Three parliamentary committees meeting today

Kathmandu, Aug 27: Three parliamentary committees are holding meetings today. Those scheduled to meet are the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, the Legislation Management Committee and the Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee.

The Good Governance Committee is to forward the process for election of the Committee Chair. However, with no other candidate vying for the post except lawmaker Ishwori Neupane, she is elected unopposed.

Similarly, the Legislation Committee will be holding a clause-wise discussion on ‘Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080’.

The Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee will be discussing the sixth annual report of the Committee, 2081/82.

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Cholera outbreak: Birgunj Metropolis closes schools for three more days

Birgunj, Aug 27: Birgunj Metropolitan City has decided to extend the school closure for three more days in view of the cholera outbreak.

Chief of education division at metropolis, Anand Lamichhane, informed that the schools would remain closed from August 27 to 29 in a bid to contain cholera spread. It was decided by a meeting chaired by Mayor. All community and institutional schools will postpone the teaching learning activities during these days, he added.

The local level has further requested the teachers and employees at schools to form teams and mobilize in the community to spread public awareness against cholera. Earlier, the schools were closed for Sunday and Monday.

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Generally cloudy weather likely today

Kathmandu, Aug 27: The Weather Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has informed that the low pressure belt of monsoon is currently towards south and west of its average range.

With the generally cloudy weather across the country today, few places of hilly regions in Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and Tarai region are likely to have moderate rainfall. However, very few places in Koshi and Gandaki provinces will see heavy rainfall in their hilly regions.

Coming night, it will be partly to generally cloudy weather in the hilly areas of Koshi, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces, the weather service added.

Few places in Tarai and of Koshi, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces are likely to have heavy rains.

The Division cautioned the concerned sector, especially the road transport, to remain aware of the possible floods and debris flow in the streams and rivers in the wake of possibility of rainfall.

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Active engagement of Nepali missions must for labour rights: CM Singh

Janakpur, Aug 27: Chief Minister of Madhes Province, Satish Kumar Singh, has said Nepal’s foreign diplomatic missions must be active with necessary engagements for the protection of labour rights.

Addressing a programme organized at Nepali Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday, CM Singh sought special attention of the Nepali Embassy to contribute to workers’ rights. He reminded that Nepali people working abroad have an instrumental role in sustaining Nepali economy.

Singh made aware the concerned diplomat and officials against the labour exploitation and injustice meted out to Nepali security guards abroad, according to CM’s secretariat.

CM Singh is accompanied by central member and Parsa district chair of Janamat Party, Om Prakash Sarraf, and Sarlahi In-Charge Shreechan Yadav.

The discussion was attended by Nepali Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Netra Prasad Timilsina, embassy officials, chairperson of NRNA Malaysia chapter chair Rakesh Prasad Mahato, and representatives of Nepali workers there.

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Captain Bhandari honoured in Tanahu

Tanahu, Aug 27: National Women Football Captain Sabitra Bhandari has been honoured amidst a programme organized on the occasion of the Teej festival in Damauli on Tuesday.

Shuklagandaki municipal industry and commerce association honoured her with cash- Rs 50,000.

Gandaki Province Assembly member Sarita Gurung and Mayor of Shuklagandaki municipality, Krishna Raj Pandit, also offered her shawls.

Krishna BK, chair of ward management committee of the association, said Bhandari was felicitated for her significant role in making Nepal known to the world.

On the occasion, captain Bhandari said success is possible with perseverance. She reminded that she rose to prominence step by step- playing at village and gradually getting skilled in the football for better opportunities. “I used to play football with male folks, got scolded for fouls in the match. But I was unfazed- continued untiring efforts, which ultimately led to present success,” she shared.

Province Assembly member Gurung also praised Bhandari’s role in making country popular across the globe through sports.

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83 girl students from poor families provided support

Manthali (Rameschhap), Aug 27: Social activist Shyam Subedi from Manthali municipality-1 has handed over the monetary support and educational materials to the girl students from various schools and campuses in the district.

As many as 83 school and college students were distributed the support amidst a programme organized on the occasion of Teej festival on Tuesday. Those receiving the monetary and material support were from Manthali Secondary School (35) and 10 each from the Bhairabhi Secondary School of Sunarapani, the Seti Devi Secondary School of Salu, and the Siddheshwor Secondary School of Gairathok.

Similarly, six students from the Manthali Martyrs Memorial Multiple Campus and 12 from the Tamakoshi Campus, Khimti, received the educational materials.

The social activist informed that even the girl students from Harrechinde Secondary School, the Siddheshwor Basic School and the Kalika Basic School from Manthali municipality would be provided school uniforms.

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Agriculture centre with laboratory at Pauwadungma

Bhojpur, Aug 27: Pauwadungma rural municipality of Bhojpur district has brought into operation an agriculture and livestock service centre in a bid to support farmers in agriculture and livestock.

Chief administrative officer at the rural municipality, Nabin Bhattarai, informed that the building for the centre and necessary equipment were set up with the support from the Economic Corridor, Parkhribas. It cost Rs 26.9 million for the construction of the centre along with the laboratory.

There are separate laboratories to test the diseases in crops and livestock.

Similar laboratory has already been set up at Tyamkemaiyung rural municipality.

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First World Lake Day today

Kathmandu, Aug 27: The World Lake Day is being observed for the first time across the globe today.

According to the United Nations, there are more than 117 million lakes on earth, covering some 4 percent of land surface.

The lakes are reliable sources of fresh water to the entire planet, but it is worrying that quality of lake water is declining fast for some years.

“If we continue to put pressure on them, lakes will face a serious decline. By 2050, their ecosystem value could drop by 20 percent; pollution could more than double, and methane emissions may surge—fueling both environmental damage and economic loss. Freshwater species have declined by 85 percent over the past 50 years,” a UN page stated.

The observation of the World Lake Day is expected to create public awareness on present threats to world’s lakes and promote initiatives for the preservation, restoration and sustainable management of lakes.

The UN had organized an event, zeroing in on the importance of lakes, thereby passing the Resolution A/RES/79/142 that determined August 27 as the World Lake Day. The UN Environment Programme has been designated as the chief agency facilitating the observation of the Day.

The UN Resolution passed in 2024 had emphasized, “Water ecosystems, including lakes, energy, food security and nutrition are linked and that water is indispensable for health, well-being and human development, and a vital element of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant goals in the social, environmental and economic fields.”

It further recognized the urgency to revive fast declining quality and quantity of lake water in the world.

The SDG Knowledge Hub has described contaminants, fertilizers, and solid waste as major pollutants to the lakes. “Rising temperatures and cloud cover changes are causing increased water levels in lakes,” he added.

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Chair Dahal vows dismantling groupism in party

Kathmandu, Aug 27: Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has vowed dismantling factionalism in the party. He also claimed that public trust was growing in the party.

In an audiovisual message to the full meeting of party’s Karnali Province, Chairman Dahal reminded that the standing committee meeting of the party had made a resolution to make party strong and unified by ending groupism, anarchy and conflict in the party.

Dahal characterized the victory of party leaders at local levels, student unions and the Nepal Mountaineering Association as the symbol of rising public trust in party, according to Dahal’s personal secretariat.

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