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Cases of viral fever and dengue have been increasing in Sarlahi district for the past few days. The number of patients visiting private and government health facilities to receive treatment has increased lately.

The infection of viral fever is spreading rapidly following the change in the weather in the wake of incessant rainfall for a week, said Dr Nawal Kishore Jha, Deputy Medical Superintendent at the Provincial Hospital, Malangawa.

Patients complaining of sore throat, weakness and high fever are high in number in the hospital of late, said Dr Alok Kumar Kushbaha, Chief of Lalbandi Model Hospital.

Some 10 to 20 patients with infection of viral fever visit healthcare facilities at Lalbandi, Nawalpur, Hariban and Bagmati daily, added Dr Kushbaha.

Most of the viral fever cases were reported at Lalbandi, Nawalpur and Hariban, according to Mumtaz Mikrani, Chief of Department of Health at Lalbandi Municipality.

Similarly, cases of dengue are also on the rise in the district, according to Dr Jha at the Provincial Hospital. There are 61 dengue infected patients reported in the district at present.

To be protected from dengue and viral fever, doctors have advised to keep the surroundings clean so as to keep away mosquitoes and do not closely contact with the infected persons.

Meanwhile, those infected have been advised to take a rest and stay indoor as much as possible while it's scorching hot outside and follow health related precautions.

Baraha Pokhari Lake, a religious and tourist site in Khotang, included in the government’s list of next 100 destinations, is in a deteriorating state.

Situated in Baraha Pokhari Rural Municipality-1, this lake of great religious significance has suffered damage from monsoon floods and the subsequent debris deposits. The once spherical lake now appears altered due to debris deposits.

“Authorities in the rural municipality are not taking the necessary steps to restore the lake to its original form,” Dhruba Giri, a local of the area, said. Floodwaters continue to deposit debris in this lake which measures 330 meters in length and 210 meters in width. Some local people say that the water level has been gradually declining since the earthquake that occurred 90 years ago.

Another resident of the area, Dilliram Giri, mentioned that the 2015 earthquakes caused cracks to appear in the land near the lake. Surrounded by lush green hills on all sides, the lake has the potential to become a tourist destination if necessary infrastructure is built and needful promotional efforts are taken. However, the lake is facing an existential crisis due to a lack of conservation efforts. Despite the absence of a visible water source, the lake maintains its water throughout the year. The presence of red fish, native to the lake, adds to the allure of Baraha Pokhari.

Dhak Bahadur Karki, the ward chairman, suggests that the lake can be preserved by constructing structures to control the flow of debris. Locals say that the lake can return to its original state if water from a nearby river is diverted to it during the winter season. “Although the local unit derives its name from this lake, the authorities there are doing nothing for its preservation,” they lament.

The rare red fish found in the lake are dying due to a lack of conservation efforts. Locals report observing dead fish floating on the lake’s surface every day. Although no formal study has been conducted to determine the cause of the fish deaths, locals believe that increasing pollution in the lake’s waters is a contributing factor.

As local residents wash their clothes and bathe in the lake, it is believed that the soap water is causing the decline in fish population. Others attribute the declining fish population to rising temperatures. Fish experts explain that as water levels decrease and organic matter in the water increases, fish become susceptible to fungal infections and fluke rot disease, leading to their deaths. Some believe that the lack of attention to pond cleanliness also results in oxygen depletion due to the accumulated garbage.

Police have restricted night-time vehicular movement along the Kaligandaki corridor in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta-East).

The restriction has been imposed due to ongoing construction in the corridor.

According to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at the District Police Office, Nawalpur, Bed Bahadur Poudel, the night-time vehicular movement has been restricted taking into consideration the high risk of accidents in the corridor construction areas.

The Kaligandaki corridor is around 87 kilometers long in Nawalpur.

DSP Poudel said the ban on vehicular movement has been imposed to minimize risks.

As mobile connectivity was a big problem in almost half of the corridor section, it was difficult to carry out rescue works if accidents took place, he added.

"The corridor is under construction. It has increased accident risks. Rescue has been a big issue in the night time here", he further shared.

DSP Poudel said coordination was being made with the Nepal Telecom in regard to the installation of a mobile tower in the areas having less access to communications.

Vehicular movement will be allowed after establishing access to communications and completing the construction of the corridor, he informed.

Almost 80 percent of the under-construction Nawalpur section of the Kaligandaki corridor has been completed.

Small vehicles were being operated along the Kaligandaki corridor from Nawalpur to other mountainous districts.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has received numerous complaints against staffers and people's representatives of local units in Madhesh Province.

The Bardibas-based regional office of CIAA has jurisdiction over Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, and Sarlahi of Madhesh Province; Okhaldhunga, Khotang, and Solukhumbu of Koshi Province; and Sindhuli and Ramechhap of Bagmati Province.

According to the office, it has received 442 from Dhanusha district which is the highest in Madhesh Province. Most of the complaints are related to irregularities in Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City. Similarly, it has received 295 complaints from Siraha, 240 from Mahottari, and 236 from Sarlahi.

The majority of the complaints are against irregularities in local units. In fiscal year 2022/23 and the first month of 2023/24, a total of 1,145 complaints were received against local units. Of these, 65 have been resolved, while the remaining 1,080 are under investigation, according to the office.

Data from the regional office reveals that most of the complaints are related to irregularities in public procurement and construction, often involving collusion between staffers and elected people's representatives. “Preparing wrong estimates and specifications, splitting projects to favor contractors, making unnecessary procurements, subpar construction work, and the misuse of consumer committees to bypass laws and regulations are among the common issues mentioned in the complaints,” said Sunil Chaurasiya, a section officer at the regional office.

Additionally, there are complaints about administrative misconduct, corruption in training and capacity development, irregularities in service delivery, the use of counterfeit educational certificates and licenses, revenue leakage, and irregularities in the distribution of social security allowances, among other issues, Chaurasiya added.

Officials acknowledge that the regional office has been facing challenges in resolving cases promptly due to a backlog of cases. “Concerned offices often delay registration of our letters and take a significant amount of time to provide supporting documents. In some cases, they fail to submit any documents at all. These actions significantly impact our work,” Chaurasiya added. “When we attempt to contact the heads of the relevant offices by phone, they often do not respond.”

Chaurasiya said that investigations won’t not gain momentum if the constitutional anti-graft body does not receive the necessary support from public offices.