Working leadership needed for country: NC spokesperson Mahat
Nepali Congress (NC) spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that the country needs a leadership to work instead of making tall promises. Addressing an election assembly organized by the left-democratic alliance in Tiwari Bhanjyang of Bhojpur district on Wednesday, the NC spokesperson said such a leadership was required for the country’s sustainable development. Dr Mahat argued that the left-democratic alliance was formed to ensure quality education and health care services to the citizens and the stalled development process would be expedited in the coming five years. He also claimed that there was no other alternative to make the candidates of left-democratic alliance victorious in the elections to House of Representatives (HoR) and Province Assembly slated for November 20. Saying that a government having trust on democracy and rule of law was required, Dr Mahat said that investment will increase in the country if such government was formed. “There will be infrastructure development along with enterprises and employment generation. Candidates of left-democratic alliance should be made victorious for making these all true,” the former Foreign Affairs Minister said. Dr Mahat also claimed that mutual cooperation among the parties within the alliance will result in victory of the left-democratic alliance in this elections.
Leader Pokharel seeks vote for UML for stability
CPN-UML senior Vice-Chairman Ishwor Pokharel has sought vote for UML for political stability in the country. Addressing an election gathering at Shankharapur Municipality of Kathmandu constituency-2 on Wednesday, Pokharel appealed to the voters to cast vote by considering the fact that the election is a moment to select a strong political force. “Some forces attempted to bring a shambles to the stability. This led to an unfortunate situation. So, the UML will give political stability in the country,” according to Pokharel. On the occasion, he claimed that the UML will clinch victory in Kathmandu constituency-2 based on the development endeavors made in the past under the UML leadership. During the event, CPN-UML candidate for Kathmandu constituency-2 (B) of province assembly Subarna Shrestha claimed that he made overwhelming performance in the reconstruction of the quake-hit structures as the Mayor of Shankharapur Municipality.
Temperature drops across the country
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has urged one and all to take precautions as the temperature across the country is dropping gradually. Issuing a special bulletin today, the Department has urged the people to protect themselves from cold as chances are high for gradual decrease in the temperature due to the impact of westerly win in the country. The minimum temperature in the country is likely to decrease further while considering the recent patterns, it is said. In the past 24 hours, the Kathmandu Valley’s minimum temperature remained 9.0 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature was 22.0 degree Celsius, the Department said Likewise, the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department said that hilly areas of Province 1, Gandaki and Karnali Provinces are likely to remain partly cloudy while the mountainous regions of Province 1, Gandaki and Karnali would remain fair this afternoon.
CPN (MC) Chairman Dahal to address election assemblies in Taplejung, Khotang
CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is addressing election assemblies in Taplejung and Khotang districts to be organized by the left-democratic alliance today. District Election Mobilization Committee Coordinator of the ruling alliance Mingma Dandu Sherpa said that Chairman Dahal, Nepali Congress spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, CPN (Unified Socialist)’s assistant General secretary Dr Ganga Lal Tuladhar and other leaders are scheduled to address the event at Tokmedanda in the district headquarters. In Taplejung, CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Khel Prasad Budhachhetri is contesting for the HoR seat while CPN (US)’s Khem Banem and NC’s Khagen Singh Hangnam are contesting from the ruling alliance for the province assembly seats from 1 (A) and 1 (B), respectively. Likewise, Chairman Dahal is also scheduled to address an election assembly in Diktel bazaar of Khotang district this afternoon. Nepali Congress spokesperson Dr Mahat, CPN (Unified Socialist)’s assistant General secretary Dr Tuladhar and other leaders of ruling alliance in Khotang are also addressing the assembly in the district headquarters, ruling alliance’s Election Publicity Committee’s Coordinator Tanka Bahadur Thapa said. Ram Kumar Rai of the CPN (Maoist Centre) is contesting the HoR seat from the ruling alliance while Bir Bal Kaji Rai of the CPN (US) is competing from the province assembly 1 (A) and NC’s Bhupendra Rai the province assembly 1 (B).
PM Deuba addressing election assemblies in Dadeldhura, Achham, Baitadi
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba is arriving in Dadeldhura today. PM Deuba is scheduled to address election assemblies of the ruling alliance in Dadeldhura, Baitadi and Achham. Nepali Congress Dadeldhura District Committee Secretary Hemraj Chataut said that Prime Minister Deuba is scheduled to address an election assembly at Dewal in Ajaymeru Rural Municipality at 11:30 am. PM Deuba is also addressing the election assemblies in Baitadi and Achham districts. Prior to this, PM Deuba had addressed election assemblies in seven municipalities in the district, staying here for four days since November 3. There are eight candidates in Dadeldhura along with Deuba for the House of Representatives election to be held on November 20. Deuba has been winning the HoR election since 2048 BS in Dadeldhura. Likewise, Deuba is addressing the election assembly at Sullekhan in Shivanath Rural Municipality. Nepali Congress Baitadi District Committee President Chatur Bahadur Chand said entire preparations for the election assembly to be organized by the left-democratic alliance have been over. In Baitadi, CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Narendra Bahadur Kunwar is contesting for the HoR seat while NC’s Bir Bahadur Bista and Shivaraj Bhatta are in the fray for the Provincial assembly poll.
Nepal can play key role in clean energy transition within country
Nepal, which had been facing power cuts until some years back, is now not only in a position to fulfill the domestic demand for power, but also to export power during the monsoon. At the same time, Nepal is moving on the path of transition to electric energy from its dependence on fossil fuels at a relatively fast pace. This will contribute to reducing the emission of so-called greenhouse gases and will also reduce the economic risk. Ninety-eight percent of electricity in Nepal is produced from hydropower and other renewable energy sources. Nepal is producing 2200 megawatts power from these sources at present while power plants with the capacity of generating a total 5,000 megawatts are under construction. This clean energy is adequate to reduce the carbon dioxide emission resulting from the energy sector in Nepal down to 8.6 million metric tons by 2030 and to 3500 million metric tons by 2045. With the significant use of clean energy, Nepal will be reducing the amount of domestic emission of greenhouse gases in the South Asia region as well. For this, Nepal needs to manage the clean energy during the dry season. By doing so, Nepal can earn revenue of 9 billion USD annually from 45 gigawatt hydropower and nine gigawatts solar power. This trade can help reduce over 100 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Last year at COP26, the Government of Nepal announced its target to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2045. However, the mainstay of Nepal’s energy sector is traditional biomass and imported fossil fuels which have adverse impacts on the environment, health, and the national economy. Therefore, Nepal can achieve its Long-Term Strategy for net-zero emission goal only if there is major shift in energy use from traditional biomass and imported fossil fuel to clean energy sources because the energy sector is the largest contributor of Nepal’s total carbon dioxide (CO2) emission accounting for 54% of total emission. Today, the Energy Day event is being organized as part of the 27th Conference of Parties (COP 27) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The event is dealing with all aspects of energy and climate change, including renewable energy and energy transformation, with a specific focus on just transition in the energy sector and green hydrogen as a potential energy source for the future. Hence, this is an important opportunity for Nepal to inform the world that Nepal can play a key role in the clean energy transition within the country as well as in the region by increasing its clean energy consumption and exporting hydropower and other renewable energy generation to the neighbouring countries. A team of high-ranking government officials including Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, from Nepal is already in Sharm el-Sheikh to participate in the Energy Day event. Hydropower plays a predominant role in Nepal’s electricity system. However, variability in hydropower generation in Nepal is a major challenge. There is surplus electricity generation during the wet season and insufficient electricity generation and/or significant electricity import from India during dry seasons. Smoothening Nepal's electricity generation curve, meeting Nepal’s rising electricity demand and exporting surplus electricity are major policy challenges facing hydropower development in Nepal. Nepal can alter these challenges into opportunities. For this, Nepal will need to diversify its energy mix to smoothen its electricity generation curve, promote demand response to match electricity production and operationalize cross-border energy trading. Nepal can develop its immense solar potential to complement hydroelectricity generation by generating electricity during the dry season, when water flow decreases but the solar radiation is high. In addition, distributed solar storage systems can provide electricity in electricity deficit areas, enhance quality of power supply in rural areas and reduce the need for additional transmission infrastructure. Similarly, Nepal can rapidly shift from polluting energy sources to cleaner electricity to reduce its GHG emission as well as to reduce its economic vulnerability as 98% of its electricity generation already comes from hydropower and other renewable energy sources. Currently, the supply from these sources is 2,200MW while another 5,000MW are under construction. Therefore, there is opportunity for the country to move to electric cooking, electric mobility, powering all industrial, commercial, and agricultural heating, cooling and motive power with clean electricity as well as providing clean electricity to all Nepalis. By doing so, Nepal’s energy related CO2 emissions can be reduced by 8.6 million MTCO2 in 2030 and 35 million MTCO2 per year in 2045. Besides domestic emission reduction, Nepal can offset GHG emission in the South Asian region by exporting its significant clean electricity generation. By doing so, Nepal can manage its surplus during the wet seasons as well as earn revenues of up to $9 billion per year from the 45 GW hydropower and 9 GW of solar power. This trade could reduce emissions by up to 100 million tonnes of CO2 per year by substituting emissions otherwise produced from coal fired and natural gas power stations. These figures show that Nepal can be a global leader in the clean energy transition. Energy day event at COP27 provides Nepal with the opportunity to show the world what can be done with Nepal joining the Clean Energy Transition Partnership and Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) alliances. Alongside these commitments Nepal will also be asking for increased investments for clean energy resources at COP27 and recognition in the climate rules to gain recognition for its clean energy trade and emissions reductions in other countries. The UK government has already been supporting the Government of Nepal for its clean energy transition through both the GRID framework in partnership with multiple development partners and the Nepal Renewable Energy Programme (NREP). NREP is implemented through an agreement between the governments of Nepal and the UK government. This programme is supporting the Government of Nepal/ Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) to conceptualize and operationalize the Sustainable Energy Challenge Fund (SECF), the first public incentive scheme to wholly support the private sector in distributed renewable energy development in Nepal. SECF has helped the private sector, with viability gap funding support, to invest in renewable energy and clean energy transition projects that help to provide clean energy access, promote economic growth, create jobs and help reduce demand for fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. With SECF support, solar rooftop projects, solar lift irrigation projects and above 6,000 electric cooking have been installed through a market-based approach.
Take initiations for reliable security system in settlement: Banke folks tell election candidates
Voters along the Nepal-India border areas in Banke district have demanded that the candidates for the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly take initiations for a reliable security system in the settlement. People of Hirminiya, Holiya, Piprahawa and Jamunah under the Banke constituency -2 have demanded that the candidates resolve the problems of looting and smuggling among others. Kailash Yadav of Piprahawa of Nepalgunj Sub Metropolis-15 said they lack a reliable security mechanism to live peacefully. “Cases of theft, smuggling, robbery and looting are frequent along the border areas and under these circumstances, they could not feel safe. We have cases of livestock stolen from the cowshed and vehicles from the parking lots,” he said. All the three electoral constituencies in Banke share borders with India. Sixty-five kilometers of area in Banke is adjoined to Indian territory. The Banke folks had the same demand for the last local level elections. Rajendra Verma of Hirminiya Rural Municipality-6 said they are vulnerable to numerous security issues including the cross-border crimes that are why they want to be sure that the people they are sending as their representatives feel it necessary to address their problems. According to him, the Indian Seema Surakhsha Bal (SSB), the border security force, is present in large numbers on the Indian side of the border. Although the SSB's presence has contributed to stop the smuggling and illegal activities from across the border to some extent, the incidences of serious and petty crimes and theft are still reported. The main demand of the people of the bordering area with the election candidates is guaranteeing security due to the sparse presence of security personnel on the Nepali side. Apart from security, the electorate has also been raising the issues related to irrigation facilities, operation of the Chhoti customs, and expansion of electricity, road and health facilities. Verma said that the leaders should take initiatives for removing this problem as well. Most of the candidates have been giving assurances for managing police stations for security as well as expanding the development infrastructures such as roads, electricity and irrigation in the election constituency. All the candidates who have reached the villages in the bordering area for electioneering have pledged to make arrangements of security and construct the basic infrastructures. Dr Dhawal Shumsher Rana who is the candidate for the House of Representatives (HoR) Member election from Banke, Constituency no 2, said there is need of providing security and carrying out development works in the bordering areas, and that he has taken the demands as his priorities. Rana is the common candidate of the RPP and CPN (UML). HoR member candidate from the Rastriya Janata Party Mohammad Ishtiyak Rayi said that he has well-understood the aspirations of the people of the bordering areas as he is also the native of this area.
Dengue kills six in Chitwan in five months
Six people died of dengue in Chitwan so far in the current fiscal year. The victims were from and outside the district, according to the Health Office, Chitwan. Ram KC, Information Officer at the Health Office, said the district recorded 2,949 dengue cases including six casualties since mid-July this year. The number of total cases tested in the period was 10, 974. Among the infected, 2,050 were from the district while remaining were from outside the districts. The highest number of dengue cases was recorded in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. The Health Office said that 1, 450 dengue cases have been recorded in the metropolis. According to KC, 243 cases have been recorded in Ratnanagar Municipality, 164 in Khairahani Municipality, 96 in Rapti Municipality, 48 in Kalika Municipality, 35 in Madi Municipality and 14 in Icchyakamana Rural Municipality. Among the people infected with dengue in the district, 1,136 are male and 914 are female.