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Nepal has made zero progress in exploring petroleum in the past three years. The task of exploring and extracting petro­leum products was given to a Chinese govern­ment-owned company in the wake of the acute shortage caused by the five-month-long block­ade imposed by India in 2015-16. KP Sharma Oli, the current and the then prime minister, had even signed an agreement with the Chinese government to that effect in early 2016. Immediately following the agreement, Nepali officials and technical experts from the Chinese company had conducted a field study of some half-dozen districts with petroleum potential. But even two years after the preliminary study, the exploration works remain stuck—largely due to official indifference.

It’s as if the government, which expressed strong interest in petroleum survey during the blockade, forgot about it once the shortage eased. This despite the fact that the China has pledged aid worth Rs 2.5 billion, as well as tech­nical assistance, for petroleum exploration.

What’re the chances?

Sudhir Rajaure, chief of the petroleum exploration promotion project at the Department of Mines and Geology, claims that the preliminary study was not particularly fruitful. “We had submitted detailed data on potential petroleum sites to the Chinese team. Based on our data, they had carried out field research. But the project could not move ahead as the Chinese team gave us no further infor­mation. We repeatedly wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make inquiries with the Chinese company, but we didn’t hear from them,” says Rajaure.

He informed that there are 10 potential regions in Nepal—mostly in the Madhes, inner Madhes and the Chure range—for petroleum extraction. Similar regions in Assam (India) and Potwar (Pakistan) have been producing petroleum for a long time.

“The first task is to identify the quantity and quality of petroleum at a particular site. The whole process—from preliminary study to extraction—takes at least three years. To ascer­tain the presence of petroleum in a particular site, some drilling is necessary,” says Rajaure.

In the late 1980s, the Department of Mines and Geology had drilled some 3,500m at a site in the south-eastern district of Morang. But no remnants of petroleum deposits were found. Rajaure thinks that the drilling has to go up to 4,000m deep in order to strike oil.

Extremely risky investment

But if no oil is found, it will mean a loss of billions. The work is inordinately costly as it requires sophisticated technology and high­ly-skilled technicians. So the government has reason to be hesitant about investing in petro­leum exploration. And without ‘reasonable certainty’ that Nepal has oil, renowned global oil-exploration companies won’t be attracted here, opines Rajaure.

In Kathmandu, the extraction of methane hasn’t been effective either. It has been found that 14 sites east of Teku have methane under­neath them. A preliminary study was also con­ducted in Imadol last year.

By Pawan Timilsina | Kathmandu

After first going to India and then hosting his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Prime Minister KP Oli is now laying the ground for his state visit to China in early June. Starting with his time as government head during the 2015-16 border blockade, Oli has consistently emphasized Nepal’s need to maintain a calibrated balance between India and China. The five months of the crippling blockade had cruelly brought home to Nepalis the dangers of overreliance on any one of its two big neighbors. Oli, both during his first term as prime minister and later in the opposition, continued to strongly pitch for ‘equidistant’ relations. Thus it is not surprising that having done his bit to mend his frayed ties with India, which were badly damaged during the blockade, PM Oli, in his second inning as prime minister, is now focused on enhancing relations with China. Oli has made no secret of his ambition to make Nepal a ‘vibrant economic bridge’ between the two economic powerhouses next-door. To this end, during his upcoming China trip, he will focus on operationalizing the landmark Trade and Transit treaty that he had signed during his 2016 China trip as prime minister.

“My understanding is that China wants Prime Minister Oli to come with clear plans of the projects Nepal wants to develop under the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI],” says Gopal Khanal, PM Oli’s former foreign policy advisor. “So far Nepal has failed to offer a credible and specific plan on how it is to benefit from the BRI.”

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, while speaking to media-persons in Beijing recently, seemed to suggest that Nepal was keen on having China develop some big-ticket infrastructure projects in Nepal under its BRI initiative. “Nepal has expectation that the initiative should contribute to the development of physical infrastructures, enhancing cross-border connectivity including railways and roads, pro­motion of trade, tourism and investment, and people-to-peo­ple relations,” he had said.

In other words, Nepal wants China to foot the bill, in toto, for connectivity projects. For instance, in addition to China bearing the expenses of the railway line up to Rasuwagadhi on the border, Nepal wants its northern neighbor to also pay for the rail link from Rasuwagadhi to Kathmandu (and beyond). Nepal could likewise lobby for the enlistment of the Damak Industrial Corridor project and cross-border electric­ity transmission lines under the BRI initiative.

During bilateral talks, the Chinese, for their part, may seek a formal extradition treaty, like the kind Nepal has with India, says someone privy to Oli’s upcoming China trip.

But by and large it will be a case of PM Oli putting forth a laundry list of expectations before the Chinese leadership.

Simrik Air helicopters on May 16 completed their search and rescue mission for the Bulgarian national Boyan Petrov, who had gone missing in an area of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China since April 29.

Petrov is a veteran climber who has summited all 10 peaks over 8,000m. As the operation could be undertaken only by Nepali helicop­ters, with Chinese permits, Simrik had deployed its helicopters on an immediate basis on a special request of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in New Delhi.

After the first unsuccessful mis­sion on May 11-12 to spot Petrov, involving two helicopters, on May 16 one of Simrik Air's helicopters flew over the concerned regions for the second time, again to no avail. The search flight over Shishapangma, the Tibetan mountain Petrov was climb­ing, lasted for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Further, Sherpas reached 10 meters closer to the summit. They found some of Petrov’s belongings, such as insulin, medical kit with some energy gels and his t-shirt at camp 3, but there was no sign of the climber. APEX BUREAU

Thamel stops abruptly after mid­night and so do business oppor­tunities of thousands of people who make a living there. Neither foreign tourists nor local revelers seem happy by this arrangement. “I like to go out and party sometimes on weekends but the timing is a major problem,” says Anu Shres­tha, who is in her early 20s. “Even the late-opening pubs shut down around 2-3 am and then we have nowhere to go. I don’t like going to hotels at night and I can’t go back home to disturb my sleeping family at 3 in the morning. If only they’d let us stay till the morning!”It is in order to address the griev­ance of the likes of Shrestha that the government, for a number of years, has been mulling a 24/7 open Thamel.

In 2015, a meeting between the Kathmandu District Administration, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the Thamel Tourism Development Board and Nepal Police decided to let businesses in Thamel operate for 24 hours. Ek Narayan Aryal, the then CDO of Kathmandu, had declared that Thamel would be open at all hours starting April 14, the Nepali New Year. It wasn’t meant to be.

Thamel is still the old Cinderella, with her strict midnight deadline—barring a few places that get to run till 2 or 3 am.

“The problem in Thamel right now is that Nepal Police is still understaffed and underequipped to give 24-hour security,” says Ashok Sen, co-owner of Purple Haze, one of the most popular live music ven­ues in Thamel.

Opportunities galore

Like most entrepreneurs in Thamel, Sen is a believer that open­ing Thamel for 24 hours will help lure in more revelers and tourists. Raju Damai, co-owner of Thamel-based Fire and Ibyza dance clubs, agrees. “It will increase the flow of tourists and give them more spend­ing options. More revenues for busi­nesses, more tax for the government and new employment opportunities for locals, what is there not to like about a 24/7 Thamel?” he questions.

Generally, the nightclubs in Thamel are allowed to open till 2 am, a couple of hours later than restaurants and bars because people visit nightclubs at the end of their outing. Both Ibyza and Fire have, however, taken special permits.

“Opening Thamel for 24 hours is not only about restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It’s also about oth­er businesses that cater to tourists in the area,” says Sameer Gurung, President of Thamel Tourism Devel­opment Council (TTDC), an NGO that has been promoting tourism in Thamel since 1989.

“Basic facilities like departmental stores, trekking equipment shops, liquor stores, ATM machines, med­ical stores also need to run 24/7. Only then will tourists be assured that all their needs will be catered to.” Gurung thinks that a 24-hour Thamel will perfectly complement the recent government decision to open the Tribhuvan International Airport for 21 hours a day.

Still more popular

The TTDC is mediating talks between 18 different committees in Thamel and the government for a final approval, to allow all busi­nesses in Thamel to operate round the clock. There are 150 registered hotels/guest houses/lodges, 100 restaurants and 60 bars and night­clubs in the Thamel area alone, according to the NGO. Gurung says the recent introduction of the con­cept of “walking streets” in parts of Thamel, where there are no vehicles allowed, has already increased the allure of the place, and “keeping it open at all hours will make it still more popular”. Gurung points to frequent government changes and equally frequent changes in police leadership as the main hindrance to this ambitious undertaking. The hope is that the ruling left alliance, with a near two-thirds majority, will be able to bring stability.

On law and order, “the prepara­tions are in their final phase,” says Dipak Pokharel, DSP of the Sohra­khutte Police Station that looks after security in Thamel, “In the mean­time, we do what we are supposed to: ensure that Thamel is safe for as long as it stays opens.” The Sohra­khutte station is preparing to handle more responsibilities that will come with the new status of Thamel.

No Khao San Road

But is everyone up for a 24-hour Thamel? Rabi Thapa, the author of “Thamel: Dark Star of Kathman­du”, a biography of the place, is not sold on the idea. “When people say Thamel has to keep up with or become like other tourist hotspots, I ask them ‘why?’. Thamel is unique. Also, which places are we compar­ing ourselves with?” he asks.

Thapa, who has been a regular patron of Thamel for a number of years and has travelled around the world, does not think the west­ern culture in Nepal is developed enough to offer round-the-clock entertainment. He also thinks it is important to consider the wishes of the locals who still live there. “Apart from that, Thamel is not like the Khao San Road in Bangkok. We probably don’t want a 24-hour tourist economy based on sex,” he adds. “We owe part of our youth to Thamel, and yes we were frustrat­ed that places closed early, but we always found ways to have fun, and get trashed anyway,” Thapa says.

But my interviews with various stakeholders in Thamel suggest that Thapa’s is a minority voice. Most say they are in favor of a 24-hour Thamel, if for different reasons. But if it is to happen, when?

The Assistant CDO of Kathmandu, Basu Ghimire, says the committee looking into this issue has a deadline of June 29. “Hopefully, all prepa­rations will be complete by then,” Ghimire added.

With recent developments like introduction of walking streets, 21-hour operation of TIA, no load-shedding, and Melamchi waters only months away, a 24-hour Thamel appears more and more possible.