The Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB), which falls under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW), has started formulating a new Water Management Regulation policy for the Valley, officials said.

Asia has the world's highest concentration of two and three wheelers, both in absolute terms and as a fraction of overall road vehicle population. In many Asian cities, these vehicles account for 50 to 90% of the total vehicle fleet of which a large percentage are powered by two stroke engines. The main pollutants of concern from 2-stroke three wheelers are hydrocarbons and particulate matter.

Date: 23-Jan-09
Country: NEPAL
Author: Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU - Tons of garbage dumped on the streets in Kathmandu have left the Nepali capital choking in what is proving a new headache for the embattled government headed by the Maoist former rebels.

Nepal and India held a high-level meeting on Monday in Kathmandu to chalk out plans to harness water resources between the two countries in a comprehensive manner, including hydro-power generation, irrigation, flood control and other water-related cooperation.

The World Bank extended its support package Nepal with 880 million rupees in grants in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
The amount has been given to Nepal for the peace process, health programme and rural drinking water project.
Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal and Ms Susan Goldmark, World Bank Country Director for Nepal, signed on the support package today.
It has been learnt that 340 million rupees, out of total amount, will be spent as part of the emergency peace process.

An earthquake measuring about 6.5 richter scale was recorded in Jijang area of Tibet, China, 200 kilometer west of Jumla district at 7:06 pm Monday.
According to a statement issued by National Seismological Center (NSC) on Monday, the earthquake was felt in central and western region of Nepal and also in Kathmandu Valley.

Plagued by unending series of stoppages by the local people, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is preparing to dump garbage at the landfill site in Sisdole by using police force, if necessary. The KMC is preparing to invoke the Essential Service Act, which forbids obstruction in collection, transport and management of garbage. "Earlier, too, the government had talked about invoking this Act. But now, it will be strictly enforced,' KMC chief executive Dinesh Thapaliya told Nepal Samacharpatra.

There is a clear danger of an epidemic hitting Kathmandu Valley that may possibly take a serious toll on the lives of its residents as heaps of stinking garbage remains littered in the pavements of the city's roads for more than two weeks now. The Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control has warned the government that the unmanaged garbage might trigger a serious epidemic in the city and put into risk the lives of its residents.

Accusing the government of not properly addressing their demands despite an agreement, the locals of Sisdole and surrounding areas again barred Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) from dumping garbage at the Okharpauwa Landfill Site Tuesday. Due to the obstruction from the locals, heaps of uncollected garbage has again started to pile up on the streets and pavements of the capital city, causing serious eye sore and stench to the residents of the city of over 2 million.

As the capital's streets get littered with garbage due to failure of Kathmandu Metropolitan City's (KMC) efforts to dump it, doctors on Monday warned this could result in outbreak of various diseases among residents of the capital. With the arrival of monsoon, street corners heaped with garbage pose health hazard, said Dr Laxmi Bahadur Thapa, Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.