Engineering Campus and Mental Hospital. In Bhaktapur, it has been installed at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital. Posters giving instructions for use have been pasted on the machine. The users and others have lauded the initiative as a good move to provide the people easy access to safe drinking water. A microbus driver Laj Shrestha, who frequented the water booth at Shankhadhar Park (Ratnapark) for water, praised the initiative. "I used to pay Rs 20 or Rs 25 to buy a bottle of water to drink. Nowadays, it has become easier and cheaper to get water from the machine," he said.  Bhawani Karki, who has frequented the machine at Shankapark for water, also lauded the move, but has a take. Some problems like the machine failing to toss paper cups and coins being stuck should be addressed, she suggested. In the first phase, the KVWSMB, in coordination with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, installed the machines at five places in Kathmandu, said KVWSMB's information officer Santosh Baral, adding that they have been installed in the populated areas.

The government has said the impeachment motion against (suspended) Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana has not turned null and void. Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Government Spokesperson, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, made it clear that the matter would be decided through discussions in the upcoming House of Representatives as it was the concern of the sovereign Parliament. Speaking at a press meet in the Ministry today, he said, “A report developed in the HoR following deliberations on the impeachment proposal will be discussed in the lower house to be formed ahead." Earlier, the Federal Parliament Secretariat dispatched a letter stating that the motion turned ineffective with the fresh election to the Member of the House of Representatives (HoR). Rana faces the impeachment motion, labeling a set of charges against him since February 13 with a total of 98 ruling HoR members moving the Federal Parliament Secretariat to register it. He was automatically suspended from the duty with the registration of the proposal. The previous HoR just held preliminary discussion on the topic and the recommendation committee submitted it report. Then no progress was there in regard with the document. On December 5, Rana submitted an application to the Federal Parliament Secretariat seeking its permission to return to regular duty at the apex court. He is retiring from office due to age-limit on December 13.  

Hira Devi Dhanuk (71) of Hattithana, Bedkot Municipality-1 died in a tusker attack in Kanchanpur on Tuesday. According to Bharat Giri, Information Officer at District Police Office Kanchanpur, the elephant attacked Dhanuk while she was on her way to collect firewood in the Baijanath Buffer Community Forest.