Submit your Article

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has urged teachers not to disrupt classes while advocating for their rights.

The local government of the federal capital has urged teachers of the schools not to close schools so as to ensure students' right to education.

It may be noted that at the call of Nepal Teachers' Federation, teachers from various schools in the country have gathered in the federal capital, protesting against the Education Bill that was presented in the Parliament recently.

Metropolis spokesperson Nabin Manandhar said teachers are urged to resume classes by tomorrow. "Students’ right to education shall not be violated by closing schools," he said.

The local government is learnt to have instructed the Education Department within it to monitor the situation and take action if the teachers are found closing the schools in the name of protest.

Hundreds of teachers associated with Nepal Teachers’ Association staged a protest in the Capital on Wednesday against the School Education Bill.

The Bill proposes the local units to have authority to transfer and evaluate teachers and the Federation wants this authority to remain within the federal government. 

The Federation has been advocating for permanency of teachers appointed on the temporary basis, creation of sufficient quota for school employees, addressing the issues of montessori class teachers remaining outside the school structure, regular opportunities for promotion, right evaluation of performance, transfer opportunities of teachers and so on.

Federation General Secretary Laxmi Koshore Subedi has said the Federation has urged teachers and employees across the country to come to Kathmandu to take part in the protest.

He complained that the Bill failed to address agreements reached between the government and the Federation on February 21, 2019 and February 21, 2022. 

The Bill aimed to revise the education acts was registered in the House of Representatives on September 13.

Police have arrested four persons for their alleged involvement in snatching gold chains in various places of Kathmandu in broad daylight.

The suspects have been identified as Sujan Gurung (44), bike rider, of Bagbazaar, Kathmandu Metropolitan City-28, Anawar Husain Ansari (48) of Birgunj-17, Parsa, currently residing at Chhetrapati, Shakti Bhaumik (47) of Udayachowk, Modhinapur district, West Bengal, India and presently living in Kathmandu and Sachin Gadwe (30) of Goradawani, Solapur district, Maharastra State of India and currently residing in Pyukhachowk, Kathmandu-22.

Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office said that two were found involved in snatching gold chains and two in selling the robbed items.

They were on the run after snatching a two tola gold chain of Apsara Shrestha of Baluwa, Panchkhal Municipality-12, Kavre while she was walking on the road side at Kuleshwor, Kathmandu 14 at around 5 pm  on September 11.

Police said that they were nabbed from various places in Kathmandu.

The Office said that they along with the seized items have been sent to the Metropolitan Police Circle, Kalimati for investigation.

A person died when a scuffle broke out between two groups at the Kewalani-based SG Restaurant in Tilottama Municipality-9 on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Suresh Syangden (25) of Hetauda, Makwanpur.

Police said that they have arrested eight persons including Roman Tamang (19) of Likhu Rural Municipality-4, Nuwakot.

A joint team from the Area Police Office, Mangalpur and the Area Police Office, Butwal had reached the incident site after they got the information that a fight broke out between two groups under the influence of alcohol at the SG Restaurant.

They sent four injured persons including Suresh to the Bhairahawa Medical College for treatment,  but he breathed his last during the course of treatment.

Among the injured, one is said to be in critical condition.

Police said that they are looking into the incident.

The iconic vultures, nature’s efficient scavengers, are facing a grim threat in Pokhara and across South Asia due to a lack of healthy food sources and habitat destruction.

Until the 1990s, South Asia was home to tens of millions of vultures, with Nepal alone harboring millions of these birds. However, their populations began to plummet rapidly, primarily due to the widespread use of the veterinary drug Diclofenac on livestock. Vultures that consumed the meat of animals treated with Diclofenac suffered kidney damage, ultimately leading to their untimely demise.

Diclofenac nearly wiped out vultures

India reported a staggering 99.9 percent decline in its white-rumped vulture population and a 97 percent decrease in slender-billed vultures due to Diclofenac use. Nepal also witnessed a significant reduction in its vulture population. In response to this crisis, Nepal, India, and Pakistan imposed a ban on the usage and distribution of Diclofenac in 2006 by recommending Meloxicam as an alternative.

Following the Diclofenac ban, an innovative initiative known as the ‘vulture restaurant’ started established in Pithauli, Nawalparasi district. It soon expanded to Gaidahawa of Rupandehi, Lalmatiyar of Dang, Bijauri, Khutiya of Kailali, Ghachowk of Kaski and Ramdhuni of Sunsari. This effort aimed to provide hygienic food for vultures by allowing people to bring their aging cattle to these restaurants. These cattle are cared for until they naturally pass away, after which their carcasses are fed to vultures.

However, new challenges have emerged in the preservation of vultures in Nepal. Stray dogs poisoned by unknown individuals and the reckless expansion of high-voltage electricity lines have become pressing threats to these magnificent birds.

Nature’s scavengers

Vultures play a vital role in maintaining a clean environment by rapidly consuming carcasses of deceased animals near rivers, lakes, and other areas, leaving behind only bones. By performing this essential ecological service, vultures have been instrumental in safeguarding humans and other animals from diseases like rabies, plague, cholera, diarrhea, as well as anthrax, brucellosis, and tuberculosis in livestock.

Despite their critical role in environmental and public health, vultures are now endangered due to human activities and negligence. For example, an unfortunate incident occurred in Jitpur, Ramgram-4 of Nawalparasi, where 69 vultures died after feeding on poisoned dogs. Such incidents underscore the urgency of vulture conservation efforts.

Haphazard expansion of high tension lines has emerged as another challenge in vulture conservation. Vultures unintentionally perch on high-tension electricity lines, resulting in electrocution. This hazard is particularly prevalent near the Bhorletar-Damauli 33 kV transmission line of the Midim Hydropower Project where, locals say, more than a dozen vultures die every year.

Loss of habitat and grazing lands

The loss of habitat and grazing lands is another significant concern for vultures in Pokhara. Chinnedanda in Pokhara-14, Kaski, used to serve as prime grazing land for vultures before an airport was constructed. Horses, mules from the highlands, and local livestock used to graze in this area. When these animals died from the rigors of their journey, vultures would feast upon them. The construction of the airport led to the displacement of a substantial number of vultures.

Similarly, the conversion of farmlands into residential plots has negatively impacted the vulture population. These farmlands used to host a significant cattle population, and vultures would feed on the deceased animals. However, with the urbanization trend, the cattle population in Pokhara has dwindled significantly.

All nine vulture species found in South Asia can be found in Nepal. They include Himalayan vulture, slender-billed vulture, white-rumped vulture, red-headed vulture, Egyptian vulture, bearded vulture, long-billed vulture, Eurasian griffon, and cinereous vulture. Six of these species breed within Nepal, building nests in tall simal trees or high rocky cliffs.

Conservation expert Dr Hem Sagar Baral said that the environment in Pokhara and its surroundings remains suitable for vultures. Experts like Dr Baral say concerted efforts are essential to mitigate the challenges posed by habitat loss, poisoning, and electrical hazards to ensure the survival of these invaluable creatures.