Nepal pipes biogas expertise abroad

Navin Singh KhadkaEnvironment reporter, BBC News, Nepal

Having emerged as one of the pioneers in producing biogas from cow dung, the Himalayan nation of Nepal is now successfully transferring its technical expertise to other countries.

Photo: bbc.co.uk

Several Nepalese experts have been travelling to countries in South East Asia and Africa to introduce the "clean", homegrown technology that helps reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels and saves forests.Biogas from cow dung is mainly used for cooking in rural areas and also for lighting houses.

Renowned for displacing choking smoky ovens with clean cooking stoves, the Nepalese model of biogas has won the prestigious Ashden award.

The Biogas Partnership Project Nepal, a collaboration between the government, donors and non-governmental organisations, has already installed plants for nearly 300,000 households across the country.

The project says it helps reduce 7.4 tonnes of greenhouse gases per household per year and protects 250,000 trees during the same period of time.

And the expertise gained over the years has benefited many communities in different developing and least developed countries including Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, among others in Asia and around 10 countries in Africa.

First camera-trap image of Nepal’s Snow Leopard released

Kathmandu, Nepal

The first picture of a snow leopard taken by a camera trap on 24 October 2011 in Khambachen valley of Kangchenjunga was released today by WWF-Nepal. 

Photo: WWF Nepal

Ten camera traps (Moultrie D- 40) were installed in the valleys of Nagphinda, Khambachen, Lohanak and Jimbubari in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in October 2011 under a pioneering initiative to monitor snow leopards in Nepal’s Himalayas. The monitoring is being led by local communities through the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council and the Snow Leopard Conservation Committee-Ghunsa. It is expected that the camera traps will guide the estimation of snow leopard populations in the future. 

NEA MD out of touch‚ rumours rife he's quit

Ramesh Prasad Bhusal 

Kathmandu, Nepal

Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Dipendra Nath Sharma has gone incommunicado , giving rise to speculations that he has resigned following intense pressure from NEA trade unions over 'various issues'. 

If the rumours doing rounds about Sharma's resignation are true, it will not only reflect the state of the state-owned power utility but also will prove his appointment was much ado about nothing, for Sharma is the first MD in the history of NEA who was selected through open competition, in a move what then energy minister Gokarna Bista had termed 'an effort to revamp' the organisation.

It is said that Sharma left his office yesterday, saying 'I won't return again'. A source at the Ministry of Energy said Sharma has already tendered his resignation to Energy Secretary Balananda Paudel. But Paudel said he was on leave. "He has submitted a leave application but has not specified till when," he said.

Chilime Hydropower Company Limited

Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (CHPCL), a subsidiary company of NEA with 51% equity ownership was established in 1996 with an objective of promoting the utilization of resources within the country for development of hydropower. As a first step towards its objective Chilime Hydropower plant (CHPP) located in Rasuwa district with installed capacity 22.1MW was built and commissioned on August 25,2003. The plant is now in the seventh year of commercial operation.

CHPCL is equally devoted towards fulfilling the social obligations part of Corporate Social Responsibility. The company provides Rs 2.5 million annually to the affected VDCs of Rasuwa district through SarokarSamiti for development in the sectors like education, health , drinking water, irrigation and electrification. The support is not only limited through SarokarSamiti as the company has also been involved in the development activities of the affected and other remote VDCs of Rasuwa district independently.

संरक्षणविद् प्रल्हाद योन्जनको निधन

काठमाडौं, नेपाल

संरक्षणविद् प्रल्हाद योञ्जन २५ वर्षअघि अमेरिकामा पढेर फर्केयता सकेसम्म साइकलमै काठमाडौंभित्र यात्रा गर्थे। वातावरणप्रतिको चिन्ताले निसास्सिँदो सडकमा साइकल हाँक्दाहाँक्दै ट्रकको ठक्करबाट सोमबार उनको निधन भयो।

कलंकीबाट बल्खु जाँदै गर्दा अपराह्न उनी चढेको साइकललाई ट्रकले ठक्कर दिएपछि उनी सख्त घाइते भएका थिए। प्रत्यक्षदर्शी विवेक शर्माले चार बज्न दस मिनेटअघि अस्वभाविक गतिमा आएको ट्रकको पछाडि मान्छे लडेको देखेपछि उद्धार गर्दै त्रिपुरेश्वरस्थित काठमाडौं अस्पताल पुर्‍याएका थिए। अस्पतालले साढे पाँच बजेतिर अग्रणी संरक्षणविद्को दुःखद् निधनको घोषणा गर्‍यो। 

ट्रक चालकले साइकल आफ्नो चक्कामा आएर ठोक्किएको दाबी प्रहरीसँग गरेका छन्। प्रत्यक्षदर्शी शर्माका अनुसार योञ्जनको देब्रे खुट्टा किचिएको थियो र सास चलिरहेको थियो। उनले प्रहरीलाई घटनाबारे सूचित गरी आफ्नै गाडीमा राखेर योञ्जनलाई अस्पताल पुर्‍याए। घाइतेको डायरीबाट नम्बर हेर्दै आफन्तलाई खबर गरे। चिकित्सकबाट पाँच मिनेटमात्र छिटो उपचार सुरू गर्न पाएको भए जीवन रहने सम्भावना रहेको भन्ने सुने।