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Bharatpur: The motorboat service in the Narayani River has come back to operation with an exit of monsoon. The motorboat operation along the river was temporarily suspended due to rising water levels caused by the monsoon rains. 

Monsoon rains tentatively forced the service closure for a complete three months from mid-June to mid-September. However, this year the closure extended due to a delayed monsoon, according to Narayani Motorboat Entrepreneurs Association chair Ashesh Malla. 

In recent times, the availability of motorboat services on the river has attracted a growing number of domestic tourists. Around 2,000 people visit the riverbanks daily to enjoy a motorboat ride and this number remains higher during the Dashain and Tihar festivals.

The motorboat service on the river was initiated in 2019 with just one motorboat. Currently, there are 32 registered large and small motorboat companies, with 19 already serving visitors.

The service offers various packages and is available from the Narayani Bridge to Majuwa Tapu Pokhara Bus Park, Majuwa Tapu Pokhara Bus Park to Radha Krishna Temple in Gaidakot, Majuwa Tapu to Parijat Park, and from the Narayani Bridge to Devghat. Large motorboats can accommodate 18 to 25 passengers at once, while small motorboats can carry up to 12 passengers for short distances. The service charges are Rs 250 per person for the short route and Rs 1,500 for the long route.

The Bharatpur Metropolitan City imposes a 15 percent tax on the revenue generated from this service.

Sharjah: Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) held a meeting with Angelica Schempp, Consul-General of Switzerland in Dubai, and discussed fostering collaboration in the clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water sectors.

During the meeting, which took place at DEWA's head office, Al Tayer emphasised the shared commitment to advancing the global transition towards sustainable and clean energy solutions.

He added that this partnership will not only benefit the UAE and Switzerland but also contribute to the global effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Al Tayer highlighted DEWA's achievements, initiatives, and renewable and clean energy projects. One of DEWA's key projects is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world with a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030.

He highlighted the significance of innovation and digital transformation. He discussed the potential for collaboration in harnessing cutting-edge technologies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of energy and water systems.

The two sides discussed the potential for knowledge sharing and collaboration in developing and deploying clean and renewable energy sources. The exchange of expertise and technology will play a crucial role in achieving a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.

Schempp commended DEWA's efforts in developing renewable energy projects, thanking Al Tayer for the opportunity to discuss potential cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations. 

ANI

New Delhi: ​​​​​​​India successfully carried out Saturday the first of a series of key test flights after overcoming a technical glitch ahead of its planned mission to take astronauts into space by 2025, the space agency said.

The test involved launching a module to outer space and bringing it back to earth to test the spacecraft’s crew escape system, said the Indian Space Research Organization chief S. Somanath, and was being recovered after its touchdown in the Bay of Bengal.

The launch was delayed by 45 minutes in the morning because of weather conditions. The attempt was again deferred by more than an hour because of an issue with the engine, and the ground computer put the module's lift-off on hold, said Somanath.

The glitch caused by a monitoring anomaly in the system was rectified and the test was carried out successfully 75 minutes later from the Sriharikota satellite launching station in southern India, Somanath told reporters.

It would pave the way for other unmanned missions, including sending a robot into space next year.

In September, India successfully launched its first space mission to study the sun, less than two weeks after a successful uncrewed landing near the south pole region of the moon.

After a failed attempt to land on the moon in 2019, India in September joined the United States, the Soviet Union and China as only the fourth country to achieve the milestone.

The successful mission showcased India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse and dovetails with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's desire to project an image of an ascendant country asserting its place among the global elite.

Signaling a roadmap for India’s future space ambitions, Modi earlier this week announced that India’s space agency will set up an Indian-crafted space station by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040.

Active since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for itself and other countries, and successfully put one in orbit around Mars in 2014. India is planning its first mission to the International Space Station next year in collaboration with the United States.

AP

Kathmandu: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has issued a tender for the acquisition of three aircraft. The national flag-carrier has announced this tender to procure three planes intended for operating flights in remote regions.

NAC is in the midst of acquiring three Twin Otter planes for this specific purpose. It's worth noting that NAC is financing the purchase of these aircraft through its internal resources. As of now, NAC possesses just two Twin Otter aircraft for its domestic flight operations.