289 complaints lodged against loan sharks in Siraha

As many as 289 complaints were lodged at the District Administration Office Siraha against loan sharks. The government had called for the victims to register complaints against loan sharks within the deadline of August 21. It may be noted that the government had formed a taskforce to check and take action against the loan sharks. Chief District Officer of Siraha Lalbabu Kawari said as many as 289 complaints have been registered against loan sharks in the district.

KMC announces to continue demolishing illegal structures

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has announced to continue demolishing structures constructed illegally and by encroaching upon public land. "It would continue as a campaign. The structures unlawfully built in all 32 wards of KMC would not be left", said Sunil Lamsal, a member of KMC Mayor Balen Shah secretariat. He further informed that the structures constructed without obtaining official approval and built not in line with the authorized map would be removed. "KMC would first request the concerned individuals to show documents regarding construction of the structure and further legal process would be adopted if something wrong was evidenced while screening the documents", he shared. As part of the campaign, KMC had pulled down the illegally-constructed and unauthorized structures in and around Kathmandu Mall in Sundhara on Wednesday. On the same day, Mayor Shah reached Durbar Marga and directed the removal of unauthorized structures. Earlier, the street-based shops being operated at New Baneswor areas that were constructed for vehicle parking were also evacuated. Lamsal added, "Monopoly of any side would not be entertained anymore as in the past". The drive to demolish unauthorized structures began Wednesday when the concerned sides ignored the 35-day public notice issued earlier by the metropolitan city. KMC expressed its confidence that the move would help manage vehicle parking and traffic issue in the metropolis in coming days. The KMC has come up with the tough measure when there was a wrong trend of constructing big malls and collecting higher rental charges from vendors in the areas set aside for parking. "The demolition of some structure is just a symbolic move. If the owners remain obdurate to comply with the law, we would be compelled to pull down several structures in future", Lamsal added. The KMC has clarified that the drive was initiated when the concerned sides remained reluctant to come to discuss on the issue even after 35 days of the public notice, Mayor Shah shared via social media. "Do not construct unlawful structures. Please demolish the structures complying with the KMC notice if they were already built. Also do not rent in such structures", Mayor Shah added. Mayor Shah said they would do their best efforts to get rented sides compensated from the owners while demolishing the unauthorized structures. Likewise, KMC wrote a letter to the Babarmahal-based Kathmandu District Court to send details of its approved map. The metropolis has also warned the court to initiate legal process if structures were found constructed without approving map. KMC sources shared currently there are 35 buildings in Kathmandu that have been receiving tax exemption on condition of managing basement and underground parking.

KMC plans to manage waste within four days

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City said that it has planned to manage the solid waste of the Kathmandu Valley by the next four days. According to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office's Environment Department Chief Sarita Rai, works are on the progress to manage the garbage piled up on the roadside by this week. Rai said the management of the waste from major streets has been over and it has planned to collect the waste of inner roads by coming Saturday. At present, 300 vehicles reach Bancharedanda landfill site on a daily basis to dispose of waste. The number of waste containers is more than on normal days. Few days ago, Mayor Balen Shah directed private companies partnering with the KMC in the waste management to conclude the management within a week. It may be noted that management of waste generated in the Kathmandu Valley was halted for two months due to the road disruption from monsoon rains and sometimes owing to the obstruction of Sisdole and Bancharedanda folks. They obstructed the garbage disposal demanding that the agreements reached with them be implemented at the earliest. Last week, a four-point agreement was signed among the Chief District Officers of Kathmandu, Dhading and Nuwakot districts and the Sisdole and Bancharedanda folks, paving the way to dispose of the garbage again. At least 1,200 metric tons of solid waste are generated from the Kathmandu Valley and the KMC is the highest contributor (over 500 metric tons) to this volume. The KMC has been disposing garbage of the Kathmandu Valley in Bancharedanda for the past many years.

Light to moderate rain likely today

The weather is partly to generally cloudy throughout the country with chances of light to moderate rain in most of the places today, said the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning at some places in Province 1, Bagmati, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces and at a few places in the rest of the provinces. The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region while it will be partly cloudy to generally fair in the remaining regions tonight. There are chances of light to moderate rain along with thunder and lightning at a few places of Province 1 and Lumbini province, and at one or two places of the rest of the provinces tonight. The Meteorological Forecasting Division states that the minimum temperature in Kathmandu Valley was 20.4 degrees Celsius and the maximum 31.5 degrees Celsius over the last 24 hours. The lowest temperature (12.1 degrees Celsius) was recorded in Jumla while the highest temperature (36.4 degrees Celsius) was recorded in Biratnagar throughout the country in the last 24 hours.

NC leader Sitaula tests positive for COVID-19

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula has been tested positive for COVID-19. He tested positive for the Coronavirus following a medical test conducted at HAMS Hospital at Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu on Wednesday night after he complained of health issues, according to leader Sitaula's personal aide Prem Bhattarai. Bhattarai said that the septuagenarian leader's health condition is normal and is receiving treatment at home after the recommendations of the doctors. Sitaula is the coordinator of the Coalition Partners Seat Sharing Task Force formed in view of contesting the upcoming November 20 federal and provincial elections forging electoral alliance within the five coalition parties.

EC calls applications for election observation

The Election Commission (EC) has solicited applications from the national organizations interested to observe upcoming elections to the members of the House of Representatives and National Assembly. The EC has already called for applications from international organizations for election observation. In a notice issued on Wednesday, the commission has asked to submit applications with necessary documents within 15 days through the information system. According to the notice, the organizations that were involved in election observation in previous elections would not be allowed to participate in the process if their election observation report was not submitted.

Nepal to organize ambassadors-level climate change conference

Nepal will be hosting a conference of ambassadors and stakeholders concerned from the mountain countries on the theme of minimization of climate change risk in December. According to Minister for Forests and Environment Pradeep Yadav, the event will be organized on the occasion of the International Mountain Day, 2022 on December 11. Ambassadors and experts on the related field from 20 countries will join the event, aiming to draw global attention towards the impact of climate change on mountain nations. Minister Yadav said that the Ministry has already talked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in regard with its plan to host the summit and responded positively. Both resident and non-resident ambassadors for Nepal from the mountaineering countries will be participating in the event and it will be in preparations for Mountain Advocacy Summit scheduled to be held in Mustang in March, 2023, focusing on the implications of climate change in the high-hills.

Nepalgunj sub-metropolis lacks skilled firefighters

The Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City is facing a shortage of skilled firefighters. So, the sub-metropolis is ill-prepared in case of fire disasters. Bahadur Khadka, Chief of fire brigade at the sub-metropolis, said that fire engines have to be taken to their own office to fill water in the lack of water filling stations. There are three fire engines in Nepalgunj but problems have surfaced in lack of skilled human resources, complained those working in this field. Khadka opined that although at least six firefighters are required for one fire engine, only 12 human resources are working for three fire engines in Nepalgunj. The Urban Disaster and Earthquake Preparedness Project has been carrying out a study about the situation of fire control, and obstacles seen in that connection. Saying that narrow streets and dense settlements in the sub-metropolis were posing a challenge in fire-fighting in the sub-metropolis, Project Chief Shiva Subedi added there would be delay in bringing the fire under control in lack of water filling station. Most of the local levels do not have fire engines in Banke district. Out of eight local levels in Banke, only Kohalpur municipality and Narainapur rural municipality have fire engines.