Nepal

Kathmandu, July 15

The 2019 Everest International Model United Nations conference kicked off in the capital today.

US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry, UN Resident Coordinator Valerie Julliand, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Bharat Raj Paudyal jointly launched the event.

In partnership with the Grantee Youth Thinkers& Society, the US embassy welcomed 200 delegates from 20 countries across the Indo-Pacific region to discuss issues from building infrastructure for accessible and affordable food to developing cyber security and data protection mechanisms, according to a press release issued by the embassy.

Addressing the delegates, Ambassador Berry said, &The United States believes every nation has the responsibility of adhering to international norms and respecting the sovereign choices of all countries and to be free of coercion. In Asia, it is this idea that defines the United States& approach across the Indo-Pacific region.&

He also encouraged students to apply the skills and knowledge acquired here in their onward studies and future careers.

Noting that the youths had the power to create change, UN Resident Coordinator Julliand added, &Model UN is an excellent opportunity for young people to become involved in tackling local and global issues, such as achieving Sustainable Development Goals and combating climate change.&

Over the week, students will simulate committee sessions for the United Nations Security Council, UN Women, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the World Food Programme, and the International Monetary Fund.

Delegates will also attend UN expert speaker and career development panels, as well as networking sessions celebrating the diverse cultural backgrounds of all participants.

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Kathmandu, July 14

Nepal Medical Association has expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and property in incidents of natural disasters across the country.

Issuing a press release on today the umbrella organisation of medical and dental doctors has demanded the government to intensify search and rescue operation of the disaster victims without delay.

NMA has asked its members across the country to be involved in the rescue operation of landslide and flood victims and to provide treatment and medical facilities to them.

In its release, Nepal Medical Association has directed its members across the country to make necessary arrangements in the disaster hit areas to prevent outbreak of epidemics.

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Kathmandu, July 14

Rani Pokhari in the heart of the capital city has retained water after more than three years, following incessant rain for the past few days.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City had drained the water out of the pond using motor pumps in January 2016, as part of its ambitious plan to develop it as a recreation site for generating high revenues. KMCdecision to turn the historic site into a modern facility had drawn flak from locals and conservation activists, forcing it to drop the plan.

Traditional method was chosen to reconstruct the pond. The Department of Archaeology, National Reconstruction Authority and the KMC have hired a group of 60 traditional workers from neighbouring Bhaktapur city to reconstruct the pond in traditional style.

The workers have been filling the bottom of the pond with layers of black soil and sand, a method that was used to build ponds in Kathmandu valley in the ancient period.

Krishna Prasad Dumaru head of the reconstruction team said, &We have used black soil and sand for the reconstruction of several ancient ponds which has been a success. The workers are filling the pond bed with layers of black soil and sand. They are working to restore the damaged embankment of the pond with traditional bricks,& he said, adding reconstruction work of the pond will be completed in a few months.

The workers had built a miniature pond inside Rani Pokhari as a sample to convenience the authority of their method, one and a-half-month ago and no sign of water leakage was noticed in it.

&Since the sample pond worked perfect we are confident that Rani Pokhari will retain water,& said Damaru.

The DoA has expressed confidence that the reconstruction work of Rani Pokhari including a temple in its centre will be completed by October, this year.

The temple in Rani Pokhari was opened once a year on the occasion of Bhai tika during the Tihar festival in the month of October, before the 2015 earthquake.

Damodar Gautam Director General of DoA said, &We are confident that all the structures in Rani Pokhari will be complete by Tihar.&

He also said contract had already been awarded for a private constructor to build the temple.

&The temple will be built in traditional granthakut style of Malla era as demanded by the locals,& said Gautam.

The temple was built by King Pratap Malla in granthakut design in 1670. The original temple was later destroyed in the earthquake of 1934. After the earthquake the temple was later reconstructed following gumbaz model by Rana rulers.

After 2015 earthquake locals of Kathmandu had demanded that the government rebuild the temple in granthkut style as was originally built by Pratap Malla.

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Kathmandu, July 14

The parliamentary State Affairs and Good Governance Committee today directed the government to carry out search operation for persons who have been missing in incidents of floods and landslides following heavy downpour across the country for the past four days.

According to Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa, 25 people have been missing so far.

The panel also directed the government to provide treatment to those who have been injured in natural disasters. In the meeting, Home Minister Thapa assured that the government has been doing needful to save the lives of people. The panel also directed the government to provide relief materials for the victims of the disasters.

Lawmakers representing the ruling and opposition parties in the meeting said the government failed in its preparation to cope with natural disasters.

It was obvious that natural disasters would strike the country during monsoon, but the government was not serious.

Chair of the panel Shashi Shrestha said there have been landslides in the hills and flood incidents in the Tarai region.

&Serious question has been raised in terms of rescue and relief operation on part of the government. We demand an explanation from the ministry,& she said.

The government was carrying out rescue and relief work in coordination with security agencies, local representatives, UN agencies, local NGOs, local governments and provincial governments, said Minister Thapa.

Many countries in the world including Nepal have been prone to man-made disaster, according to Thapa.

&People have been exploiting the nature for profit. This has resulted in global warming, which has been a serious problem in the 21st century,& he said, adding that developed countries like the USA and Japan have also been suffering from natural disasters.

Unbridled development activities have resulted in landslides and floods in the case of Nepal. Roads have been constructed in hilly region without any technical studies and thus the fragile hills are prone to landslides.

People have also exploited Chure area inviting natural disasters, said Thapa.

Lawmaker of the ruling Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Jhapat Rawal, main opposition Nepali Congress lawmakers Dilendra Prasad Badu and Dila Sangraula, and lawmaker of NepalWorkers and Peasants& Party Prem Suwal requested the government to solve flood related problems in areas bordering India through diplomatic channels.

Minister Thapa said people should not build houses near river banks.

Minister Thapa said the government lacked adequate resource such as boats, helicopters and heavy equipment to carry out prompt and effective search and rescue operation.

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