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The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office has taken action against 3,116 drivers for flouting the traffic rules in various places of Kathmandu on Monday. Among them, 176 faced the music for drunk driving, 117 for breaching the driving lane, 230 for not obeying the red light signal, 312 for blowing horn at no-horn areas, 68 for keeping unclear number plate or changing its shape and size and 2,213 for miscellaneous offenses, police said. The Office has urged one and all to obey the traffic rules.

Three women died after being struck by a lightning at Malahi in Garuda Municipality-3, Rautahat on Tuesday. Police identified the deceased as Sudmiya Devi (39), wife of Rup Narayan Shahi, daughter Jagiya Kumari (17) and local Satya Narayan Sahani’s daughter Manisha Kumari (18). Critically injured in the incident, they were rushed to the City Hospital but breathed their last during the course of treatment. The tragedy occurred while they were working in the paddy field of Saroj Sahani at around 7: 30 am today. Satya Narayan’s wife Saheli Devi (40) was injured in the incident. Police said that she is undergoing treatment at the City Hospital.

The cases of drug abuse and smuggling have increased sharply in the past three years in Kanchanpur. Youths carrying drugs as brown sugar, charas, and nitro vet are arrested on a daily basis. In one and half month of the current fiscal year alone, 31 youths including three Indians were arrested for drug supply. "The people with illegal drug are arrested every day," said Police Inspector at District Police Office, Bharat Giri, adding that youths are indulged in drug abuse. He warned that if the parents, society and all tiers of governments ignore this problem, it would emerge more seriously and challenging. Till date in the current fiscal year, police confiscated 127.07 grams of brown sugar, 2.24 charas, and 255 tablets of nitro vet.  Similarly, 11 cases have been filed against drug trafficking. Inspector Giri added that the data showed rising cases of drug abuse and trafficking. Police in plain clothes have been mobilized for taking under control the wrongdoers, while the police, community police and traffic police offices have been conducting public awareness programmes. In the fiscal year, 2076/77, total 55 cases were registered against drug abuse and supply, while it ratcheted up to 143 in 2078/79BS. The data maintained by police revealed that those involved in drug abuse and trafficking were held from Punarbas, Balauri, Beldandi and Dodhara Chandani which share open border to India. The Police Office has taken under control 33 Indian nationals in this connection since 2076.  Even an Indian drug smuggler was killed in the skirmish with police while he was supplying drug at border area of Belauri Municipality. There were 141 cases filed against drug smuggling in the fiscal year, 2077/78.

Hindu women across the nation are celebrating the Haritalika Teej festival with zeal and zest on Tuesday. The day falls on the third day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the month of Bhadra. Women celebrate the festival by fasting, singing, dancing and offering prayers to Lord Shiva. The festival also marks the union of Shiva and Parbati. The festival is a three-day-long celebration which combines gatherings‚ singing‚ dancing, eating Dar and rigid fasting. The first day of Teej is called Dar Khane Din. Swastani Bratakatha explains that Godess Parvati did not consume anything except for a banana and water a night before fasting. Following the same tradition‚ women today make delicious food items and eat them in the middle of the night with other family members to mark the Dar Khane Din. The second day is the fasting day. Women spend the day without a morsel of food and a drop of water. The fasting is observed by both married and unmarried women. Married Hindu women pray for marital bliss along with well-being and prosperity of their spouse while unmarried pray to the deity in the hope of getting ideal husband in future. The festival also marks the purification of their body. The third day of the festival is Rishi Panchami. Women pay homage to seven saints or sages and offer praying to various deities and bath with red mud found on the roots of the sacred datiwan bush, along with its leaves. This act of purification is the final ritual of Teej. Women clad in red sari, bangles, mehendi and ornaments throng Shiva temples, especially Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, to offer prayers. According to the Hindu mythology‚ Goddess Parvati fell in love with Lord Shiva. She wanted him as her life partner. Parvati then fasted and prayed for Shiva. She did not drink even a single drop of water. Pleased by her devotion‚ Shiva granted her wish and finally Parvati was able to get him as her spouse.