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The monsoon trough is towards the north of its average position at present. 

The Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology stated that the weather will remain generally cloudy across the country today.

Moderate rainfall is expected in most parts of the hilly region of the country as well as in the Tarai region. Similarly, heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in the hilly areas of Koshi Province.

Likewise, the weather is expected to remain generally cloudy across the country tonight, with a forecast of moderate rainfall in some areas of the hilly regions of Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces, as well as in parts of the hilly and Tarai regions of the remaining provinces. 

A very heavy rainfall to heavy rainfall is also likely at one or two places in the hilly areas of Koshi and Bagmati Provinces and some areas of the Tarai belt, and a heavy rainfall in one or two places of the hilly parts of Gandaki Province and the Tarai belt of Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces.

The western and central parts of the country are under the influence of the Westerly and local winds at present, while most parts of the Koshi Province are experiencing the influence of monsoon winds, the Meteorological Forecasting Division said.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy across the country this afternoon with chances of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning in some places of Koshi, Gandaki, Lumbini, and Sudurpashchim Provinces, as well as at one or two places in the remaining provinces.

There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in one or two places in the Koshi Province and of light rainfall and snowfall at some places of the high hilly and mountainous region of the country.

Similarly, tonight the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly areas of the country including Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces, while it will be fair in the rest of the country.

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur in some places of Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces, as well as in one or two places of the hilly regions of the remaining provinces.

There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in one or two places of Koshi and Madhes Provinces. Similarly, there are chances of light rain and snowfall in some areas of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces tonight.

Koshi Province is all set to host its first-ever Investment Summit on May 1-2 in the provincial capital, Biratnagar. The provincial government aims to attract investments worth nearly Rs 175bn through the event, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, Saroj Koirala, CEO of the Provincial Investment Authority, said the summit marks a historic and result-oriented initiative for the prosperity and development of Koshi Province, which holds immense investment potential. The government will showcase 71 large-scale projects, each valued above Rs 100m, across eight key sectors including tourism, agriculture, industry, energy, infrastructure, and IT services.

According to Koirala, the total estimated cost of these showcased projects stands at Rs 173.49bn. To facilitate investment, the provincial government has amended eight key laws through ordinances, aimed at creating an investor-friendly legal framework.

On April 29, Province Chief Parshuram Khapung issued the ordinances, following the recommendation of the provincial cabinet. According to Rewatiraman Bhandari, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law and spokesperson of the provincial government, the amended laws include the Public Private Partnership and Investment Authority Act 2019, Provincial Cooperative Act, Provincial Transport Management Act, Provincial Building Act, Provincial Industrial Enterprises Act, Provincial Tourism Act, Koshi Province Private and Partnership Firm Registration Act, and the Provincial Forest Act.

Minister Bhandari said these legal reforms are expected to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and ease the investment process. Coordination has also been made with the federal government, which has already amended several related laws, and further legal initiatives are underway.

Investors from China, Russia, the United States, South Korea, India, along with non-resident Nepalis and prominent domestic industrialists, are expected to attend the summit. The event will feature six thematic panel discussions, covering areas such as agriculture and tourism potential, industrial production and marketing, infrastructure development and energy, and opportunities in health and medical education.

The opening day will include discussions on Koshi Province’s investment environment and intergovernmental coordination across Nepal’s three levels of government. To ensure the summit leads to tangible outcomes, the provincial government has also planned a pre-meeting and will conduct periodic follow-up meetings post-summit to address implementation challenges.

Koirala said the government is preparing to sign agreements to move forward with at least two dozen projects during the event.

Preparations have been completed for the Investment Summit to be hosted by the Koshi Province government.

This information was shared at a press conference organized by the Province Investment Authority today.

The Summit will be held at Birendra Auditorium in Biratnagar.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to inaugurate the Summit on Thursday and it will conclude the next day.

The organizers hope that this conference would be historic and fruitful for the prosperity and development of Koshi Province, which has immense potential in terms of investment.

Executive Director of the Authority, Dr Saroj Koirala, informed that 71 projects will be showcased in the Summit and the total estimated cost of these projects is Rs 173.49 billion. These showcased projects are from the tourism, agriculture, industry, energy, infrastructure, IT and service sectors. Investors from Nepal, India, China, Russia, the US, South Korea and other Western countries will participate in the event.

Executive Director Dr Koirala shared that the summit will discuss six different topics of agriculture, tourism, industrial production, marketing, infrastructure development, energy and health services and medical education.

Similarly, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Rewati Raman Bhandari opined that the Investment Summit would help increase employment and boost domestic capital in the province. He also expressed commitment to amend the laws that hinder the investment.

Likewise, Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Ram Bahadur Magar opined that the investment summit would help in making the province economically strong, creating employment and developing potential sectors to attract tourists and increase production.

There is now a partial influence of a westerly low pressure system and local winds in the country.

According to the Weather Forecasting Division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region and partly cloudy in the rest of the country.

Light rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of the hilly region and at one or two places of the rest of the hilly regions of the Sudurpashchim and Karnali Provinces.

Light snowfall is likely to occur at a few places of the high hilly and mountainous region and at one or two places of the rest of the high hilly and mountainous regions of the two provinces.

In view of storms and its impacts in a few places of the Koshi and Madhes Provinces, the Division has urged the people to adopt safety measures.

Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki has said collaborative efforts among the three-tier government are needed to combat drug abuse.

Inaugurating a program entitled 'Fight onward against drug abuse' organized by the Koshi Province Police today, the Chief Minister urged the three-level governments to implement the awareness programs against substance abuse before it is late.

The three-level governments should collaboratively reach the community, making them aware of consequences of drug abuse.

He also pledged to allocate a budget for containment of drug addiction in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Koshi Province government Cabinet meeting held today decided to organize the province investment summit in May.

The meeting held at the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers under chairmanship of Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki at Biratnagar took the decision to organize the two-day investment summit from May 1.

Similarly, a decision was taken to present the bill designed to manage the Province Mass Communication in the Law, Justice and Province Affairs Committee and to hold discussion on it, said Spokesperson of the Koshi government and Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Rewati Raman Bhandari.

The meeting took the decision to present in the Koshi Province Assembly the bill designed to regulate pesticides as well as the bill designed to amend the Chief Attorney's functions, duties, powers and other conditions of services Act-2075, as revised by the Law, Justice and Province Affairs Committee, he mentioned.

The Koshi Province has recorded almost 3,500 road accidents in the past five months of the current fiscal year, killing 191 persons.

The Highway Security and Traffic Management Office of Nepal Police in Itahari stated that 191 persons died and 327 others were critically injured in the accidents.

The highest number of road mishaps were related to the motorcycle followed by tempo, jeep and car, Information Officer of Highway Security and Traffic Management Office Rameshwor Twati said.

He said the number of motorcycle accidents has increased due to lack of zebra crossings and traffic symbols along the East-West Highway in the province where upgradation of Asian Highway is ongoing.

Carelessness in driving and high-speed have claimed lives in the accidents, Information Officer Twati shared.

Flooding caused by incessant rains on September 27 and 28 has damaged crops worth more than Rs 340 million in Koshi Province.

The provincial government's Ministry of Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives stated that the disaster destroyed crops worth Rs 344.58 million in the province.

According to the Ministry, the most damage was inflicted on the rice crop. Rice was cultivated on 275,267.98 hectares of land this year and the flooding and inundation damaged the crop worth Rs 176. 17 million cultivated on 5722.78 hectares, said Dr Deepa Diyali, Chief of the Food Security and Monitoring Division, Koshi Province.

She said the highest damage on rice crop was reported in Khotang district where the flood destroyed the crop on 3,739.3 hectares, followed by Sunsari in which crop cultivated on 824 hectares was damaged, Udayapur where floods destroyed crop in 398.78 hectares, Jhapa where crop on 287 hectares was washed away, Morang where rice cultivated on 244 hectares was destroyed, Bhojpur where crop on 113 hectares was damaged, Tehrathum where crops on 34.75 hectares was flooded and Solukhumbu where the rice crop on 11.2 hectares was damaged.

Likewise, vegetables worth Rs 11. 18 million cultivated on 414.80 hectares, millet worth Rs 37.1 million cultivated on 2357.50 hectares, fruits worth Rs 2. 77 million cultivated on 10.50 hectares and lentils worth Rs 4. 81 million cultivated on 58.60 hectares were damaged due to the flooding, according to the Ministry.

Doctors and representatives of concerned agencies said dengue control has appeared to be a challenge in Koshi Province.

As many as 582 people have been infected with dengue in the province in the last four months. 

This information was shared at a program on dengue control organized by the Province Health Ministry on Wednesday in the presence of chiefs and deputy chiefs of local governments of Morang and stakeholders.

A person has so far died due to dengue in the province.

A total of 334 people have been infected with the virus in the province from July 16 to August 13.

According to Director of Dhankuta-based Health Directorate, 199 people have been infected in Morang, 33 in Jhapa, 32 in Dhankuta, 30 in Sankhuwasabha, 25 in Bhojpur, 10 in Okhaldhunga, three in Khotang and two in Tehrathum.

Number of infected people in Letang Municipality of Morang has reached 310, informed Deputy Mayor Krishna Kumari Niraula.

Ten people lost their lives and 25 others were injured in elephant attacks in Koshi Province last fiscal year 2023/24.

According to the Province Police Office, Biratnagar, five elephants also died during the period. Ten people of Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari were killed from elephant attacks, said police.

Spokesperson at the Province Police Office, Biratnagar, Bhim Bahadur Dahal, said six people of Jhapa, three of Sunsari and one of Morang lost their lives in tusker attacks. 

A herd comprising more than 35 elephants had made huge loss of lives and properties in November last year.  Similarly, fur elephants died in Jhapa and one in Morang during last fiscal year, added Spokesperson Dahal.

Likewise, 14 people were injured in elephant attacks in Jhapa, one in Ilam, three in Morang, five in Sunsari and two in Udaypur during the same period.

The government has been providing one million rupees as compensation to the families of those killed in elephant attacks.

According to the Division Forest Office, Jhapa, Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000 is being provided to the injured for treatment.

A total of 77 people died in Koshi Province due to natural disasters in the last fiscal year 2023/24.

The casualties are highest due to floods, which cost the lives of 22 people while 24 suffered injuries, said Koshi Province Nepal Police Spokesperson Bhim Bahadur Dahal. The fatalities due to floods took place in 117 different places of the province.

Similarly, 20 people died and 134 people were injured in fire incidents that took place in 1, 731 different locations of the province in the previous fiscal year.

Likewise, 13 people died and 57 were injured due to wild animal attacks, 13 people died and 36 injured due to lightning, nine people were buried and 20 were injured in landslides.

According to reports, in the past one-year, natural disasters also took the life of 7,908 cattle heads in the province.

The policies and programs of the Koshi Province government for the new fiscal year 2024/25 will be presented on Monday.

Minister of Internal Affairs and Law and Government Spokesperson Leela Ballabh Adhikari shared that the Province Cabinet meeting held today approved the annual policies and programs and decided to request the Province chief Parshuram Khapung to read out the annual policies and programs at 4 pm on Monday.

Likewise, the meeting approved the sixth annual report of the Auditor General-2081 to be submitted to the Provincial Assembly.

Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki expanded his Cabinet for the second time on Friday.

Chief Minister Karki expanded the Cabinet this afternoon by inducting seven ministers and two state ministers.

Ram Bahadur Magar has been appointed as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Ganesh Uprety as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, Lila Ballav Adhikari as the Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Rajendra Karki as the Minister for Health, Ek Raj Karki as the Minister for Drinking Water, Irrigation and Energy, Panchkarna Rai as the Minister for Social Development, Burja Magar as the Minister for Tourism, Forest and Environment and Chief Minister himself has taken the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Similarly, Minister of State Srijana Rai has been given the responsibility of the Office of Chief Minister and Minister of State Bandana Jhagand the responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism, Forest and Environment.

Karki was appointed as the Chief Minister of the Koshi Province on May 9.

Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki took the oath of office and secrecy on Thursday.

Province Chief Parshuram Khapung administered the oath of office and secrecy to Karki and two other ministers amidst a function.

Ram Bahadur Rana Magar of the CPN-UML and Ganesh Uprety (Sushil) of the CPN (Maoist Center) have been appointed as the ministers without portfolio.

UML Parliamentary Party leader Karki was appointed as the chief minister of Koshi Province with the support of 52 province assembly members of the UML and CPN (Maoist Center) today.

Earlier on Wednesday, Province Chief Khapung had called on provincial members to stake claim for the post of chief minister and form a new government as per Article 168 (5) of the Constitution till 5 pm on Friday.

CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader Hikmat Kumar Karki has been appointed as the chief minister of Koshi Province.

Province Chief Parshuram Khapung appointed Karki as the chief minister on Thursday.

He was appointed as the chief minister with the 52 provincial assembly members of the CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN-UML.

Karki presented his claim to provincial head Khapung with the signatures of 52 province assembly members to be appointed as the chief minister as per Article 168 (5) of the Constitution.

He will be administered the oath of office and secrecy after some time.  

Karki is likely to form a small Cabinet today itself.