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The country reported almost 70,000 new patients of tuberculosis in the fiscal year 2079/80.

According to the National Tuberculosis Center, only 37,447 patients received treatment of the total 70,000 new patients reported in the year 2079/80 BS.

Likewise, the TB claims 18,000 lives in the country every year.

The information was shared today on the occasion of World TB Day, which was marked across the country by organizing different events with the theme "Yes! We can end TB".

Director of the Centre Dr Prajwal Shrestha said that the people aged 15 to 44 are more vulnerable to TB and the prevalence of TB is also among the senior citizens aged over 65.

Presently, the government is offering anti-TB medicines for free from 6,000 plus health institutions.

According to Director Shrestha, the country is implementing intervention programs against TB as a part of 'TB Free Nepal Campaign' and the identification, diagnosis and treatment services have been implemented in 125 local levels.

The Government of Nepal has set a target to eradicate TB from the country by 2050.

With the start of trekking and mountaineering season, daily flights to Lukla have started from Ramechhap's Manthali Airport.

Tara Air, Summit Air and Sita Air started regular flights to Solukhumbu's Lukla from today. It is believed that operation of flights from Manthali to Lukla and vice-versa will make the travel of tourists to the gateway of Mt Everest easier.

Since the Tribhuvan International Airport is busy during the tourist season, airlines bring tourists to Manthali and fly them to Lukla to avoid traffic jams. A large number of foreign tourists come twice a year to Lukla for hiking and climbing.

Previously, there used to be a large number of tourists visiting Khumbu region from the first week of October to the first week of November.

Praveen Subedi, Ramechhap in-charge of Tara Air, said that the number of tourists visiting from March to May this year is very high. He says that even though the flight started last Friday, flights were not operated that day due to bad weather.

Pooja Thapa, Acting Chief at the Office of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Ramechhap, said that regular flights have been started from today with the improvement in the weather. 

She said that supply of aviation fuel has been arranged in Manthali.

Foreign tourists celebrated the Holi festival enthusiastically in Thamel, the major tourist hub in the federal capital Kathmandu and other heritage sites today.

The foreign visitors who have been here with the arrival of the spring season joined the Holi celebrations with much fanfare. Lately, there is an increasing trend of foreign tourists actively participating in the celebrations of Holi, the festival of colors.

The foreign guests were seen since early morning smearing colors at each other, singing and dancing at various locations including Thamel, Basantapur, Durbar Marg, Patan and Boudha areas.

The Thamel Tourism Development Council organized a Holi special program in front of the Employees' Provident Fund Building at Kathmandu metropolis-26.  The program featured a musical performance as well.

Council Chair Bhabishwor Sharma expressed hope that the active participation of foreign tourists in such cultural celebrations would contribute to promoting Nepal's tourism, extending the religious and cultural significance of Nepali festivals globally.

He pressed an idea of preparing a calendar incorporating our cultural festivals so as to connect values for the cause of tourism promotion. "If this happens, we can observe the tourism seasons throughout the year."

Among foreign tourists visiting Nepal, 80 percent reach the Thamel area, according to Council Vice Chair Sahadev Dahamala. 

The Council dedicates the English New Year, Nepali New Year, the Sagarmatha Day, World Tourism Day, Holi and other cultural festival celebrations to entertain foreign tourists.

The districts in the Terai/Madhesh, including Kanchanpur, will be celebrating Holi, the festival of colors, tomorrow, Monday. The festival is observed today in the hilly districts.

However, with changing times, the celebratory events of Holi are shrinking, it is said. The traditional Hindu festival, which once featured worship and prayers offered to deities such as Ram and Krishna, as well as presentations of special Holi songs, dances, stories and dramas based on social, natural, and cultural themes, has now become limited to color celebrations.

In the past, dance and singing performances relating to historic and mythical events would be carried out during the festival, symbolizing the victory of truth over falsehood.

However, literary figure Kabiraj Bhatta said that such cultural presentations have vanished over time. The present generation mainly internalizes the festival with playing with colors.

Bhatta sees the need of preserving the cultural values and prestige of the festival. Traditionally, people would visit public places and neighbors' homes to celebrate Holi. The cultural narratives presented during Holi carry historic and cultural values, according to Ramesh Pant, Chair of the Progressive Writers' Association in the far-west region.

He expressed concern over the increasing trend of consuming alcohol and haphazardly playing with colors during Holi, which as he believes undermines its aesthetic values.

Moreover, modern music has replaced traditional musical instruments during the celebrations.

The District Police Office in Kanchanpur has urged everyone to refrain from engaging in any untoward activities and to observe the festival in a decent and civilized manner. They warned of taking action against any unwanted behavior.