- Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Chitwan, July 24: The Chitwan National Park (CNP) reported the deaths of 83 wild animals last fiscal year (2081-82 BS). It is said 45 among them died due to natural causes.
According to the park’s information officer, Abinash Thapamagar, 28 rhinoceroses died in the given period with 18 facing natural deaths while three were killed in fighting, one in electric shock, two in floods and landslides, and three got stuck in the marshland.
The cause behind the death of a rhino still remains unknown. As the CNP data states, a leopard and five elephants died of natural causes while the reason behind the deaths of two elephants is unidentified.
A tiger was killed in fighting whereas the cause of another tiger’s death is yet to be ascertained.
Likewise, 12 spotted deer (chital) died of natural causes, while two were killed in road accidents. One got caught in a wire fence, and 16 died following dog bites.
Additionally, three deer, one Ratuwa (barking deer), two gharial crocodiles, two nilgai (blue bulls), one python, one jackal, one bear, and two other animals also died in this period.
However, 135 animals, including four rhinoceroses, two tigers, seven spotted deer, three turtles, and 37 snakes, 61 pythons, 11 mugger crocodiles, two gharial crocodiles, two vultures, one iguana and three other animals were also rescued during this period.
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10 – Two dead, 15 injured in Bajura jeep accident
Bajura, July 24: Two people died on the spot and 15 others were injured when a jeep met with an accident at Himalai Rural Municipality in Bajura district this morning.
The deceased have been identified as Bija Rokaya, 76, and Bacha Rokaya, 75, from Kyudi village of the same rural municipality, according to the District Police Office, Bajura.
Inspector Dev Bahadur Chaudhari informed that the preliminary investigation of police ascertained that the accident took place when a jeep with registration no Ba Pra 03-001 Ja 0338 heading towards ward 5 of the same rural municipality from Kyudi village accidently lost its control on the gravel road
The jeep was carrying passengers who were reportedly on their way to renew their social security allowance, Inspector Chaudhari informed.
A rescue team has been sent along with an ambulance to the accident site to rescue the injured ones, informed Kul Bahadur Thapa, Chief Administrator at Himali rural municipality.
Further details about the accident are still awaited as an investigation is currently underway, police said.
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11- Chair Dahal pledges to help address demands of senior citizens
Kathmandu, July 24: The National Senior Citizen Federation Nepal has met with CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
A delegation of the Federation today reached the Dahal residence, Khumaltar, and urged the latter to help address their demands.
Among the demands of the senior citizens include concession in public transport, identification of senior citizens and their management, reforms in old age allowance distribution, allowance arrangement based on economic classification and representation of senior citizen in the National Assembly.
Informing that as many as 2500 senior citizens are rendered stateless in lack of citizenship certificate, the Federation requested the former Prime Minister to take leadership for resolving the issue.
Chair Dahal pledged to extend all possible cooperation to have their demands addressed, Dahal’s secretariat said.
“The demands you have raised are genuine. I will lend my all possible support. The Maoist Centre will take positive effort o execute the demands of the senior citizens”, Dahal noted.
Meanwhile, a team comprising local land donors, representatives of various political parties and the people’s representatives of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, Dhital, Bhedabari, Kaski met with Chair Dahal in Khumaltar and urged to take initiative to help advance the process of the construction of ANFA Technical Centre.
The delegation informed him of the completion of primary works such as survey, environment impact assessment, soil testing in the area as well as the transfer of land on the initiative of the local government.
On the occasion, Chair Dahal pledged to take necessary initiative to that end in coordination with the stakeholders, his secretariat informed.
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12 – Delayed rains affect irrigation system in Chitwan
Sanad Adhikari/ RSS
Narayangadh (Chitwan), July 24: Chitwan, a district in the Bagmati Province, has not received adequate rainfall this monsoon, even as the third week of July has passed.
The delayed monsoon has adversely affected rain-dependent agriculture, particularly paddy transplantation.
Farmers who had managed to transplant paddy using irrigation are now worrying as recently planted seedlings are drying up in the fields.
Water levels in local sources, including rivers and streams, have dropped considerably, stoking creating further challenges in managing irrigation.
In western Chitwan, under the Bharatpur Metropolitan City, farmers primarily rely on the Narayani Lift Irrigation System for irrigation. However, due to a sharp decline in water levels in the Khageri River, many farmers who previously used this water source have now turned to the Narayani system for irrigation.
As a result, water from the Narayani River is being diverted into the Khageri Canal to support irrigation efforts in the affected areas.
Kularaj Chalise, Chief of the Narayani Lift and Khageri Irrigation Management Division Office, stated that water from the Narayani River is being released into the Khageri Canal 24 hours a day in response to growing demand from farmers.
“With the delay in rainfall, we’ve had to regulate canal operations more intensively,” Chalise said. “Under the Narayani Lift Irrigation Project, irrigation is being provided to 4,700 hectares of land, where 90% of paddy transplantation has already been completed.”
The 3,900 hectares of land has been covered by the Khageri Irrigation Project in Devnagar, Gitanagarm and Parbatipur. It has so far witnessed the completion of only 70% of paddy transplantation.
Areas such as Sharadanagar, Shibanagar, Parbatipur, and Jayanagar are among the worst affected by the rainfall deficit.
Farmers are also turning to underground water sources for irrigation, though this is proving insufficient in many cases.
Farmers said that though the use of underground water provided support for irrigation, it has not been sufficient.
As they report, due to low electricity voltage, they are able to operate tube wells only during the night which further limits irrigation capacity.
Khilaraj Regmi, Vice Chair of the Khageri Irrigation Project Users Committee and a farmer himself, said that the drought has significantly delayed paddy transplantation. “Water supplied through the Narayani Lift has been a respite, but it hasn’t fully addressed the needs.”
Due to limited water availability, farmers are accessing canal water on a rotational and rationalized basis.
Purna Bahadur Ranabhat, Chair of the Narayani Lift Irrigation Consumers’ Committee, added that the prolonged dry conditions have led to the wilting of transplanted seedlings.
According to the District Agriculture Development Office, 87.60% of paddy transplantation has been completed so far in Chitwan.
Office Chief Jhalaknath Kandel reported that the western belt of Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been most affected by the lack of rainfall, with seedlings beginning to dry up in several areas.
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13 – Over 200 thousand tourists visit Bhaktapur in a year
Bhadgaun (Bhaktapur), July 24: Bhaktapur welcomed a total of 244,868 foreign tourists during the last fiscal year 2024/25.
According to the Tourism Department of Bhaktapur Municipality, among the foreign visitors arriving in Bhaktapur, 115,487 were from the SAARC countries and neighbouring China while remaining 129,381 were from third countries.
The Municipality collected over Rs 290 million in revenue from the entrance fee levied on the foreign tourists, shared Damodar Suwal, Information Officer at the Municipality.
Among the foreign tourists entering Bhaktapur from various 14 entry points, Indians constituted the highest with 79,132 followed by Chinese 36,135, informed Suwal.
He added that tourists from Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the USA, the UK, Australia and other countries also visited Bhaktapur last fiscal year.
Tourists from SAARC countries and neighbouring China ought to pay Rs 500 per person as an entry fee and those from Non-SAARC countries should pay Rs 2,000 per person to enter Bhaktapur, according to the Municipality.
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14- Bajura jeep accident: Death toll climbs to three
Bajura, July 24: The fatalities from the jeep accident on Kawadi-Kyudi Road in Himali Rural Municipality -5 of Bajura district has reached three.
Juneli Rokaya, 35, of same rural municipality breathed her last during the rescue operation conducted by the security personnel, according to the District Police Office, Bajura.
Rokaya is among the 17 passengers who sustained injuries in the accident while two passengers had died on the spot in the accident, informed Inspector Dev Bahadur Chaudhari.
The deceased were Bijaura Rokaya, 76, and Bachkala Rokaya, 75, from Kyudi village of Himali rural municipality, he said.
The overcrowded jeep with registration no Ba Pra 03-001 Ja 0338 was heading towards ward 5 of the same rural municipality from Kyudi and met with an accident after it suddenly lost its control, shared Chaudhari.
Among the remaining 16 injured ones, 13 are in critical condition while three are in normal condition.
They are being treated at a healthcare facility at Kyudi village while efforts are underway to rescue those critically wounded through Nepal Army’s helicopter, said Chief District Officer, Meghnath Padhya.
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15 – Preparations over for one-month long fair at Swoyambhu
Kathmandu, July 24: The Swoyambhunath area that falls in the World Heritage List was massively cleaned today on the eve of the commencement of a month-long festival.
The month-long cultural fair targeting the Buddhist community will kick off on Friday, the first day of the bright fortnight in the Nepali month of Shrawan as per the lunar calendar.
Swoyambhunath Mahasamiti Chair Vikshu Dharmamurti Mahashthabir said papers, plastic and glass materials collected during the cleanliness was sent for recycling while the remaining biodegradable will be sent for the disposal in the landfill site.
Daubing and fixing of street lamps have been carried out in the area to be covered by the fair celebrations organised yearly.
Devotees arrive here to pay homage to the Buddhist shrine on the occasion of the festival that falls in the ninth month of the Nepal Sambat.
It is believed that offering worship to the Swoyambhunath during the fair will help one’s ancestors find the ‘heavenly’ experiences, said Mahasamiti secretary Chandra Ratna Buddhacharya.
Devotees from the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding areas will observe the fair, it is said.
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16 – ‘Mobilize human resource to resolve drinking water crisis in Terai-Madhes’
Kathmandu, July 24: Minister for Drinking Water Pradeep Yadav has instructed the subordinate agencies to mobilize human resource in a bid to resolve drinking water crisis in Terai-Madhes.
At a senior management team meeting held at the Ministry today, Minister Yadav directed the chiefs of the concerned and subordinate agencies for immediate resolve of drinking water crisis surfaced specially in Bara and Parsa.
“Let us mobilize all human resource to address the crisis of drinking water grappling in eight districts of Terai-Madhes. The problem of drinking water can be solved if our team and human resource are perfectly mobilized there”, the minister said in the meeting.
Likewise, Minister Yadav also directed the ministry officials to officially approach the donor agencies, international organizations and neighbouring countries for cooperation in bailing out the water crisis surfaced in Terai-Madhes region.
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RSP, RPP boycott HoR meeting over visit visa scam
Kathmandu, July 24: Parliamentarians from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) have yet again boycotted today’s meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) demanding an investigation committee into the visit visa scam.
The parliamentarians from these two parties stood from their respective places as soon as HoR Speaker, Devraj Ghimire, commenced the meeting of the Lower House.
After Speaker Ghimire allotted time to RSP lawmaker Toshima Karki to air her views, she reminded that her party had been consistently staging protest since two months back regarding the visit visa scam.
Karki clarified that their protest would not cease until the formation of a high-level committee to probe the scandal.
She expressed her qualm over the ‘strange practice of running the House’s session despite two opposition parties (RSP and RPP) protesting seriously.
Citing the Armed Police Force’s objection to the expansion of road at Bhaisepati, she demanded the road along the Ministers’ Quarter, built acquiring local residents’ land, be allowed for the expansion.
Additionally, she expressed her dismay over lack of proper investigation into the bribery related audio tape scandal.
Similarly, RPP parliamentarian Deepak Bahadur Singh asserted that the protest would continue in the parliament until a parliamentary probe committee is not formed to investigate the visit visa scam.
Although the two parties have been protesting in the parliament over visit visa scam for a couple months, they do not share a common viewpoint about what kind of investigation committee should be formed.
While RSP has been demanding a high-level investigation committee, the other protesting party has called for a parliamentary probe committee.
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SC issues interim order against enforcement of Iodized Salt Act
Kathmandu, July 24: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued an interim order to halt the implementation of the Iodized Salt (Production, Sale, and Distribution) Act, 2055 BS (1998 AD), effective from July 17, 2025.
A division bench comprising Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Mahesh Sharma Paudel issued the order on July 14, noting although the Act was passed nearly 25 years ago, the regulations required for its enforcement have yet to be formulated.
In its ruling, the Court reasoned that the non-implementation of the Act is unlikely to cause significant harm, and thus issued the order in the name of the Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Health and Population. The decision follows a writ petition filed by advocate Shital Maharjan, who challenged the enforcement of the Act in the absence of the requisite regulations for more than two decades.—
