संकटमा बासस्थान

काठमाडौँको अमृत साइन्स क्याम्पसमा आईएस्सी द्वितीय वर्षको प्रयोगात्मक परीक्षाको मौखिकमा शिक्षकले सोधे, "काठमाडाँैको कान्तिपथ खण्डको शिक्षा मन्त्रालय र लैनचौरसम्मको बाटो हिँडेका छौ ?" मैले भनेँ, "छु।" "उसो भए त्यहाँका अग्ला रूखहरूमा तुर्लुंग झुन्डिने जनावरको वैज्ञ्ाानिक नाउँ भन त," फेर िशिक्षकले सोधे। म एकतमासले घोरएिँ। र, भनेँ, "चमेरो। पेट्रोपस वा फलाइङ् फक्स।"

व्यावहारकि कक्षाहरूमा यस्ता चमेराका अंगहरू देखिने गरी चित्र बनाउनुपथ्र्यो। विशेषता लेख्नुपथ्र्याे। त्यसैले पनि चमेराहरूप्रति मेरो एक खालको जिज्ञासा र आकर्षण थियो। मैले गुफा, ओसिलो सुनसान ठाउँ, खोँच, भवनका छत, प्वालहरूमा बसेका चमेरा बस्छन् भन्ने थाहा पाएको थिएँ। तर, दरबारको दक्षिणी खण्डमा मोटरगाडीको कोलाहल, मानिसहरूको आवतजावत, वायु र ध्वनि प्रदूषणका बीचमा पनि यी थुप्रै चमेराहरू झुन्डिरहेको देख्दा अचम्म लाग्थ्यो। आफँैले आफँैलाई प्रश्न गर्थें- किन यस्तो भइरहेको छ ?

थाहा भयो, चमेराहरू दुईथरी हुन्छन्। फलफूल खाने र कीराफट्याङ्ग्रा खाने। थुतुनो छोटो भएका साधारणतया उड्नका लागि पखेटा भएकाले चरा वर्गमा पर्नेजस्तो देखिए पनि चमेरा बच्चा जन्माएर दूध चुसाउने हुनाले स्तनधारी वर्गमा पर्छ। हूल तथा बथानमा बस्ने यो ठूलो चमेरा जसको पखेटा आधा मिटर फराकिलो र ३० सेन्टिमिटर लामो, खैरो रंगको भुवाले छोपिएको शरीर र थुतुनो ब्वाँसोको जस्तो हुनाले यसलाई 'उड्ने ब्वाँसो' पनि भनिन्छ। रातमा सक्रिय हुने, पाकेका फलफूल वा कीराफट्याङ्ग्रा खाने, एकान्त मन पराउने, लजालु स्वभावको चमेराको तौल भने निकै कम हुन्छ।

Banned pesticides

Yadav Thapaliya in Arthik Abhiyan

The Nepali market is flooded with banned, fake and obsolete drugs. Dealers have been found to tamper with expiry dates and sell them in the market, while banned drugs are being sold under the trademark of renowned Indian pharmaceutical companies.

According to Ashok Shrestha of Shubh International, the banned methane parathion is being marketed as a product of Wire Crop Science and Hindustan Pulverising Mills. Similarly, the banned monocrotophus is being sold as a product of the Indian company Dhanuka and Agro Chemicals. According to Sabitri Baral at the Pesticides Registration and Management Division, fungicides were found labelled as products of Indian Synjenta India Ltd in Chitwan last year.

Green bricks

Lalitpur,Nepal

The Kathmandu Valley's smog owes much to the highly polluting brick kilns that dot its southern expanses. What's worse, the smoke billowing out of these towers obscures the terrible conditions in which its workers - including many children and donkeys - slave for minimal reward. These are the victims of the capital's housing boom.

It's time we moved away from 'blood bricks'. This may be possible now, as Animal Nepal's award to Indra Tuladhar of Bungamati Itha Udyog last week indicated. Tuladhar was honoured for producing 'clean and green' bricks using Chinese technology, and the animal welfare organisation hopes other brick producers will follow suit to reduce pollution and stop the exploitation of kids and animals. "The industry has the technology and the resources to stop the production of 'blood bricks'; all it needs is the right motivation," says Krishna Singh, program manager at Animal Nepal. "We can address the issues by introducing new technologies such as Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns and automated machinery."

बरफ र आगोको देश

आइसल्याण्ड विश्वविद्यालयको वातावरण विज्ञान विभागको सभाकक्षमा नेपालबाट आएको पत्रकारले जलवायु परिवर्तनले हिमालहरूमा पारेको असरबारे अन्तर्क्रियामा बोल्ने कार्यक्रम थियो। कार्यक्रमको शुरुमा मजस्तै सेतो कपाल फुलेको, सुट र टाई लाएको मानिस हलभित्र छिरेको देखेँ। कसैले उनलाई धेरै वास्ता गरेन, तर उनले मैले देखाएको नेपाल र तिब्बतका हिमताल र पग्लिँदो हिमरेखाका तस्बिरहरूको पावर प्वाइन्ट प्रस्तुति रुचिपूर्वक हेरे। बोल्ने क्रममा एक-दुईवटा प्राविधिक खालका प्रश्न पनि सोधे। आइसल्याण्डका कुनै वैज्ञानिक होलान् भन्ठानेँ। मेरो प्रोफेेसर साथीले परिचय गराइदिएपछि पो थाहा भयो, उनी त आइसल्याण्डका राष्ट्रपति ‘लाफुर ग्रिसोन रहेछन्।

६ महिनाअघि यही स्तम्भमा मैले माल्दिभ्सका राष्ट्रपतिको सरलता र आफूलाई ठूलो मान्छे भनेर बिलकुल नदेखाउने बानीको चर्चा गरेको थिएँ। आइसल्याण्डका राष्ट्रपतिसँगको छोटो कुराकानीमा पनि मलाई त्यस्तै लाग्यो। सभाकक्षभित्र प्रवेश गर्दा उनीसँग न अङ्गरक्षक थिए, न पिए। हलमा भएका कसैले पनि नेपालमा जस्तो झ्ुकेर चाप्लुसी गरेनन्। प्रमुख अतिथि भनेर २५ केजीको माला लगाएनन्। बरु देख्यानदेख्यै गरे। कत्रो भिन्नता नेपालका नेताहरूको दाँजोमा।

Electricity for whom?

Editorial in Arthik Abhiyan, 8th January 2011

Kathmandu,Nepal

When we talk about Nepal's water resources, the first thing that comes to mind is electricity. A crucial question we should ask while formulating policy for water is, for whom is the electricity being generated? Though Nepal's water policy should be for the welfare of the country, it looks as though it is made for foreigners.

Nepal's per capita consumption of electricity is 70 units per annum; it is 10,000 units per annum in developed countries. Experts say Nepal would require between 55,000 to 60,000MW if its people consumed as many units as in developed countries. This means if Nepal's economy grows at a rate of 7 to 8 per cent per annum, there is no question of exporting electricity at all. If we think we have enough energy to export it for money, we are just being plain stupid. But the Ministry of Energy has not accepted this truth.

A study conducted by Somnath Poudel shows that Nepal needs at least 10,000MW by 2018 if economic growth is to maintain its momentum. In this context, if we invite foreign investors for hydro projects and export 90 per cent of generated power, how can we meet even domestic demand for energy? We need to generate an additional 1,000MW per year to meet the demand. But existing energy policy has not acknowledged this fact.