Following the discharge of water from the Sundarijal water treatment plant on March 28, the water has reached over 100,000 households through the old water pipelines of Kathmandu Valley. However, the worries of Tiresh Prasad Khatri, Executive Director of Melamchi Water Development Board, have increased. ED Khatri, who has not slept well since the beginning of filling the water in the tunnel, remains alert monitoring through his mobile app the state of water in tunnels, treatment plant and discharge rate for distribution. For all the challenges, hardship and stress, ED Khatri shares part of this historic work completion with secretary Madhav Belbase
By Keshab Poudel Apr 04, 2021
Although transferring water from its source to other parts is always difficult, the Hindu Philosophy places a bet on Bhagirath Prayas to complete such tasks. Nepal’s Malamchi Water Project has shown a similar Bhagirath Prayas at work. Conceived in late 1980s and championed in early 1990s by former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Melamchi Drinking Water Project has seen several leaders coming and going. As the project suffered mishandling at different levels, Minister for Drinking Water Mani Chandra Thapa and Secretary Madhav Belbase, who is at the last leg of his tenure, have finally seen the diversion of water of Melamchi through a 27.5-kilometer tunnel to Kathmandu valley
By Keshab Poudel Feb 27, 2021
Professor Tomohiko TANIGUCHI, who works at the Graduate School of System Design and Management, Keio University, was also a Special Advisor to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Doctorate in national security,20 years in business journalism, a stint for 3 years in London and one-time President at the Foreign Press Association in London, he also spent sabbaticals at Princeton University (Fulbright visiting fellow), Shanghai Institute for International Studies, and at the Brookings Institution as a CNAPS Fellow before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Deputy Press Secretary. Since August 2008, he held professorships at Keio and Meiji and taught international political economy and media studies. Professor Taniguchi spoke to Keshab Poudel through zoom. Excerpts:
By Keshab Poudel Feb 25, 2021
Having extensive knowledge of disaster mitigation, Professor Satoru Nishikawa, University of Nagoya, Disaster Mitigation Research Center (DMRC), has visited seven times in Nepal after the earthquake 2015. He is a widely respected expert on disaster reduction in Japan. He spoke to Keshab Poudel via zoom meeting.
By Keshab Poudel Feb 24, 2021
Although lockdown and disruption caused by COVID-19 has drastically reduced the economic activities and vehicular movement, Kathmandu Valley’s Air Pollution reported five times unhealthier than WHO recommendation making the valley risky for those undergoing health problems. As the government’s enforcement mechanism is poor, it is unlikely to see any changes in near future. Good sign is that 10 municipal governments have been jointly taking some efforts. However, they don’t have much needed legal tools
By Keshab Poudel Feb 17, 2021
Several other Kings and monarchs of the Indian sub-continent including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Ranjeet Singh, and the Queen of Jhansi had launched movements to preserve the unique diversity of culture, values and religions retaining the unique character of this region. However, King Prithvi Narayan Shah, a King of a small hill, succeeded to liberate a small portion of the region declaring it as a garden of diverse ethnicity, culture and race with its identity of original Hindustan. Along with the unification of Nepal, King Prithvi Narayan Shah also injected all ingredients of modern nationhood including secularism, inclusion, equality and sovereignty of the nation. Nepalese are celebrating the birth anniversary of Shah, who gave Gorkha an identity of bravery, loyalty and greatness, on January 11
By Keshab Poudel Jan 11, 2021