Submit your Article

At least 17 persons died when a bus met with an accident at Chalan Ganesthan in Bethanchok Rural Municipality-4 of Kavre district on Tuesday. The bus (Ba 3 Kha 4385) was returning from Chyalte, Bethanchok-5 when the tragedy occurred at around 6:30 pm yesterday. SP Chakra Raj Joshi of the District Police Office, Kavre said that 13 died on the spot and four breathed their last during the course of treatment. The deceased have been identified as bus driver Santosh Timilsina of Mahankal, Lalitpur, Ram Kumar Tamang of Banepa Municipality-14, Nirmala Tamang, Yogesh Tamang, Ankur Tamang, his wife Hema Tamang, Pushkar Tamang, Kopila Tamang, Shreya Tamang of Banepa Municipality-11, Jeli Tamang of Mandan Deupur-1, Buddha Tamang of Dhulikhel Municipality-11, Manju Tamang of Bethanchok-5 and Gita Shrestha of Banepa-14. SP Joshi said that the identities of four others are yet to be ascertained. A three-year-old child and five-year-old Renjen Tamang, who were critically injured in the accident, have been referred to the Annapurna Hospital in Kathmandu and Yogesh Tamang (13) has been taken to the Balmaitri Hospital for treatment, police said. Four others, who were also seriously injured in the incident, are undergoing treatment in Kathmandu and those who sustained minor injuries are receiving treatment in Banepa and Dhulikhel. Local Dib Man Lama said that the incident occurred due to over speeding. Police said that they are looking into the case.  

A pall of gloom has enveloped Chedagad Municipality of Jajarkot district following the death of 12 persons in a jeep accident. The tragedy occurred when the jeep (Karnali Province 2001 Cha 0429) heading towards Lewa from Jewa fell off a cliff at Dasera of Chedagad Municipality-4 on Monday. Issuing a condolence statement on Tuesday, Acting Chief Administrative Officer Ganga Bahadur Rokaya urged all the government and non-government offices to close the services today to mourn the deceased. Those killed in the accident have been identified as Man Bahadur Rawat (driver) of Bhagawatimai Rural Municipality-2 of Dailekh and conductor Birendra KC and Ammar Khada of Bhagawatimai Rural Municipality-3. Similarly, Dipak Adhikari, Nainasara Adhikari, Jaikubara Budha, Ram Bahadur Budha, Devisara Budha, Amar Adhikari, Nisha Adhikari of Chedagad Municipality-5 died in the incident. Jaivan Adhikari, injured in the incident, died while being treated at the Surkhet-based Province Hospital. The District Police Office, Jajarkot further said that Bir Bahadur Khatri of Chedagad-6 also died in the incident.

Police have confiscated 363 kg marijuana from Parsa. Acting on a tip-off, police seized the contraband from a truck (Na 4 Kha 6555) heading towards Bijayabasti of Parsa from Hetauda of Makwanpur. The marijuana packed in 22 cartoons were hidden by making a false bottom in the truck. It has been learnt that the driver fled the scene soon after he saw the police. The confiscated marijuana and truck have been handed over to the Area Police Office, Thori for investigation.    

Women from the Chepang community have qualms over undergoing check-up for reproductive health. Although the women health volunteers are raising awareness in villages on reproductive health, the Chepang women are still showing unwillingness to undergo necessary tests. They hardly visit health posts for pregnancy tests. ANM at Pamdanda Health Post, Richa Hitanga, said, "The Chepang women do not come to undergo health check-ups. As they do not undergo pregnancy test on time, they suffer various problems later." Hitanga further informed that until the Chepang women get their bellies bulged and others know about it, they do not visit the health facility. "It is mainly because they feel ashamed," he explained. The Chepang community is an indigenous community. Tradition of child marriage is prevalent in this indigenous group. According to ANM Hitanga, the women from this indigenous community must be made aware about reproductive health from the very school level. Most of the women have similar problems. Maya Chepang from Jaigaira said they do not go to health post until they become five-month pregnant. "I also became a mother at an early age," she said. She shared that she was repeating that the daughter-in-laws must be taken to a health facility on time for a pregnancy test, otherwise they could face risk- both in mother and child. She also recounted the plight that she lost two children. If she had tested her health on time, she could not face the tragedy. Shila Chepang has a similar plight. She lost her child as she failed to undergo a pregnancy test on time. She divulged that she, getting ashamed, did not go to the health post despite recurring health problems during pregnancy. She suggested that not only women but also the men must be made aware to ensure timely health checkup of Chepang women. In the background, Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality has been conducting an awareness program. Health section coordinator at the rural municipality, Basudev Sapkota, said they were preparing to distribute calcium to the pregnant women for at least four months. Even the ultrasound service was launched in the rural areas. He informed that the rural municipality had reached every village to raise awareness and provide health service. As per the plan of federal government, a plan was afoot to introduce 'Nutrition for Chepang' program at Ichchhakamana of Chitwan and Chepang settlement of Rapti. Sapkota however admitted that complete change was still awaited. He pointed out the need for better collaboration and coordination of all sides including the local levels to bring change in the life of Chepang women in terms of reproductive health.