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Jet boat service has come into operation from Chataraghat to Kopche in Barahachhetra Municipality-1 of Sunsari. Proprietor of Barahachhetra Marin and Resort Jet Boat Nabin Poudel said that three long-distance and four short-distance jet boats have come into operation in the Saptakoshi River during winter. Barahachhetra Marin and Resort, Saptakoshi Tourism and Water Transportation, Nepal River Transport Pvt Ltd, Barahachhetra Water Transport and Tourism Service Pvt Ltd ventured the jet boat service in the Saptakoshi. He further said that the boat service has been made available to the public so as to ease travel and transport during the winter festive time. Poudel said that the jet boats are being operated from Barahachhetra Temple along the Saptakoshi banks. As informed, individual fare for five-kilometer boating from Barahachhetra to Kopche has been determined Rs 600. With the operation of the jet boat, it would be easier for the people to travel to the southern belt of Bhojpur and Simple, Akhuwatar, Triveni and Sangma of Dhankuta, Poudel said. A jet boat has a carrying capacity of 50 persons.  

Shankharapur Municipality located in the north-east of the federal capital, Kathmandu, has come up with a program to provide free health and education. At a program organized to unveil 100-day achievements of the elected people's representatives, Shankharapur Mayor Ramesh Napit said a process was already taken ahead to keep municipal area waste-free, neat and clean "We are effortful to achieve prosperity through tourism and agriculture and ease the livelihood of the municipal residents by building development infrastructures", he shared. As per our commitment in the earlier local election, we have engaged our efforts to make the education and health sector cost free, he noted. With the assistance of the German government, a process was put forward for the construction of a hospital at ward-7, Kathanchowk, it was shared. Likewise, the municipality has taken ahead a process to procure ambulances with the financial assistance of development partners. On the occasion, municipality's spokesperson Radhakrishna Shrestha informed that groundwork for free health and education was done for the people. Among other achievements obtained in the reporting period were free ambulance service for pregnant women and senior citizens, arrangement of seven free health services after signing bilateral agreement with Sankhu-based Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital and 30-60 percent concession in 11 health services, Shrestha added.

Gaddachauki, a transit point along the Nepal-India border in Kanchanpur, lately reports a large arrival of Nepalis from India for the Dashain festival. Over 10,000 people entered Nepal via the Gaddachauki points since a past week. According to the District Police Office, Kanchanpur, over 1, 000 Nepalis are returning home each day from India for the Dashain. Office Chief Shyam Singh Chaudhary said with transit becoming overcrowded by the India-returnees, security has been beefed-up. Trained dogs have been mobilized along the border area to prevent any untoward incidents and for the security of travelers. Ram Bahadur Bhandari of Lamki Chuha who returned home from Himanchal Pradesh said he has been there for over a decade and makes his way to home each Dashain. As he said, his visit to his home is just for the festival and will be back to working stations after the Tihar.  Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bangalore, Shimla, Himachal and Haridwar are among those preferred labor destinations of people from the far-eastern Nepal. The District Police Office, Kanchanpur said it is concerned about the risk of various infectious diseases with the large entry of people from India and tests for corona, dengue and malaria and the vaccinations for COVID-19 are available along the border point.

Two persons have died after they were hit by lightning in Devangunj Rural Municipality-1 in Sunsari district today. According to the District Police Office, Sunsari, the deceased have been identified as Rita Devi Yadav (45) of Devangunj Rural Municipality-1, and Udit Chandra Yadav of the Devangunj Rural Municipality-2 in Sunsari district. DSP Raj Kumar Rai said that Ritadevi was feeding water to buffalo while Udit Chandra was cutting grass nearby his house when the lightning struck following the rainfall. The two died on the spot, said DSP Rai.

Foreign tourists' influx in Annapurna Trail has enthused the local tourism entrepreneurs. The arrival of tourists which was affected by COVID-19 pandemic and biting cold has gone up this tourist season. Altogether 7,213 foreign tourists have visited the Annapurna Circuit since January 2022 till date, according to Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). Similarly, 2,373 foreign tourists visited the Circuit in 2021 and 1,973 in 2020. Pancha Bahadur Gurung, a tourism entrepreneur from Marsyangdi Rural Municipality-4 in the district, expressed joy that he was making Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 as an income on a daily basis with the increase in the number of tourists. "The arrival of tourists has added special enthusiasm in us." Another cheerful entrepreneur Khus Bahadur Gurung shared that they were anxious about earning their living when foreign tourists were not coming to the Circuit. Gurung's whole family is dependent on the tourism business. Running the business means keeping the family alive for him. ACAP's Tourist CheckPoint Dharapani's tourism assistant officer Chettra Bahadur Gurung shared that around 80-90 foreign tourists were entering Annapurna Circuit on a daily basis lately and most of them were from Israel. The Circuit offers the trekkers panoramic views of mountain ranges, high hills and they can explore and enjoy customs and traditions of Manang's locals. While tourists choose this Circuit to reach Thorang-La Pass, Larke Pass and Kala pass while some use this route to go Tilicho Lake, the highest lake in the world. The entrance of Annapurna Circuit is in Lamjung, Beshisashar while the Circuit spans Manang, Kaski, Mustang and Myagdi districts.

The Supreme Court (SC) is to remain open for four hours during the Dashain holidays. The Court will remain open from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm to look after the habeas corpus writ, according to SC Spokesperson Bimal Poudel. This schedule will be in force till the Kojagrat Purnima on October 9. In accordance with Clause 26 of Administration of Justice Act, 2073 (2016) BS, the Court will hear the application for habeas corpus except the day of Ghatasthapana, the Vijaya Dashami and Saturday.

The Election Commission has enforced the election code of conduct, 2079 BS (2022) beginning from today in view of the elections to the House of Representatives and the Province Assembly. The voting for the twin elections will take place on November 20, Sunday in a single phase. The EC has directed the government at all three levels to make necessary arrangements for the implementation of the code of conduct. The Nepal government, ministers, Province government and ministers, constitutional bodies and office-bearers, the Government bodies at all three levels and officials there, local executive and its members, employees at the federal, province and local levels have been instructed to implement and abide by the code of conduct. The code of conduct is also for the security bodies, security officials and employees, government, semi-government and public offices and employees, political parties and their sister organizations, election candidates and people concerned, political parties and election representative of candidates, vote counting representatives and any person holding the public posts. The code of conduct aimed to ensure the election is a free, impartial, transparent and held in peaceful atmosphere was published in the Nepal Gazette on August 29.

Tourism sector, which was badly battered for nearly two years due to COVID-19, has gradually gained momentum. It may be noted that there was almost zero mobility of domestic and foreign tourists in most of the geographic areas of Nepal since March 2020. But lately, the tourism sector has witnessed a different trend with gradual rise in the inflow of tourists. This is the convenient time for tourists to plan for Manang visit. Chief of Annapurna Conservation Area Project's Area Conservation Office Lekhnath Gautam said that a total of 3,818 tourists had entered Manang during the period from mid-July through the third week of September 2022. During the reporting period, 1,330 men and 614 women from the SAARC countries visited Manang, it is informed. As many as 1,874 tourists from other countries visited the district, he shared. According to the records, Israel topped the list of tourist arrival with 428 followed by Germany (149), Spain (134), the United Kingdom (130), France (122), the United States (108) and other countries (873).