2 killed as house catches fire in Panchthar
Two persons died and two other sustained inquiries when a fire broke out at a house in Phidim Municipality-5, Ghumaunetar of Panchthar district in the wee hours of Wednesday. DSP Hari Khatiwada of the District Police Office, Panchthar said that the fire belonging to one Megh Bahadur Gurung was destroyed in the fire that occurred at around 1:30 am today. The deceased have been identified as Gurung’s daughter-in-law Asang Singh Thebe (23) and daughter Mamata Gurung (22). Police said that Megh Bahadur and Bijendra Gurung were injured in the incident. It has been learnt that property worth around Rs 5 million was destroyed in the fire. The reason behind the fire was electric short circuit. The fire was taken under control with the help of police personnel and locals after three hours.
KUKL constructing 796 kms distribution network to supply Melamchi water
Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) Project Implementation Directorate has been constructing 796 kilometers distribution network for the supply of Melamchi drinking water in the second phase. Spokesperson of the Directorate, Chandra Kumar Pan Shrestha, told RSS that out of 796 km distribution being constructed at Baluwatar, Swoyambhu, Mandikhatar and Kapan area, construction of 427 km has already been completed. The remaining work would be completed within the end of the current fiscal year, he added. Four construction companies have been constructing distribution network. Second phase of 796 km distribution network is under construction at a cost of Rs 7.36 billion. The Directorate has already constructed 1,110 km distribution network in the first phase.
Mexico prison attack kills 14, dozens of inmates escape
At least 14 people died in a brazen armed assault on a prison in the Mexican border city of Juarez on Sunday, officials said, CNN reported.
The Chihuahua state attorney general's office said in a statement that 10 security guards and four prisoners were killed and 13 others were injured.
The incident began around 7 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) on Sunday when gunmen in armored vehicles arrived at the prison and opened fire on security personnel, the prosecutor's office said.
Authorities said inmates took advantage of the situation and 24 prisoners escaped.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
CNN has reached out to the attorney general's office for more details about the status of the investigation.
Ciudad Juarez, just across the US-Mexico border from El Paso, Texas, is one of Mexico's deadliest cities and an epicenter of drug cartel violence. The rival Juarez and Sinaloa cartels have been fighting a bloody turf war in the region over lucrative smuggling routes and for drug-dealing territory in the city, according to CNN.
Sunday's violence was not the first time violence has erupted at the prison. Last August, hundreds of Mexican troops were sent there after a clash between the two cartels caused a riot and shootouts that killed 11 people.
Plan to project Pashupatinath power planet-wide
The government has prepared a second master plan that aims to highlight the international significance of Pashupatinath Temple. While the temple is primarily associated with the Hindu religion, the government aims to create a welcoming environment for people of all faiths to visit and experience the temple's rich tangible and intangible assets. Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), an autonomous body formed in 1988, has been overseeing the task of protecting, managing and developing the tangible and intangible heritage of the temple area. Last week, PADT approved the second master plan, which focuses on promoting the international significance of the most revered temple in the country. Ramkumar Phuyal, a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), says the second master plan for the Pashupatinath temple area is a national pride project. He believes the Pashupatinath temple area has the potential to gain an international renown due to its rich heritage. To promote the temple on the international stage, the PADT is undertaking the first-ever excavation of seven important sites in the temple area. These sites include Pashupatinath, Kailash, Bhashmeshwar Ghat, Navagraha, Karmuka Suvarnapuri, and Devpattan, and places with references to the Gopal dynasty and Kirant period. The Pashupati Area Conservation and Management Master Plan, which was prepared two years ago but not approved at the time, has now been revised and completed by a nine-member technical committee consisting of experts such as Chandramani Adhikari and Damodar Gautam, among others. The plan has been approved by the PADT board of directors. The master plan states that historical and cultural heritages in the Pashupatinath temple area will be protected and managed. Culture experts say Pashupatinath temple is located in the ancient settlement known as Devpattan, and it reflects the architecture of the Lichchhavi era. The temple area is also considered an archeological site and an open museum. The master plan will protect over three dozen Lichchhavi-era inscriptions discovered in the area. PADT Member-Secretary Milan Kumar Thapa says the implementation of the master plan will transform the entire Pashupatinath area. The master plan, he says, prioritizes the study, research, exploration, and excavation of seven key areas and references, including Pashupatinath and Kailash, with the assistance and coordination of the Department of Archeology. The main objective of the master plan is to protect and manage the archeological and cultural heritage sites in the Pashupatinath area, including Devpattan, various ghats, sacred caves, religious river, forests, and the local flora and fauna. The government is preparing to invest Rs 1.3bn in the first five years to implement the master plan. The plan is to spend Rs 300-350 million annually thereafter. This does not include regular development expenses of the PADT. Pashupatinath is renowned for its distinctive art and architecture. As the most important of the 12 Jyotirlingas, or Maha Jyotirlinga, it is considered a highly sacred site by Hindus the world over. Hindus believe that a pilgrimage is not complete unless one visits the Pashupatinath temple. Cultural expert Bhim Nepal notes that the various forms of art and architecture at Pashupatinath reflect different periods in Nepal’s history, and they must be conserved. The master plan also aims at protecting and managing the Guthi, a committee that has been preserving the tangible and intangible heritage of the Pashupatinath area since the Lichchhavi period. Nepal, who is also a former director general of the National Archives, says there is an international significance of conserving and managing Pashupatinath as one of the oldest recognized sites in Kathmandu Valley. He adds the references to Pashupati in the context of Nepal in the Himavat Khanda, an ancient scripture, further highlighting the importance of Pashupatinath. The master plan also seeks to revitalize the fairs and festivals that are integral to the Pashupatinath area's intangible culture and heritage. Some of these fairs have disappeared, while others are at risk of disappearing. The master plan aims to make fairs such as the Akashbhairav Jatra, Bachhaleshwari Jatra, Bajreshwari Jatra, Sri Jayavageshwari Jatra, Ropai Jatra, Khadga Jatra, Gaijatra, Shiva-Parvati Jatra, Shri Krishna Jatra, Indra Jatra, Ganesh Jatra, Guheshwari Jatra, and Madhavnarayan Jatra more managed. Sitaram Risel, deputy director of the PADT, adds major festivals that take place at the temple, such as Mahashivaratri, Bala Chaturdashi, Dhanurmas, Navratri, Dashain, Teej and Chhayan Darshan, will also be promoted. Suresh Adhikari, secretary of the Ministry of Culture, says that the master plan will be sent to the National Planning Commission, as it is a national pride project. The budget for the plan will be included in the multi-year system once the commission approves it. The Ministry of Finance will then allocate the budget accordingly. Meanwhile, the PADT board of directors has decided to prohibit new construction, except when necessary, at the core Pashupatinath area. Under the master plan, new structures would be allowed to be built only on the land next to the Tilganga Eye Hospital. The board has also incorporated plans to build a Sanskrit university, international research center, hospital, old age home, and a religious center on 534 ropani of land in Gothatar. Pashupatinath attracts a large number of visitors, with numbers reaching as high as 700,000 on Maha Shivaratri, 400,000 on Teej, and around 200,000 on Bala Chaturdashi and Mondays of the Nepali month of Shravan (mid-July to mid-August). On other days, the visitor footfall is around 25,000. What’s in the master plan? The government has developed a master plan with seven strategies to make Pashupatinath a destination for all. These include strategies to promote Shaiva philosophy and eternal form and belief in religion, faith, sanctity, and spirituality; protect the cultural, archeological, and historical heritage of both tangible and intangible nature; develop Pashupatinath as an international pilgrimage site; provide human, social, and public welfare services; protect and promote natural resources and biological diversity; manage disaster risk in the Pashupatinath area; and organize, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the work in the area.



