Submit your Article

The Nepali Army (NA)'s contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping missions is memorable. The NA has been contributing to the UN peacekeeping missions since 1958 and it has strongly proved its role in the establishment of peace in the war-hit countries. The Nepali blue helmets have also been playing a commendable role in the areas of education, health and other humanitarian sectors in the UN peacekeeping mission where they are deployed. It is said so far 60 contributors to the world peacekeeping missions from Nepal have attained martyrdom while on duty and 66 have got serious injuries. The professionalism of NA personnel has played a role in establishing Nepal's deeper ties with many nations in the world and citizens there, Nepal's foreign relations experts say. At present, Nepal holds the third position in terms of the number of troops it is sending to the peacekeeping missions at the call of the UN, according to NA. In a 64-year journey to the UN efforts to keep world peace intact, 140,366 blue helmets have contributed to 43 missions. Participants of a program on need of work efficiency in the UN peacekeeping mission and a future organized on the occasion of the UN Day said the NA's role it played under the umbrella of UN peace operations were commendable. Government's Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi was of the view that Nepal's support, cooperation and contribution to the UN peace campaign was incomparable. "The NA has been abiding by UN genuine instructions during the crisis in the war-hit countries," he said, adding that it deserves the same role in the future, too. Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma said the NA was efficiently doing its role for the peace establishment given to it in the highly sensitive zone. The NA deputes a disciplined, professional and brave workforce in the management of multidimensional conflict seen lately in the world," the NA Chief said. On the occasion, General Birame Diop, Military Adviser in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), UN released a coffee table book 'Nepali Army: Strengthening Global Peace and Security' with pictures of the activities of the Nepali Peacekeeping Force. The NA received a message of appreciation from the UN in recognition of its support in the world peace efforts, wishing for the success of today's program. At the moment, 5,568 soldiers are deployed for peacekeeping in 12 zones in 11 countries of the world. Similarly, 42 Nepal Police personnel and 194 Armed Police Force personnel are deputed to various countries at the call of the UN. It is said. The presence of Nepali security forces in such countries has largely contributed to the creation and cultivation of the military-civic relations. The UN has so far allocated the responsibility of force commander to nine high-level officers At the call of the UN, blue helmets get training at the Birendra Peace Training Center based in Panchkhal of Kavrepalanchok. Nepal has already committed to the United Nations that it is capable of sending around 10,000 peacekeepers if necessary. The UN founded on October 24, 1945 has won the Nobel Prize for its significant contribution to world peace.

Two persons were killed and two sustained injuries in a tractor accident at Ullani, Shailyashikhar Municipality-6 of Darchula district on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as tractor driver 45-year-old Panchu Rana of Laljhadi Rural Municipality-5, Kanchanpur district, and Santosh Singh Daga of Shailyashikhar -5, said Inspector Rajesh Shahi at the District Police Office, Darchula. The tractor (Su Pa Pra 02001 Ta 1467) was heading towards Gokuleshwor from the district headquarters, Khalanga when the incident occurred last evening. The tractor fell some 150 metres down the road. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Gokuleshwor Hospital, police said.    

The 171-megawatt Dudhkoshi-6 Hydroelectricity Project is to be constructed at Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality-3 in Solukhumbu. The river-based project is being developed by the private sector's Sagarmatha Hydropower.  The district is lately becoming a hub of hydropower projects. A diversion ware, under sluice, gravel trap, settling, basin, headrace pipe, headrace tunnel, surge tank and audit tunnel will be built as major structures under the project. The project is capable of producing 984 Gigawatt annually. The route to reach the project will go along the Dudhkoshi river bank.  The net head of the project will be 367 meters. It will have an underground power house. The power to be generated from the project will be connected to the Nepal Electricity Authority's Naya Khimti substation via the 63-kilometer 220 KV transmission line. The total cost of the project is Rs 30.80 billion. The environmental impact assessment report of the project has been already prepared. Releasing the report, the Ministry of Forestry and Environment has urged the concerned agencies or the residents of the affected zones for submissions. The project will have to acquire 8.3 hectares of land. During the project implementation phase, 550 will be directly employed. The project has allocated Rs 137.59 for the reduction of biological environmental impact.    

Vulnerable settlements will be shifted to safer locations and efforts will be made to mitigate the climate change which has been taking a toll on the agriculture sector. Plastic bags against the standard and the materials which have been negatively affecting the environment will be banned. The points of joint manifesto prepared by the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center) in 2017: --Collective efforts will be made to minimize the impacts of climate change. --Institutionalized and other processes essential against climate change will be started all the earliest. --The program will be started as a campaign by mobilizing the youths, students and women. The points of the election manifesto prepared by the Nepali Congress in 2017 --Major political parties raised the issues of climate change in their party’s election manifesto five years ago. People also gave nearly two-thirds of their votes to the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center) in 2017. The Nepali Congress faced a humiliating defeat. But, the Congress came to power after three years. The major parties led the government for five years. Neither they raised the issues of climate change as per the manifesto nor they organized any programs when they were in the government. Experts have said that the political parties have not taken the issues of climate change seriously. Dr Bimal Regmi said that it is unfortunate that the issues of climate change have not become the agenda of the political parties. The main agenda of the political parties during the election time is just the development of infrastructure. “The political parties give priority only to the development of infrastructure which can be seen by the people,” he said, adding, “The problems of marginalized communities and people have never become the agenda of the political parties. The parties have not been able to make practical commitments.” Now, the country is gearing up for the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly again. But, the political parties have not made their commitments public yet. Experts have underlined that the political parties should include the issues of climate change in their election manifesto and should come up with various programs to minimize the effects of climate change. Climate change expert Madhukar Upadhyay said that the issues of climate change get priority only during the time of COP. “Political parties talk about the issues of climate change only during the time of COP,” he said. He expressed his grievances that the issues of the environment are discussed only on Environment day. “We only talk about the ways to mitigate the climate but never take initiatives to implement them,” Upadhyay said. Interestingly, the issue has not even been raised in the Parliament, he said. “No one is interested and no one cares about the issue,” he said. Recently, the floods in Far-Western region have caused a huge loss. Last year, the floods destroyed the ready-to-harvest paddy crops in the Far-Western region but the government has not been able to give compensation to the people yet. This clearly shows how serious the political leaders are in Nepal, experts said. Upadhyay said there is no one who has been taking the issue of climate change seriously in the country. Some NGOs and INGOs have been doing little from their sides. But, the questions still persist, who will look after the small problems at the local level. Another climate change expert Manjit Dhakal said that it can be taken in a positive way that the political parties have included the issues of climate change in their election manifesto. “But, it has been limited only in the manifesto,” he said, adding, “The issue of climate change has a direct and indirect impact.” The impact of climate change can be seen on the three main sources of the economy, energy, agriculture and tourism. Though the COP has brought the issues of climate change to the international platform, the COP is not everything, Dhakal said. “There are many problems in the country. The problem of farmers always becomes the headlines,” he said, adding, “Unseasonal rain inundated human settlements. But, the government has not been able to raise awareness among the farmers on time.” The agenda and manifesto of the political parties are considered as the important basis to run the country. People trust the agenda and manifesto made public by the political parties. It is obvious for the people to believe that the parties will implement all the commitments made while canvassing the votes after being elected. But, there are many instances that the commitments expressed by the political parties in the manifesto have been limited only to paper.