Asian Development Bank to invest in Upper Seti hydro project

KATHMANDU, APR 08 -
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said that it is willing to invest in the 127 MW Upper Seti Hydroelectric Project located in Damauli in Tanahun district.
The government of Nepal and the ADB reached an understanding to this effect during ADB Vice President Xiaoyu Zhao’s recent visit to Nepal when he met with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari.
“Vice President Zhao told the prime minister and the finance minister about ADB’s willingness to invest in the project,” said ADB Country Director Barry Hitchcock. “This project is attractive for us as it already has a road and other infrastructure,” added Hitchcock. As per the ADB’s estimate, the total cost of the project would be around US$ 300 million (Rs 21 billion).
On Dec. 23, 2010, the ADB and the government signed an agreement under which the bank would provide a technical grant of Rs 180 million to do a detailed study for the project. “The ADB could also issue a loan for the project,” said Hitchcock. According to the government, the ADB’s technical assistance will be used to conduct a detailed engineering study including development of design options, specifications and drawings for the civil works, development of design options, specifications and drawings for the electromechanical and hydro-mechanical works and transmission facilities and the bidding process.
In 2006-07, the Nepal Electricity Authority completed an upgrading feasibility study for the project with technical assistance from the Japanese government through JICA. After the detailed engineering study is finished in 2012, the project is expected to go into the construction phase. It is projected to be completed by 2016-2017 if everything goes as planned.
The Upper Seti is one of the few storage-type hydropower projects that has been identified as a national priority project by the government and recommended for further implementation by the last two national budgets.
When asked if the ADB would be willing to invest in the 750 MW West Seti Hydroelectric Project too, Hitchcock said the bank was positive about investing in it. “We’ve not talked about it,” added Hitchcock. “But if the government shows interest, we can discuss it.”
The government stated that the West Seti project located in Doti district would be constructed to address domestic energy demand when unveiling the energy crisis control programme. The programme has also envisioned constructing one 100 MW project each in the five development regions on a turn-key basis.
West Seti Hydro Power Company Limited (WSHPL), promoter of the West Seti Hydropower Project, had proposed building it under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model after failing to put together the required resources.WSHPL has filed an application at the Department of Electricity Development to extend the deadline for financial closure of the project. The ADB had earlier shown interest in the project.

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Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Japan coast Again

TOKYO: Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Japan coast  Again : Japan was rattled by a magnitude-7.4 aftershock and tsunami warning Thursday night nearly a month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami flattened the northeastern coast.

Announcers on Japan's public broadcaster NHK told residents along the northeastern shore to run to move ground and away from the shore. An hour after the quake, there were no reports of a tsunami hitting the shore.

The Japan meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for a wave of up to 6 feet (two meters) for a coastal area already torn apart by last month's tsunami, which is believed to have killed some 25,000 people and has sparked an ongoing crisis at a nuclear power plant.

Officials at the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant said there was no immediate sign of new problems caused by the aftershock. Japan's nuclear safety agency says workers there have retreated to a quake-resistant shelter in the complex. No one there was injured. Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it evacuated two workers there and seven at a sister plant to the south that was not badly damaged.

Officials say Thursday's aftershock hit 30 miles (50 kilometers) under the water and off the coast of Miyagi prefecture. The quake that preceded last month's tsunami was a 9.0-magnitude. The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., later downgraded Thursday's quake to 7.1.

Buildings as far away as Tokyo shook for about a minute.

In Ichinoseki, inland from Japan's eastern coast, buildings shook violently, knocking items from shelves and toppling furniture, but there was no heavy damage to the buildings themselves. Immediately after the quake, all power was cut. The city went dark, but cars drove around normally and people assembled in the streets despite the late hour.

The quake struck at 11:32 p.m. local time. Japanese TV flashed a warning about an impending quake moments before it struck. In Tokyo's western suburbs, loudspeakers warned residents.

Paul Caruso, a geophysicist at USGS, said Thursday's quake struck at about the same location and depth as the March 11 quake. It's the strongest of the more than 1,000 aftershocks that have been felt since, except for a 7.9 aftershock that day.

The USGS said the aftershock struck off the eastern coast 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Sendai and 70 miles (115 kilometers) from Fukushima. It was about 205 miles (330 kilometers) from Tokyo.

A Pacific Tsunami Warning Center evaluation of the quake said an oceanwide tsunami was not expected. However, it noted quakes of that strength can cause waves that are destructive locally. ( source : thehimalayantimes)

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Korean cinema in Kathmandu

Korean cinema in Kathmandu
KATHMANDU, April 7: An assortment of Korean films is being screened at the third Korean Film Festival being held from April 4 at the Russian Culture Centre, Kamalpokhari.

Four films have already been screened at the festival.

On Wednesday, the centre was fully packed with Korean film enthusiasts there to watch the hugely popular Korean film, “My Sassy Girl” at 11:00am and “The Sword With No Name” at 2:00pm.


Today the festival will be screening Haeudae( Tsunami) at 11:00 AM and The Way Home at 2:00 PM. On Friday, “The Sword With No Name” along with “My Sassy Girl”, will be screened again.

Haeundae/Tsunami (2009)
Directed by: Yoon Je-kyoon
Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won, Lee Min-ki
Time: 120 Minutes


Located on the southeast tip of the Korean peninsula is the international city of Busan. A popular vacation spot on the East Sea coast, Haeundae draws one million visitors to its beaches every year.

Man-sik, a native of Haeundae, lost a co-worker to a tsunami on a deep-sea fishing trip four years ago. He has never returned to sea ever since. His brother Hyung-sik works for the coast guard. While these everyday domestic affairs unfold, geologist Kim Hwi, an expert on tsunami research, discovers the East Sea is showing signs of activity similar to the Indian Ocean at the time of the 2004 tsunami.

Despite his warnings, the Disaster Prevention Agency affirms that Korea is in no harm of being hit. Then, he discovers that a mega-tsunami is headed straight for the Korean peninsula. With only minutes to spare, vacationers and citizens of Busan are enjoying a peaceful, hot summer day, and a mega-tsunami is headed straight for Haeundae at 500 miles per hour.

The Way Home(2002)
Directed by : Jeong-hyang Lee
Stars: Seung-ho Yu, Eul-boon Kim and Hyo-hee Dong
Time: 120 mins

Seven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work.

Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashioned grandmother and his new rural surroundings. Disrespectful and selfish, Sang-woo lashes out in anger, perceiving that he has been abandoned.

He trades his grandmother’s only treasure for a video game; he throws his food and he throws tantrums. When Sang-woo’s mother finds work and finally returns for him, Sang-woo has become a different boy. Through his grandmother’s boundless patience and devotion, he learns to embrace empathy, humility and the importance of family

The Sword with No Name (2009)
Directed By: Yong-gyun Kim
Stars: Jae-jin Baek, Seung-woo Cho and Jae-woong Choi
Time: 124 mins



The Sword With No Name (2009) is based on a novel, and, as is the wont of novelists, there is a fictitious character placed at the nexus of things.

In the film adaptation, he is Moo-myeong (Jo Seung-woo), a country bumpkin with mad sword skills. We first encounter him snoozing in a boat, waking to gaze, love-at-first-sightedly, at the young, soon to be queen (Soo Ae).

Later we’re supposed to get that he’s really an ace assassin. He gets the gig to murder the beautiful young woman (but of course he’s way too in love to do the deed). (source : rebublica) 

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Posted in: miscellaneous,nepal korea

Nepal has defeated Afganistan by 1-0

KATHMANDU, APR 07 - Nepal has defeated Afganistan 1-0 in the opening match of 'AFC Challenge Cup 2012' played at the Dasrath Stadium, Kathmandu on Thursday.

Midfielder Bharat Khawas succeeded to score against Afganistan at the 27th minute of the game.

The victory over Afganistan in a qualifying Group D match of the 'AFC Challenge Cup 2010', has given Nepal three points.

Nepali national team would play their second game against defending champion North Korea on Saturday.

Sri Lanka is another team in group D. (source : ekantipur)

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Posted in: miscellaneous,Sports Nepal

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) plans to make kathmandu green

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) plans to make kathmandu green : In an attempt to make the Capital a clean and green city, KMC had planned tree plantation. “Most of the riverside areas are encroached. We want to revive greenery in the city,” Shrestha said. Various NGOs are taking part in the programme.

After years of negligence, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is finally waking up to the idea of a green city, albeit in a modest way. KMC in coordination with Department of Forests (DoF) had allocated a total budget of Rs. 500,000 for launching tree plantation in open spaces and along the riversides of the valley.

In a joint meeting held on Monday, they took the decision where KMC had separated Rs. 3 lakhs and DoF had allocated Rs. 2 lakhs for the project.

Rabin Man Shrestha, deputy chief of the Environment Management Department of the KMC said that recently they allocated the budget. Soon, they will work for the site and plant selection for which DoF is providing technical support. Shrestha said they will select the site and plants within two weeks. (source : ekantipur )

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Posted in: green kathmandu,kathmandu,miscellaneous

The first international literature festival to be held in Nepal

The first international literature festival to be held in Nepal, the Kathmandu Literary Jatra is set to take place in the nation’s capital from September 16-18. The Kathmandu Literary Jatra will be an annual Literature Festival held in Nepal.

The three-day literary event will be held at the Patan Museum and will host over 30 writers, authors and cultural critics from around the world. Each day will be packed with discussions, readings and performances. The festival will be multi-lingual, utilising English, Nepali and other regional languages.

The festival’s objective is to kindle Nepal’s reading culture and provide a platform for local language literature to engage with its international counterparts. The festival is a product of Nepal’s unique literary heritage and will play a pivotal role in bringing Nepali literature on to the global stage.

Kathmandu Literary Jatra 2011 is a collaborative effort of Nepal Economic Forum and QC Events. The festival will be supported by Nepal Economic Forum—an independent national organisation chaired by author Sujeev Shakya, and will be managed by QC Events, a division of Quixote’s Cove—a bookshop, operated by Pranab Man Singh and Suvani Singh.

The festival’s programmes will be designed under the guidance of Namita Gokhale—co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival and authors Manjushree Thapa, Sanjeev Uprety and Rabi Thapa.

The speakers include Manjushree Thapa, Sushma Joshi, Sujeev Shakya, Buddhi Sagar, Kai Bird, Namita Gokhale, Kanak Mani Dixit, Narayan Wagle, Sanjeev Uprety, Gurcharan Das, Deepak Thapa, Neeta Gupta, Samrat Upadhyay, Sheeba Shah, Manjul, Khagendra Sangraula, Devendra Bhattarai, Archana Thapa and Prashant Jha. The festival will rely on funding from a variety of bilateral, multilateral and corporate sponsorships. (source ekantipur )

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Posted in: miscellaneous,nepali literature

Mahabharat age relics found in Jhapa

  

BIRTAMOD (JHAPA), APR 04 - A team of experts has found archaeologically important remains at Kichchakbadh, a historical site in Jhapa district, during a recent excavation. 

In course of the excavation, the government team of experts comprising archaeologists discovered the remains of a brick wall of a building and drainage system. Deputy Director of Department of Archaeology Uddhav Acharya, who is also the leader of the excavation team, said that the ruins of a building, brickwalled drainage and a wide room were unearthed in the historically and archaeologically important site. Earlier, some bowls, earthen lamps, flower vase, water pitcher, bow, knife among other things were unearthed. 

The team of exports has been working in the area under s the third phase of excavation for the past one month. 

According to Acharya, the excavation of Kichchakbadh and recent findings are important archaeologically “The remains found during the recent excavation date back to the Sunga-Kushan period about 2,000 years ago”,” he said. Acharya said the excavation will be on hold for the time being after a week.  

It is believed that Bhim, one of the five Pandav brothers, chased Kichchak to this place and killed him for ogling at his wife Draupadi.

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Posted in: mahabharat,miscellaneous

2 died after consuming elephantiasis drug in Inaruwa

INARUWA: Two persons lost their lives while undergoing treatment of elephantiasis at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) and six persons are in sickbed.

The deceased have been identified as Draupadi Chaudhary, 70, of Hariharpur of Chitwan and Mansur Khatun of Boriya.

Problem surfaced after they were administered anti-elephantiasis drugs by the government by mobilising health workers in villages, said victim family members.

The drugs were administered in Saptari on March 26 and 27.(source : the himalayan times )

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5.7-magnitude earth quake hits far west of Nepal

BAITADI: An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale rocked the far western region today damaging more than two dozen houses in Bajhang, Baitadi and Darchula. According to the National Seismological Centre, the epicentre of the quake was in Chhapri of Darchula district, near Nepal-India border.

The tremor hit the region at around 5:16 pm and lasted 15 seconds. No human casualties were reported though.

“The duration of the quake was 15 seconds and it was of medium-type in nature,” said Bharat Koirala, Seismologist. NSC has recorded five small-scale earthquakes in Nepal in the last one month but the today’s was the largest.

“We shouted in fear when the quake hit the region,” said Prem Chunara, a local of Darchula. (source : the himalayan times )

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Nepal Telecom to install 500 more towers

Nepal Telecom (NT) has stated that it will install 500 additional Base Transcriber Station (BTS)s within the next three months. With the installation of these BTSs, NT has targeted to take its services to rural areas, semi-urban areas and to improve the service quality.

The state-owned telecom service operator currently has around 1,800 BTSs across the country for its GSM mobile service. GSM mobile is also the segment in which it is facing stiff competition from private operators.

“New BTSs will be targeted at improving as well as taking our service to rural areas and areas in the process of urbanisation,” said Surendra Prasad Thike, deputy managing director and spokesperson for NT. He said they are continuously working on network expansion plan.

With the increasing competition, NT has already decided to add 6 million 3G enabled GSM lines. For the purpose, it will also require a huge investment for infrastructure development. By the end of the next fiscal year, according to NT, it will have more than 4,000 BTSs. Preparations are underway to call global tenders for the new lines, said NT. To add such a huge number of subscribers, NT requires at least 2,000 new BTSs. Thike said NT requires a huge investment for setting up BTSs, they are working on infrastructure sharing with other operators apart from carrying out expansion work. “After the infra sharing, the more operators share BTSs, the more the operating costs come down,” said Thike. He added that there won’t be a need of extra investment for same infrastructure if all mobile operators agree to telecom infrastructure sharing.

Infrastructure sharing means sharing of towers, BTSs, microwave radio equipment, optical fibbers, antennas and generators, among others. There are six telecom operators in the country and they are currently expanding services through their individual investment.

Subscribers of telecom service, particularly GSM mobile, are increasing rapidly. Total number of GSM subscribers has already surpassed 10 million. However, the number of BTSs has not increased accordingly.

As per the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), growing call traffic, limited bandwidth and a limited number of BTSs have contributed to poor network coverage of most operators. One way to solve this problem would be setting up of more towers. There is a need of an estimated 10,000 additional BTSs for providing quality service in the country. Currently, there are over 3,000 BTSs in the country. An official at the NTA said the government is working to implement the provision of infrastructure sharing from the next year. “This will bring investment cost down and operators will have a chance to concentrate on quality,” said the official  (source : ekantipur)

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Posted in: miscellaneous,NTC .