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Long, medium and short distance vehicles heading outside the Valley would operate their service from the New Bus Park, Gongabu, from June 16. Organizing a press conference today, Microbus and Jeep Coordination Committee said jeep and microbus service, which is being operated from different places of Kathmandu, would be operated from the New Bus Park. Committee coordinator Rajendra Acharya said they decided to operate jeep and microbus service from New Bus Park to implement the decision of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The KMC had on June 2 urged the stakeholders to operate all vehicles traveling outside the Kathmandu Valley from New Bus Park. "We are ready to implement the decision of the local government. The KMC should strictly ask all bodies concerned to implement the decision. We are ready to support KMC", he mentioned. Microbus and jeep services are now in operation setting up counters at different places including Balkhu, Kalanki, Balaju, Machhapokhari, Gongabu and Koteshwor. Acharya urged passengers to get tickets from counters located at bus park. He also requested the KMC to make arrangements of 'pick and drop ' for a certain period of time in the previous places for the convenience of passengers while operating the microbus and jeep service from New Bus Park.    

The Tribhuvan University (TU) has sought applications from those campuses wishing to opt for a merger. The TU today issued a notice inviting applications from campuses affiliated to it or running as its constituent colleges that are interested in merging. Applications are needed to be submitted to the TU Office of Planning Directorate by mid-July. Campuses interested in merging are first required to take a decision on merging either through the Campus Assembly or the respective management committee, the notice stated. According to the notice, applications are sought separately from campuses agreeing for a merger and the documents should include a clear explanation of the reasons and relevance behind the proposed merger.  

Illya Bhatarai, 68, is a short stories and travel writer. She has five short-story collections, one children’s short storybook and five travelogs to her name. Among them, she is prominently known for ‘Dakshinayan’ and ‘Misar’. She is also the youngest daughter of the renowned Nepali writer Madan Mani Dixit. Babita Shrestha from ApEx talked to Bhattarai to know more about her work. How do you feel about your work?  To me, all my books are like my children. Each one of them is my favorite. Completing stories or any writing is a meditative process. They help me overcome triggering incidents and traumas. Writing satisfies and gives me comfort. Being a mother, I used to tell stories to my children. Writing children’s stories felt as if I was telling them stories. What themes do you work on? How do you develop the characters and narrative? There is a common misconception that writers are influenced by their own experiences and personal histories. But that isn’t always the case as many authors make an effort to assemble and analyze the social events and experiences that have had an impact on them. I write about issues that provoke me. I overthink and put myself in these situations when I’m psychologically  disturbed. And when I’m filled with all the ideas and information, I prepare myself to write. I usually write in a first person narrative. While working on travelogs, I try to recall all the happy and difficult moments I’ve experienced. Rather than themes, my travelogs are more about imagery, setting, and emotions attached to my journey. As for plot and character, I get them from the actual incidents which I then try to portray in my personal style. During the maoist insurgency, I talked to three girls who were kidnapped, bought as slaves, and sexually abused. This incident disturbed me so much that I wrote a story based on it. Which books and authors inspire you? When I was in my teenage years, I enjoyed the works of an Indian writer, Gaura Pant, also known as Shivani. She used a lot of Sanskrit words and I found it so beautiful.  I’m also fond of reading Taranath Sharma. I enjoy the use of colloquial language and writing structure. Also, I love reading my father’s writing. I think these three writers have influenced my writing style. After the publication of my recent book ‘Misar’, I got a call from a well-known writer. He praised the use of Sanskrit in my book and voiced his surprise when he found out I wasn’t an expert at it. Shivani’s books have indeed left a lasting impression. Can you tell a little about ‘Misar’ and ‘Dakshinayan’?  After Madan Puraskar, Uttam Shanti Puraskar is taken as one of the prestigious awards in Nepal. I’m proud to say that my book ‘Dakshinayan’ received that honor. Similar to how ‘Ramayana’ was titled after Rama’s journey, I called my travels to the south ‘Dakshinayan’. It details my trips to Uttarakhand, Manali, Shimla, and other locations in India. Misar is the story about my vacation in Egypt. Travel writings on Egypt are rare in Nepali literature. Also, I believe that it’s crucial to understand Egypt’s 5000 years of history, civilization, and monuments. As I observed the pyramids, graves, and other fascinating features, I felt compelled to inform my readers about Egypt. It was recently released in March 2023. Did your father ever help you in editing your work? When I started writing, my father was unaware of it. I used to hide my writings from him as I wasn’t confident about it. My husband found my manuscript and he sent it to a publishing house. It got published and eventually my father happened to read that. He praised my writing and asked for more. He even encouraged me to publish my other works .From that day, whenever I wrote, I showed it to him beforehand for recommendations. He has not just been an editor but also my biggest cheerleader. How do you ensure your writing stands out from that of other writers? My father advised me to focus on using Nepali vocabulary in Nepali writing and to use less foreign words. He believed that Nepali language is the best thing Nepali art has to offer. When I reviewed my work, it seemed I  mostly used Hindi and Urdu. Over the years, I worked on it since I personally began objecting to the use of foreign language. Even now, most people replace ‘tarkari’ with ‘sabji’ and ‘samaya’ with ‘time’. I think this has to stop in Nepali books. I guess my work will stand out because of its simple Nepali vocabulary and entertaining writing style. Bhattarai’s picks: Belaet Tira Baralida by Taranath Sharma It is a Nepali travelog written by Taranath Sharma which was published in 1970 by Sajha Prakashan. It was also awarded the Madan Puraskar. Madhabi by Madan Mani Dixit Madhabi by Madan Mani Dixit is a Nepali mythological novel published in 1983 by Sajha Prakashan. The book won the Madan Puraskar in the same year.

The Weather Forecasting Division has predicted a heat wave in the Tarai belt of Nepal for the coming five days. The Division has made aware the people to adopt preventive measures to save themselves from heat waves. Issuing a special bulletin, the Division said that the current status of temperature and analyses shows most of the parts in Tarai region will see gradual rise on both maximum and minimum temperatures. So, necessary precaution is essential, it added. The heat wave is called 'loo' when the temperature rises above 40 degree Celsius. Similarly, even the hilly area and valleys will witness rising temperatures. The Forecasting Division appealed to all to stay updated on the information and notices it issues periodically on the latest weather events. Most of the places in the country have seen rise in both maximum and minimum temperatures for some days. The Tarai belt recorded more than 40 degree centigrade temperature. Fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle cramp, dizziness, muscle pain and vomiting can be caused by loo. It has further suggested people to stay at home, in cool places, wear cotton clothes, cover their heads while walking outside, and increase juice and water intake to avoid the effects of heat waves. In case of health problems, consultation with health workers and medical persons has been suggested. Currently, Nepal is undergoing the partial effect of westerly wind and of the low-pressure system of Bihar, India. Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall has been predicted in some places of Koshi, Madhes and Bagmati Provinces. The minimum temperature in the Kathmandu Valley has been recorded at 18.8 degree Celsius while maximum is 29 degree Celsius.