Ozone over Everest

BUDDHA BASNYAT,

Amazingly, pollution-related ozone concentrations in the Mount Everest region are reported to be very high as shown by John Semple, colleagues from the University of Toronto in a 2009 March issue of the New England Medical Journal. This is potentially alarming because death rates from respiratory causes are associated with increasing concentrations of ozone. The Mount Everest region is somewhere you can inhale deeply without feeling a burning throat sensation as you do when you complete such a manoeuvre in Kathmandu. But if the ozone story is true, our lungs may be in for a rough ride even in the pristine Solukhumbu Valley. 

Ozone concentrations in the troposphere have doubled globally since preindustrial times. They are now 30 ppb from estimates of 15 ppb in the pre-industrial era. And, not surprisingly, the major reason for this is burning of fossil fuel. (Not to be confused with the stratospheric ozone layer which is "good" ozone and protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.)

Government yet to foot bill for Kalapatthar climate meeting

Ramesh Prasad Bhusal
Kathmandu,Nepal 

A high on the hog Cabinet meeting at Kalapatthar in Mt Everest Base Camp in 2009 had hogged headlines in the country and abroad. But the meeting on climate change now has spoilt the environment in government ministries and among the stakeholders.

While the government is yet to pay its dues, ministries and concerned stakeholders involved in the meeting are passing the buck. The erstwhile Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government had called the Cabinet meeting in Kalapatthar on December 4, 2009 to ‘draw the attention of the international community towards melting of Himalayas due to climate change’.

The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation had coordinated the meeting and the then forest minister Deepak Bohara had claimed and reiterated at the meeting that not a single penny would be spent from the state coffers, as he had been able to raise the required fund by passing the hat around.

एक रुपैयाँमा बिजुली

Kaski , Nepal 
Manoj Adhikari

मुलुकमा दैनिक १४ घन्टा लोडसेडिङ भइरहेका बेला कास्कीको पार्चेमा भने कहिल्यै अँधेरो हुँदैन। स्थानीय गज खोलाको पानीबाट १७ वर्षअघि निकालिएको एक सय किलोवाट क्षमताको लघुजलविद्युत आयोजनाबाट पूरै गाविस वर्षैभरि झलमल्ल हुन्छ। २०५० सालमा चन्द्र गुरुङको सक्रियतामा बेलायती दाताको सहयोगमा उक्त लघु जलविद्युत आयोजना स्थापना भएको हो। गाविसका ५ सय ६५ घरधुरीले बिजुली बालिरहेका छन्।

दाता र स्थानीय श्रमदान गरि कुल ९० लाख रुपैयाँमा निर्मित उक्त आयोजनाबाट २०५१ चैत १ देखि बिजुली उत्पादन सुरु भएको सिक्लेस विद्युत व्यवस्थापन उपसमितिका व्यवस्थापक कुमबहादुर गुरुङले जानकारी दिए।'वर्षैभरि गाउँमा बिजुली बल्ने भएकाले धेरैलाई लोडसेडिङ भन्ने नै थाहा छैन,' गुरुङले नागरिकसँग भने, 'आफैंले उत्पादन गरेको बिजुलीका कारण गाउँलेले सस्तो दरमा बिजुली बाल्न, राइस मिल र फर्निचर चलाएर व्यवसाय गर्न पाएका छन्।'

मुलुकमा नेपाल विद्युत प्राधिकरणले प्रतियुनिट ७ रुपैयाँ शुल्क लिने गरेकोमा गाउँलेले प्रतिवाट १ रुपैयाँमै बिजुली बाल्न पाएका छन्। दुई वर्षअघिसम्म यो दर ५० पैसा मात्र थियो।घरघरमा मिटर बक्स नहुने भएकाले युनिटका आधारमा नभई खपतका आधारमा शुल्क निर्धारण गरिएको गुरुङले बताए। उनका अनुसार एक घरले सय वाट क्षमताका चिमबाट बिजुली बाल्दै आएको छ भने उसले मासिक सय रुपैयाँ मात्र शुल्क तिर्नुपर्छ। फरक-फरक कोठामा राखिएका बल्ब आवश्यकताअनुसार पालैपालो बाल्दा त्योभन्दा पनि कम शुल्कमा धेरैले बिजुली बाल्ने गरेको उनले बताए।

Discussion about energy crisis in Nepal

Kathmandu,Nepal

A radio program 'Shaja Sawal' is discussing about energy crisis in Nepal held by BBC World Trust . This program is host by Naryan Shrestha. The guest for this discussion are Shitalbabu Regmi , Subarna Das Shrestha and Ratnasansar Shrestha

Click the link for listening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/programmes/2011/04/110417_sajha_sawal.shtml

Protecting Rara from the future

KUNDA DIXIT in MUGU 

After a steep climb through a scented pine forest, suddenly through the curtain of lichen you see the sun flashing on the lake's ripples. On the pebbled shore of Rara, we soak in the sight of the inky blue water reflecting the snow mountains and sky beyond. Words fail you, and you are reduced to clichés: picturesque, magnificent, breath-taking.

But you understand just how fragile this beauty is because Nepal's largest lake is located in its poorest and most remote district. But a new road is snaking up the ridges and has nearly reached Rara's eastern shore. At the airfield at Talcha, excavators snarl as they claw into the mountainside to lengthen the runway. Rara's serenity and splendour is so lovely it makes your heart ache to think how vulnerable it has become. As the sound of diesel engines gets closer, you wonder how long this wilderness will remain a wonder.

In 1964 King Mahendra sat under a juniper tree here and penned his famous poem 'Rara ki Apsara', ordering his government to protect the lake. The juniper tree still stands at Mili Chaur today as hundreds of water fowl make a brief stopover before they head off north to the lakes in Tibet.