POWER DISTRIBUTION FROM KALIGANDAKI A COULD BE DISRUPTED

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POWER DISTRIBUTION IN WINTER FROM
KALIGANDAKI A COULD BE DISRUPTED WITH
PADLOCKING OF UNT AT POWER HOUSE

Kathmandu, 28 Nov.: Power distribution through the national grid from the 144MW Kaligandaki A, the country’s biggest, could be disrupted with the onset on winter with the indefinite padlocking of the distribution
section at the site by locals.
Residents around the project site charged the project for not
implementing assurances and increasing load-shedding hours.
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SEA CHANGE IN ONE OF FILTHIEST AREAS ALONG BAGMATI RIVER

Kathmandu, 28 Nov.: The Kalimati-Bishumati area was probably one of the worst places of the Kathmandu Valley given its appalling record of pollution. It nearly turned into a dumping site, thanks to unmanaged vegetable market, open animal slaughter houses and haphazard disposal of solid waste in the past. No other place was so awfully polluted in the Valley if experts are to be believed. But the present situation is a whole new ball game as the Kalimati-Bishumati corridor is a changed area now, Roshan Sedai writes in The Kathmandu Post.
With the construction of Bishnumati-Link Road (BLR), Bishnumati corridor area has changed itself from one of the filthiest places to one of the nice-looking areas in the Valley.
Besides the expanded road, organised slaughterhouses, footpaths, public latrines and flourishing market have enriched this area. Most importantly, the attitude of people has significantly changed over the years. Stakeholders, however, say the change seen so far is far from enough.
“We hope to make this corridor far better than this. Much has to be done to tackle with water and air pollution. A lot of discussions and homework are going on,” said Rabin Man Shrestha, environment division chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Office.
The recent progress has wowed local stakeholders. “There are still many areas where the ward office can play its part. We have realised that we can still do better for improvement by dealing minutely with the problems like unorganised market, waste and garbage, open animal slaughtering, public toilet etc,” said Saraswoti Pokhrel, secretary of KMC Ward No 13, Kalimati.
According to the ward secretary, the six-lane road and riverside park have made the area greatly organised. She said that her office is determined to curb pollution in coordination with local committees and stakeholders. “We opened bazaar on the Bishnumati river banks to change people’s perception towards the place they abhorred once. We are doing similar awareness programme cooperating with local committees,” said Pokhrel.
By the same token, KMC has envisioned to make a separate cycle track in the area. “The cycle track and pedestrian lane can make common people feel at ease. The road can even address the need of morning walk track of the central Kathmandu,” said Shrestha.
According to Shrestha, the link road has been curbing the appaling traffic woes. Locals are welcoming the change. “If there can be such a drastic change in such a short span of time, we can do many more things in the days to come. We won’t let the place return back to its ugliest days,” said Navin Shahi of Paropakar area.
The 2.8-km link road starts from Teku Bridge running along the west bank of Bishnumati River up to Lakha Tirtha of Chagal Area. Bishnumati Link Road is a project under the Project Implementation Unit of Urban and Environmental Improvement Project executed by the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction.
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POLICE ASKED TO DEAL STERNLY WITH SQUATTERS
Kathmandu, 28 Nov.: District Administration Office (DAO), Bardiya, has instructed the police to arrest those who try to recapture the property returned to the rightful owners. The local administration gave such directives as the disgruntled faction of UCPN (Maoist) started recapturing plots that were formally handed over to their owners, Kamal Panthi writes in The Kathmandu Post from Bardiya.
Chief District Officer (CDO) Ram Krishna Subedi told the Post on Sunday that the local administration had asked police to arrest those who try to capture others’ land and property or refuse to return the seized property. The administration will take action against such miscreants under the Public Offence Act, he asserted.
Some Maoist activists close to the hard-line faction led by party Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya recaptured around 30 hectares of land belonging to Binod Dhwoj Chand and his family members within 24 hours of the formal hand-over of the seized property in Rajapur VDC, Bardiya, on Friday night.
Representatives of three big parties held a meeting at the DAO on Sunday in the presence of CDO Subedi regarding the fresh dispute over the land return. The meeting decided to continue to hand over seized property to the owners in the district. They also urged all concerned to help in returning the captured property as per the spirit of the seven-point agreement.
Meanwhile, the Baidya faction seems adamant to return the property. A highly placed source said that some leaders close to Baidya are now in Rajapur to instigate their loyals, especially the tillers, to retaliate against property return. They have been instigating the tillers for the retaliation, the source claimed.
Tharuhat State Committee member of the Maoists Drabya Sah, who is close to Baidya faction, said they would not return the party-seized property at any cost. We will strongly retaliate if the administration uses force in the name of returning the land, he warned.
Tillers to protest land return at any cost
Landless people who have been tilling the Maoist-seized land at Udharapur-2 in Banke have decided not to return the property at any cost.
A gathering of the tillers in the village on Sunday decided to retain the land unless they are given alternatives. “Leaders living in building are hatching conspiracies to drive us away from huts. Where should we go after leaving this place?” wondered Hajura Bam, a tiller occupying the seized land. She claims that she does not have any land of her own.
Local people said the gathering was called at the call of Maoist leaders close to party Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya. It is learnt that some Maoist leaders in the Baidya faction attended the gathering and expressed their solidarity to the decision of the tillers.
The landless squatters vented their ire at the government and the establishment faction of the party for deciding to return the captured property.
“They distributed the captured land in return for votes. They now ask us to leave,” said Chandra Bahadur Chaudhary, a freed Kamaiya (bonded labourer) staying on the Maoist-captured land in the VDC.
Seven hundred households have been taking shelter in around 312 hectares of seized land belonging to a sugar mill and an individual in the village.
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