Submit your Article

The rhino census, which is conducted every five years, has become uncertain due to lack of budget.

This year, there has been a shortage of budget for conducting rhino count as it has been done depending on funding from donors.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has been conducting rhino census in collaboration with various agencies working with the park.

Department's ecologist and information officer Haribhadra Acharya said that an agreement had been reached with USAID's 'Jal Jungle project' for the purchase of the necessary equipment for conducting the rhino census, but the census has become uncertain now that the project is suspended.

The project had already started the process of procuring materials by issuing a tender notice. The project was to bear the expenses of GPS equipment, laptops, large cooking utensils, tents and other materials required during the census inside the park.

"The project was supposed to provide materials worth Rs 5 million. It is estimated that around Rs 15 million would be required to complete the census," he said.

Preparations were made to conduct the census in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund Nepal, ZSL Nepal, National Trust for Nature Conservation and other organizations.

According to him, the rhino census has to be done by mid-April. Preparations were made to conduct the census from March 18 to April 7 and release the results by the second week of April.

"The census can't be beyond mid-April. The preparations for it take at least 10 days,” he explained.

Acharya, the Department's Information Officer, said that the department's census program would be affected as the project of the donor agency was suspended in the last hour.

Director General of the Department, Dr Ram Chandra Kandel, said that the suspension of the donor support has affected the counting during the final preparations.

He added that the rhino census could be conducted if the budget is received after discussing the matter with the ministry or else, they will be forced to suspend it.

The tiger census will have to be carried out next year and he said that it would be easier to conduct the tiger census next year if rhino count could be done this year as it would not be possible to conduct both censuses at the same time.

Although the rhinos are being monitored, the census has to be done to find out their exact number and condition. The last rhino census was conducted in 2021.

The census will make it easy to determine the number of rhinos inhabiting a particular area and to manage it.

The endangered one-horned rhino is found in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shukla Phanta national parks. The Chitwan National Park has the highest number of rhinos at 694 as per the 2021 census. The number of rhinos in Nepal has reached 752.

Five rural municipalities in Humla district have had no chief administrative officer since the third week of January.

The post of chief administrative officer is lying vacant at Simkot, Sarkegad, Chankheli, Adanchuli and Tanjakot rural municipalities in the district. The officers assigned by the government have not arrived here yet.

The absence of significant officers has badly affected daily activities, putting service seekers at the receiving end.

The winter municipal assembly has also been delayed. Adanchuli Rural Municipality had decided to hold its assembly on February 9, but had to postpone later due to not having the administrative officer, according to rural municipality chair Mohan Bikram Singh.

"For not having an administrative officer in place, the activities ranging from daily services to development projects were halted in the rural municipality," he said, adding that payments for various projects were also pending in absence of the executive.

The delayed payment also causes delay in implementation of projects.

Flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have been disrupted due to low visibility following bad weather.

Spokesperson at the TIA Office, Rinji Sherpa, said an aircraft of Qatar Airways flew from Doha to Kathmandu was diverted to Kolkata.

Similarly, Kathmandu-bound Nepal Airlines airplane from Malaysia and Air China's plane were also diverted.

A flight of Sichuan Airlines was cancelled due to bad weather. Likewise, many domestic flights were affected following the unfavourable weather.

According to TIA Office, flights on Kathmandu-Pokhara, Kathmandu-Bharatpur, Kathmandu-Nepalgunj, Kathmandu-Rajbiraj, Kathmandu-Biratnagar, Kathamndu-Janakpur, Kathmandu-Bhadrapur, Kathamndu-Bhairahawa routes were cancelled.

Similarly, most of the flights have been delayed. Sherpa added that however, flights have resumed normally from the afternoon. 

Surendra Tuladhar of Panipokhari, Kathmandu has become the first fortnight winner of the annual subscription campaign, “Jasle Padchha, Awasya Parchha” launched by Annapurna Media Network across the country.

In the weekly lucky draw held at the Tinkune-based headquarters of Annapurna Media Network on Friday, Surendra Tuladhar of Panipokhari with receipt number 1319-81 became the winner.

Samita Budhathoki, International Business Manager of Annapurna Media Network America, had picked Tuladhar’s name from the lucky draw.

After being the winner, he will get a one year full 100 Mbps internet package from Dishhome Internet as a gift.

Readers renewing their subscription or becoming new annual subscribers to Annapurna Post and The Annapurna Express will receive guaranteed gifts upon subscribing.

The annual subscription fee for both newspapers is set at Rs 3,400 each.

Annual subscribers will receive a voucher worth Rs 1,500 for Wonderland, where they can enjoy thrilling games, as well as a movie voucher from INI Cinemas.

Alternatively, subscribers can opt for scratch cards offering cash discounts ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,400, along with INI Cinemas movie vouchers and tickets for Annapurna Cable Car.

 The campaign also offers exciting weekly and monthly prizes. Weekly lucky draw winners will receive OPPO mobile phones and Rs 5,000 vouchers for Tranquility Spa.

 Monthly winners will be rewarded with washing machines and Rs 5,000 Tranquility Spa vouchers. The campaign, which is valid nationwide, will run for four months.