Submit your Article

The cases of scrub typhus have increased in the District Hospital Bajura amidst the monsoon season.

According to the hospital source, in the past one month, the hospital recorded nine cases of scrub typhus.  In addition to this, a case of malaria and two cases of dengue have been identified during the same period in the district of the Sudurpaschim Province.

Scrub typhus is a bacterial ailment caused by the Orientia tsutsigamushi and it is transmitted through mite bites.

The symptoms of the disease include fever, backache, loss of appetite, rash, nausea and vomiting and more, according to Hospital officiating office chief Dr Milan Joshi.

Sun Sunar admitted his six-month-old son, Imran, to the Humla District Hospital on July 31 after he developed flu symptoms. As he also developed pneumonia and diarrhea, the district hospital advised Sun to seek better-equipped hospitals three days later.

Sunar began waiting for an aircraft since air travel is the sole mode of transportation in Humla which is yet to be connected to the road network. However, since no aircraft landed in Humla for about a week, Imran passed away without treatment. “People in Humla are dying even from common illnesses like cough and cold due to lack of treatment. The government has abandoned us,” he lamented.

Kali Bahadur Shahi’s seven-month-old son, Rohit, also succumbed to lack of medical care. Doctors had recommended that Shahi, from Simikot-7 in Humla, take his son to better-equipped hospitals. However, due to the absence of flights, he couldn’t transfer his son from Humla. “My son and two other patients were waiting for a flight to Nepalgunj, but the plane never arrived,” he shared.

Aryan Pariyar, an eighteen-month-old child from Kharpunath-4 in Humla, died due to diarrhea as he couldn’t be taken to hospitals in Surkhet or Nepalgunj because of flight unavailability. Similarly, Sandesh Luhar, a five-month-old from Chankehli-4 in Humla, also passed away as he couldn’t be transferred to hospitals with better facilities.

Air services in the hilly districts of Karnali have come to a halt after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) banned flight operations after noon. Flight operations are nearly impossible due to frequent poor weather conditions in the mornings, and flights are prohibited after noon. Consequently, the people of Karnali are suffering due to lack of flights. Political parties, civil society leaders, and the general public have urged CAAN to reconsider its decision, but the authority has taken no action in this regard.

Simikot Airport in Humla used to witness 12-18 daily flights on a daily basis. However, the airport now appears deserted. While weather conditions often worsen in the morning, flights are barred from operating in the afternoon, leading to disruptions in flight operations. 

“Our suffering knows no end. With no road transport available and aircraft not coming, we are stuck,” said Devilal Upadhyaya of Kharpunath-4. “I’ve been staying in a hotel in Simkot for the past four days, waiting for a flight to Nepalgunj. I’ve exhausted all my money on food and accommodation. I'm returning home now.”

Mahendra Singh, Chief of Simikot Airport, said that the people in hilly and mountainous regions are suffering due to CAAN’s impractical regulations. “Airlines are allowed to operate flights in the morning when the weather is often unclear. The weather becomes better in the afternoon, but flights are not permitted,” he added.

Shreenath Poudel, Chief District Officer of Humla, mentioned that the issue has arisen because aviation officials in Kathmandu have imposed rules on remote hilly districts. “People are coming to the local administration seeking a solution to this problem. Political parties are echoing the same sentiment. Despite our efforts, the problem remains unresolved,” he explained.

Airlines used to operate daily flights to remote airfields such as Juphal in Dolpa, Simkot in Humla, Talcha in Mugu, Khalanga in Jumla, and Kolti in Bajura. However, these airfields are no longer seeing flights these days. Although road transport is available in other districts, Humla being an exception, it is unreliable, especially during the monsoon season. 

Talcha Airport in Mugu has not seen any flight operations in the past two weeks. Consequently, patients referred by district hospitals are unable to reach Surkhet or Nepalgunj for treatment. Durga Lawa of Chhayanath Rara-13 has been waiting for a flight at Talcha Airport for two weeks as she cannot use surface transport due to her  poor health. Hima Budha from Kapurkut in Salyan, who is currently working in Mugu, has also been waiting for flights to Nepalgunj from Talcha Airport for two weeks. “Poor road conditions make it impossible for me to travel to Nepalgunj by road,” said Budha, who is seven months pregnant. 

Since flight services are unavailable, Mugu District Hospital doctors have been referring patients to the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences in Jumla. “Some cases need to be referred to Surkhet or Nepalgunj, but due to the absence of flights, we have been referring them to Jumla,” explained Dr Karna Raj Bham. 

Prior to the implementation of the new rule, Sita Air, Summit Air, and Tara Air operated one to two daily flights to Talcha Airport. 

Dolpa has also experienced disruption in flight services for the past two weeks. Ramchandra Neupane, a civil society leader in Dolpa, criticized CAAN for playing with people’s lives by prohibiting flight operations after noon. 

Yanki Gurung from Dolpo Buddha-3 in Upper Dolpa said he couldn’t take his mother to Nepalgunj for medical treatment on time due to lack of flights. “It took us three days to reach Nepalgunj, and the journey was arduous,” he shared. 

Karnali Province Chief Minister Rajkumar Sharma emphasized the need to reform policies that adversely affect the people. “CAAN’s new rule has created hardships for the people of Karnali. Everyone has the right to life, which this rule violates. I will raise this issue with the federal government soon,” he added. 

According to the Bajura District Police Office, Agni Bohora of Budhinanda-3, Udaya Narayan Sah of Swami Kartik Rural Municipality, and Aina Giri of Jagannath-1 died due to lack of flights at Kolti Airport. Giri died while being transported to Dhangadhi by road. 

Development work halted

Kamal Gautam, who looks after Simrik Air’s operations in the western sector, CAAN’s new rule has hindered development work, as helicopters are now prohibited from carrying heavy cargo using sling operations. “We are unable to transport telecommunications equipment to Mugu, hydropower equipment to Mugu, and hospital equipment to Bajhang,” Gautam explained.

Earlier this month, the government passed the National Cyber Security Policy 2023 through a Cabinet meeting. This policy is expected to play a significant role in establishing a legal and structural foundation for cyber security in Nepal. Having provided initial suggestions on the Draft National Cyber Security Policy in 2021 and later submitting revised suggestions in April 2023, Digital Rights Nepal, a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, has prepared the preliminary analysis of the approved National Cyber Security Policy 2023.

National internet gateway: Questions on intention and objectives

The National Cyber Security Policy now encompasses entirely new provisions that were absent in the draft policy and had not been previously deliberated with stakeholders. Strategy 11.25 of policy provides for establishment of a national internet gateway. Such a measure is largely implemented by autocratic regimes, aiming to exert comprehensive control over internet activities by channeling all incoming online traffic through government-controlled gateways.

When Cambodia attempted to implement such a national internet gateway, several international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others raised strong objections.

It is a cause for concern that Nepal, a nation known for its strong dedication to upholding democratic principles and human rights, and presently a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, has introduced the concept of a national internet gateway. The provision was not included in the initial draft, and its objectives and functions have not been openly disclosed. This could potentially have repercussions not only on Nepal’s global reputation, but also on its ability to attract foreign direct investment and international assistance.

By means of the national internet gateway, there exists a possibility for the government to monitor internet traffic, exercise control over online content, and implement measures of surveillance, control, and censorship. Given the escalating regulatory pressure to employ software such as TERAMOCS for accessing citizens’ personal information and data without a legal foundation recently, the establishment of the national internet gateway will enhance the government's capacity to monitor and control digital communications and this will provide a legal basis towards a controlled internet environment in Nepal.

Provisions relating to civil rights and fundamental rights

The initial policy draft had no reference to civil rights and fundamental rights. Following recommendations from stakeholders, the approved policy’s background now acknowledges the ‘universal principle of civil rights and the commitment to constitutional fundamental rights’ and ‘importance of collaborating with civil society and the private sector.’ However, the matter of safeguarding human rights and fundamental rights is still absent from the long-term plan, strategy and work plan.

Lack of policy implementation plan

The adopted policy lacks a concrete implementation strategy. There is ambiguity regarding the timeframe for its execution, the allocation of necessary resources, and the criteria used to prioritize its implementation. The absence of a clear timeline, along with uncertainties about required resources and methodologies, have led to concerns about its timely implementation.

Superficial analysis

The policy falls short in thoroughly identifying the underlying problems. While a superficial analysis has been conducted on the deficient internal and external coordination concerning cybersecurity, the causes behind this lack of internal and external coordination remain unexplored.

Prohibitive and control-oriented approach

Under the strategy of creating a safe online space with continuous surveillance for cyber security (10.8), this policy emphasizes on constant surveillance of citizen behavior in internet and cyberspace, and has taken a prohibitive and control-oriented approach rather than the regulation of the online space. Such an arrangement could potentially create a situation of unnecessary restrictions on freedom of expression.

Constriction on the role of regulatory authority

Both the National Cyber Security Center and the Department of Information Technology are assigned the regulatory role, as agencies responsible for cyber security. After establishing the National Cyber Security Center, as the dedicated regulatory body, it is not appropriate to increase the scope of the department in the area of cyber security regulation

Apathy toward latest development and challenges

The policy does not mention how to address the latest developments and challenges in the field of technology. There is no mention of cyber security challenges associated with, for instance, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Duplication of jurisdiction and potential conflicts

The policy has placed the digital forensic investigation work under the National Cyber Security Center. Digital forensic is related to regular criminal investigation and the Nepal Police has existing jurisdiction over it. However, the policy does not address the duplication of jurisdiction and potential conflict of jurisdiction between two different government entities.

Lack of coordination mechanism with regular agencies

Cyber security is directly related to national security, but the policy does not consider how cyber security agencies will coordinate with regular security agencies and what mechanisms will be required for such coordination and collaboration.

Lack of prevention aspect in cyber security process

In the cyber security process, it would be appropriate to include an action plan related to ‘prevention’ along with Preparedness, Protection, Detection, Response and Recovery (11.9). If an action plan related to ‘prevention’ was included, the policy would have encompassed a comprehensive range of actions, from proactive measures to enhance cyber security preparedness to post-incident recovery.

Positive aspects

Policy arrangements for cyber security promotion, digital literacy, ethical hacking, use of encryption and collaboration with the civil society and private sector are some of the positive aspects of the National Cyber Security Policy 2023. It would be important to observe how these policy proposals would be translated into laws and policies.

Policy needs reform

Based on the analysis above, Digital Rights Nepal calls for the reform in the National Cyber Security Policy 2023. We call on the government, parliament, members of parliament, political parties, civil society and mass media to take the initiative for making necessary amendments to the policy, especially to repeal the provision relating to national internet gateway and amend the other problematic provisions including those aimed at content regulation, to ensure individual’s freedom and human rights.

The Department of Mines and Geology has granted licenses to 432 companies for exploring mines in the country.

The Lainchaur-based department that has been working in the areas of mines and geology since 2033 BS has granted licenses to the companies to search for potential mines for the promotion of mines-based industries in the country.

Information Officer of the Department, Narayan Baskota, said the licenses were granted to explore potential mines such as iron, copper, gold, limestone, ruby, granite, kainite and dolomite.

The Department had issued licenses to 374 mining companies for the exploration of mines last year.

"Higher number of licenses were granted to explore limestone and copper", he said, adding that those approaching for licenses for mine exploration were Chinese companies.

Only 50 percent licensed companies have started excavating for mine exploration while remaining companies are under the process for excavation, Baskota informed.

The Department had scrapped licenses of 121 companies for not being active in exploration and excavation in the fiscal year 2022/23.