'Safe drinking water for displaced main challenge'

'Safe drinking water for displaced main challenge'

Ensuring safe drinking water and hygienic foods to displaced people is the main challenge in the flood-hit districts, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of the Department of Health Services (DoHS), which is responsible for preventing and controlling outbreak of diseases, said.

Officials at the EDCD said that health workers are struggling to provide safe drinking water to the displaced people as they do not even have vessels to purify the water by chlorination. 

“We have distributed chlorine drops at the displaced camps, but the people do not have water vessels for chlorination,” a health worker said. Health workers have urged the administration and the District Drinking Water Corporation’s office to ensure safe drinking water for the displaced people. 

Dozens have died and thousands have been displaced by the floods in Banke, Bardia, Surkhet and Dang districts in the Mid-western Region. Thousands of people in these districts are camping out at temporary shelters. 

The EDCD said that it has already deployed a team of health workers at the flood-affected regions to assess the possible risks of the spread of communicable diseases. 

“We have sent a team of health workers with essential medicines to the affected districts,” Dr Baburam Marasaini, director at the EDCD, said. He claims that there is no dearth of essential drugs in the flood affected districts and challenge lies in ensuring safe drinking water and foods for the displaced people. Most of the drinking water resources of the districts have been contaminated by the recent flood.

Dr Marasini said that the office is serious in its efforts to prevent any outbreak of communicable diseases in the camps for the displaced. The local authorities have set dozens of camps for displaced people in safe areas. 

The EDCD said that there is no need to send doctors from the capital as the region has several medical collages and regional hospitals whose help could be sought if situation demands.

Source:http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=81404

बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्रमा महामारीको जोखिम

नेपालगन्ज, भाद्र २ - सरकारले योजनाबद्ध उद्धार कार्य, तत्काल राहत र विस्थापितको व्यवस्था गर्न नसक्दा पहिरो तथा बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्रको जनजीवन कष्टकर बन्दै गएको छ। ती क्षेत्रमा खानेपानी, विद्युत् र आवागमन अवरुद्ध छन्।

पीडितहरू फोहर पानी र भिजेको अन्न खान बाध्य छन्। त्यसले महामारीको जोखिम देखिएको छ। बाँके, बर्दिया र सुर्खेतका बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्रमा झाडापखाला र ज्वरोको समस्या देखिइसकेको छ। बाँके र बर्दियाका हजारौं पीडितले राहत पाएका छैनन्। सुर्खेत र जाजरकोटमा खानेपानी अवरुद्ध छ भने डोल्पामा विद्युत् आपूर्ति बन्द छ।

बर्दिया संवाददाता कमल पन्थीका अनुसार बबई र कर्णाली नदीमा जलस्तर घट्दै जाँदा झाडापखाला र ज्वरोका बिरामी बढ्दै गएका छन्। पदनाहा, बनियाभार, नेउलापुर, बगनाहा, मोहम्मदपुरलगायत गाविस र गुलरिया नगरपालिका महामारीको उच्च जोखिममा छन्। सफा पिउने पानी अभाव कायम रहे महामारी फैलिने जोखिम रहेको जिल्ला स्वास्थ्य प्रमुख अच्युत लामिछानेले बताए। बाढीले दौलतपुर, बगनाहा र पदनाहा गाविसमा रहेका स्वास्थ्य केन्द्रमा बाढीले क्षति पुर्‍याएपछि औषधि अभाव छ। विरामी बढेपछि औषधिसहित स्वास्थ्यकर्मी पठाउने तयारी भइरहेको स्वास्थ्य कार्यालयले जनाएको छ। बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्र निरीक्षणमा आएका उपप्रधान तथा गृहमन्त्री वामदेव गौतमले ३८ ठाउँमा स्वास्थ्य शिविर सञ्चालन गरिने बताए। महामारी फैलिन नदिन प्रहरी र प्रशासनलाई निर्देशन पनि दिए।

चाउचाउ र बिस्कुटको भर बर्दियाका हजारौ विस्थापितलाई राहतस्वरूप चाउचाउ र बिस्कुट वितरण गरिएको छ। चाउचाउ समेत अभाव भएपछि नेपालगन्जलगायत ठाउँबाट ल्याएर हेलिकप्टरबाट पुर्‍याइएको छ। धेरै ठाउँमा सडक बगेका आउजाउमा कठिनाइ छ। यातायात सम्पर्क नभएका ठाउँमा तीन हेलिकप्टरले राहत सामग्री वितरण गर्न लागेको प्रजिअ तेजप्रसाद पौडेलले बताए। पोषणयुक्त खाना अभावमा प्रभावित क्षेत्रमा सुत्केरी र गर्भवतीको अवस्था नाजुक बन्दै गएको छ।

ज्यान जोगाउन कुहिएका अन्न बाँकेको राप्ती नदी डुबानमा परेका बासिन्दाले ज्यान जोगाउन कुहिएका चामल, गहुँ, धान, दाललगायत खान थालेपछि महामारीको जोखिम बढेको छ। बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्र पुगेर फर्केका संवाददाता ठाकुरसिंह थारुका अनुसार सडेका र कुहिएका खाद्यान्न सडकभरि सुकाउन राखिएकाले दुर्गन्ध फैलिएको छ। त्यस क्षेत्रमा सरकारी उपस्थित नभएपछि पीडित ४ दिनदेखि अलपत्र छन्। 'एकाएक राप्तीको बाढी गाउँ पस्यो, केही झिक्न पाइएन। खाद्यान्न राखिएका डेहरी गलेर ढले,' कुहिन थालेको चामल सुकाउँदै गरेकी फत्तेपुर ८ महिमानपुरकी रामप्यारीले भनिन्, '३/४ दिन भोकै कसरी बस्नु। भोकले रोग मान्दैन। घाम लागेको बेला सुकाएर यही खाने गरेका छौं।'

तीन दिनसम्म बाढी नघटेपछि खाद्यान्न कुहिएको हो। कतिपयको खाद्यान्न माटोमा मिसिएको छ। धेरैको खाद्यान्न बगेको छ। जोगाइएका धान, गहुँ, मसुरोमा ढुसी परेको छ। कतिपयको खाद्यान्न घरसँगै पुरिएको छ। 'यतिका दिन भइसक्यो हाम्रो अवस्थाबारे जानकारी लिन कोही आएन। हामी सडेका खाद्यान्न खाना थालेका छौं,' फत्तेपुर ९ ढलैयाका पल्टु चौधरीले भने। बाढीमा परी मरेका चौपायाको दुर्गन्धले पनि संक्रमणको जोखिम बढाएको छ। घर भत्किँदा च्यापिएर मरेका दुई गोरुको दुर्गन्ध राप्ती बगरमा फैलिएको छ। ढलैयामा सुँगुर/बंगुर मरेर दुर्गन्ध फैलेको छ।

जिल्ला जनस्वास्थ्य बाँकेका महामारी रोग नियन्त्रणका फोकल पर्सन रामबहादुर चन्दले कुहिएको खाद्यान्न खाँदा झाडापखाला, आउँ र रगतमासी संक्रमणको जोखिम हुने बताए। दुर्गन्धले भाइरल ज्वरो र श्वासप्रश्वासको समस्या हुने उनले बताए। बाढीले हुलाकी राजमार्ग भत्काएपछि यातायात ठप्प भएको छ। फत्तेपुरका एक सय घर भत्काएको छ। फत्तेपुर, ढलैया, गुलरी, डाँडाटेपरी, खलाटपरी, कमैयाडाँडा, लक्षिरामपुर, पदनाहा, जरैया, महिमानपुरका बासिन्दाको घरभित्रको अन्नपात कुहिएको छ।

खानेपानी, विद्युत् र सडक अवरुद्ध तीन दिनअघि आएको बाढीले खानेपानीको मुहान र पाइप बगाउँदा सुर्खेत उपत्यकामा तीन दिनदेखि पानीको हाहाकार भएको संवाददाता मोतिलाल पौडेलले जनाएका छन्। बाढीले झुप्रा, इत्राम र खोर्के खोलाको मुहानमा क्षति पुर्‍याउनुका साथै पाइप बगाएको छ। साउन २९ को बाढीले मुहान र संरचनामा क्षति पुर्‍याएपछि उपत्यकावासीलाई खानेपानी उपलब्ध गराउन नसकिएको झुप्रा खानेपानी तथा सरसफाइ संस्थाका अध्यक्ष कुलमणि देवकोटाले बताए। अस्थायी रूपमा पानीको व्यवस्था मिलाइँदै गरेको उनको बताए। वषर्ाले क्षति पुर्‍याएका कारण सुर्खेतमा तीन दिनदेखि बत्ती अवरुद्ध भएको छ। मुरली खोला र हर्रेमा मुख्य लाइनमा क्षति भएकाले विद्युत् अवरुद्ध भएको विद्युत् प्राधिकरण शाखाले जनाएको छ।

जाजरकोटमा विद्युत् र खानेपानी अनियमित जाजरजोट सदरमुकाम खलंगाको विद्युत् सेवा र बुंदबुदी मुहानबाट आपूर्ति भएको खानेपानी लाइन अवरुद्ध भएको छ। पहिरोले साङ्ट लघु जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको कुलो भत्काउँदा विद्युत् आपूर्तिमा कठिनाइ भएको अध्यक्ष लीलाबहादुर शाहले बताए। जसका कारण सदरमुकाम अन्धकार भएको छ भने पहिरोले पाइपलाइन बगाउँदा खानेपानीको हाहाकार भएको छ।

त्यस्तै बाढीपहिरोले रामीडाँडामा पनि विद्युत् तथा खानेपानी र सक्लामा खानेपानी आपूर्ति बन्द भएको छ। बाढीपहिरोले जिल्ला विभिन्न स्थानमा खानेपानी, विद्युत्, सिँचाइ कुलो, बाटो, विद्यालय भवन, पुललगायत दर्जनौं भौतिक संरचना क्षति पुर्‍याएको अध्यक्ष शाहले बताए।

बाढीले नहर भत्काउँदा अन्धकार बाढीले नहर भत्काउँदा जैरिगाड साना जलविद्युत् केन्द्रको विद्युत् आपूर्ति बन्द भएको छ।

डोल्पा संवाददाता विष्णुलाल बुढाका अनुसार, सदरमुकाम दुनैको साना जलविद्युत् केन्द्र जैरिगाडको नहर बाढीले भत्काएपछि विद्युत् आपूर्ति बन्द भएको नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरण दुनैले जनाएको छ।

नहरको मूलदेखि ५० मिटर वर जैरिगाड खोलामा आएको बाढीले कटान गरेपछि नहर भत्केको हो। बाढीले नहरको ३१ मिटर भत्काएको र त्यसको असरले ४१ मिटरसम्म चर्केकाले तत्काल विद्युत् उत्पादन र आपूर्ति हुन कठिन रहेको निमित्त स्थानीय विकास अधिकारी अंगदकुमार हमालले बताए।

पहिरोका घाइतेलाई हेलिकप्टरबाट उद्धाररोल्पा संवाददाता काशीराम डाँगीका अनुसा- घरमाथि पहिरो खस्दा गम्भीर घाइते भएका रोल्पा राँकका एक जनालाई थप उपचारका लागि सेनाले हेलिकप्टरबाट अस्पताल पुर्‍याएको छ। प्रहरीका अनुसार रोल्पा राँक २ का कृष्ण वलीलाई आइतबार सेनाको हेलिकप्टरबाट दाङको तुलसीपुर लगिएको हो। ३२ वर्षका कृष्ण पहिरोमा पुरिएपछि च्यापिएका थिए। घर भत्किएर च्यापिएका उनलाई स्थानीय स्वास्थ्य संस्थामा उपचार गरिएको थियो। 'गाउँमा उपचार हुन नसकेपछि उनलाई हेलिकप्टरबाट अस्पताल लगिएको हो।' प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारी लुकबहादुर क्षेत्रीले भने।

उद्धारका लागि हेलिकप्टर तयार राख्नुहोलाः गृहमन्त्री

उपप्रधान तथा गृहमन्त्री गौतमले सुर्खेतलगायत मध्यपश्चिमका विभिन्न जिल्लामा आएको बाढीपहिरोपछि उद्धार, राहत र पुनःस्थापना गरी ३ चरणको योजना बनाएर सरकार अघि बढिरहेको बताएका छन।

बाढी तथा पहिरोग्रस्त क्षेत्रको निरीक्षण भ्रमणमा आएका गौतमले उद्धार र राहतमा गुनासो आएपछि सुर्खेतमा प्रहरी तथा प्रशासनका अधिकारीलाई हेलिकप्टर 'स्टेन्डबाई' राख्न निर्देशन दिएका हुन्। सरकारले आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण स्रोत, साधन र सम्पत्ति लगाएर भए पनि बाढीपीडितहरूको उद्धार, राहत र पुनःस्थापनामा कुनै कसर बाँकी नराख्ने उनले बताए। उनले सरकारले गरेका काम र प्रयासमा खोट निकालेर आलोचना गर्नभन्दा पनि सरकारले गरेका काममा सहयोग गर्न र एकजुट भएर सहकार्य गर्नुपर्ने आवश्यकता औंल्याए।

प्राकृतिक प्रकोपमा मृत्यु भएका व्यक्तिका परिवारलाई ४० हजार तथा घर क्षति भएकालाई ५ हजार रुपैयाँ दिने नीतिअनुसार सरकारले आर्थिक सहयोग दिने गृहमन्त्रीको बताएका छन्। आवश्यकता पर्दा जे चाहिए पनि विपद व्यवस्थापन समितिसँग समन्वय गरी पूर्ति गर्न आफूले प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीलाई निर्देशन समेत दिइसकेको उनले बताए।

राहत उद्धार र पुनःस्थापनाका लागि आवश्यक निर्देशन दिन र समन्वय गर्न गृहमन्त्रालयअन्तर्गत गठन गरिएको कमान्ड कन्ट्रोललाई चौबीसै घन्टा उच्च सतर्कताका साथ राखिएको गृहमन्त्री गौतमको भनाइ छ। बाढी तथा पहिरो प्रभावित जिल्लाहरूमा राहत र उद्धारका लागि हेलिकप्टर तयार राखिएको बताउँदै उनले काम नसकिँदासम्म हेलिकप्टर यतै रहने जानकारी दिए।

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/np/2071/5/2/full-story/394224.html

Diseases follow deluge in Banke‚ Bardiya

2014-08-17

NEPALGUNJ/DIPAYAL: Flood and landslide victims in Bardiya, Banke and Kailali have begun contracting diseases and health workers are worried that if appropriate measures are not taken on time, it may lead to outbreak of cholera. 

Bardiya flood victims are suffering from cholera, fever, diarrhoea and common cold. Victims at Bardiya headquarters and health posts have received treatment, but those in the far-flung areas have not been so lucky. 

Achyut Lamichhane, Chief at Bardiya District Public Health Office , said his office had accelerated the treatment of flood victims at temporary camps. Lamichhane warned of cholera outbreak if appropriate measures were not taken pronto. Those camping on riverbanks face the gravest threat, due to the dead livestock. “If the victims are not relocated at safer place, epidemic might break out any time,” Lamichhane warned. 

Health workers are yet to reach some of the flood-hit areas. Flood victims at Neulapur, Bagnaha and many other rural areas are yet to receive relief. Gopiram Tharu of Bagnaha said rescue workers were yet to reach them, as the floods had damaged the roads. 

Majority of 19,000 victims in Bardiya are yet to get food and other relief though a helicopter dropped some packets of noodles and beaten rice this noon, said Tharu. “Many people are suffering from diarrhoea and we don’t have safe drinking water. We feel as if there is no government in our country,” Tharu added. 

According to focal person Ram Bahadur Malla at Banke District Public Health Office, victims at Holiya, Betahani and Udharapur are complaining of diarrhoea, fever and eye pain. Malla said they had treated 200 victims at Holiya and Betahani. 

Home Minister Bamdev Gautam, who came to inspect flood-hit districts today, had directed the government agencies to set up temporary camps and deploy doctors and nurses from Bheri Zonal Hospital. Gautam directed authorities to provide water, medicines, shelter and toilets at the earliest to the flood victims. 

Health workers said cholera, diarrhoea and common cold have afflicted flood victims in Kailali as well. Elderly and children are the worst hit. 

Health Director Parsuram Shrestha at far-western regional health directorate said his office had kept all the health workers on standby to check outbreak of an epidemic. Shrestha said medicine and health workers had been dispatched to the flood-hit areas. “We have asked all the health workers of 12 VDCs not to go on leave,” Shrestha said. 

Source: The Himalayan Times

अस्पतालमा बिरामीको घुईचो, ९० प्रतिशतमा झाडापखाला

भीमदत्तनगर, बैशाख ३० गते 
 गर्मी बढेसंगै महाकाली अञ्चल अस्पतालमा बिरामीको संख्या समेत बढेको छ । 
बैशाखको तेस्रो सता यता शुरु भएको प्रचण्ड गर्मीका कारण बिरामीको संख्या बढेको महाकाली अञ्चल अस्पतालले जनाएको छ । अस्पतालमा अहिले बैशाखको अन्तिम साता शुरु भएबाट बिरामीको संख्या दोब्बर भएको छ । अस्पतालका डाक्टर रामबिहारी चौधरीका अनुसार बिरामी मध्ये धेरै जसो झाडापखालाका रहेका छन । उपचारका लागि आउने बिरामी मध्ये ९० प्रतिशतमा झाडापखाला देखिएको छ भने अन्य कोही टाईफाइड, टाउँको दुख्ने, दम तथा वान्ता हुने लगायतका रहेका छन ।
 कतिपय बिरामी पेट दुख्ने समस्याले समेत अस्पताल पुगेका छन । बढ्दो गर्मीका कारण पानी दुषित हुनु, बासी खानेकुरा खानु लगायतका विभिन्न समस्याले गर्दा बिरामी समेत बढेका हुन । चिकित्कसहरुले गर्मीयामका समयमा बासी खानेकुरा नखान तथा सफा र स्वच्छ पानीको मात्रै प्रयोग गर्न सुझाव दिएका छन । धेरैजसोले पानी फिल्टर गरेर खाए सुरक्षित भईन्छ भन्ने सोचे पनि अहिले प्रयोग हुने धेरै जसो फिल्टरमा छानिएको पानी सुरक्षित नहुने जनाइएको छ । यस्तै गर्मी मौसममा सरसफाईमा विशेष ध्यान दिन तथा तरकारी र फलफूल राम्रो संग पखालेर मात्रै खानुपर्ने चिकित्सकको सुझाव छ । 

श्रोत: गोरखापत्र  अनलाईन  

Diarrhoea still not under control in Rautahat

7th May, 1014

RAUTAHAT: The outbreak of diarrhoea that started in Gaindatar of Chandranigahapur VDC, a week ago, is yet to be brought under control. 

Diarrhoea infection was first seen in Gaindatar on April 30. Though doctors from government and private hospitals started treating patients in temporary camps at the local Janashakti Secondary School, the disease has not been brought under control so far, said Dr Dharmendra Patel of Chandranigahapur Hospital. According to him, they have cured 350 diarrhoea patients till today. 

Ten patients are being administered saline water at the camp, said another doctor at the hospital, Amit Kumar Patel. According to him, many patients are children. “As people started drinking spring water after water wells dried up, Gaindatar residents were infected,” said health workers. 

However, the main reason behind the outbreak is yet to be confirmed, said doctor Patel. “The water supplied in the area and stool samples have been sent to Kathmandu for tests,” said Patel. 

Twelve persons were seriously infected with diarrhoea at Chandranigahapur-4 as well. “A temporary camp has been set up to treat patients and to prevent an epidemic in the area, he said. 

A four-member investigation panel led by Dr Pranilman Singh Pradhan of Patan Health Academy has been formed. The team reached Gaindatar today. The panel also completed the field study of the water source in the area. 

Red Cross Society Chandranigahapur distributed 20 litres of water to each household at Gaindatar through tanker today. 

Meanwhile, District Public Health Chief Raj Kishor Pandit said, “The situation is gradually improving and will come under complete control within two days.” 

Local Raju Dhami said locals had to suffer because the water source had become filthy. The locals had demanded proper treatment of the infected and supply of water in the locality from District Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office a few days ago. 

Source: The Hilmalayan Times

Waste segregation bins to be installed at Hanumandhoka Square

KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is all set to install separate waste segregation bins at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square area. 

“We will place nine sets of bins at the heritage area from (next) Friday as per the civic body’s plan to install separate bins for organic and inorganic waste at the busiest sections of the city within the current fiscal,” said chief of the KMC’s Environment Management Division Rabin Man Shrestha.

There are 200,000 households in the metropolis with the total population of 1.1 million. More than 450 metric tonnes of waste is daily produced from the metropolis, according to the KMC office.

“Each container will have a capacity of 30 litres,” Shrestha said, adding that the campaign will be gradually extended to other areas.

Two years ago, the civic body had placed about 500 trash bins of 240 litre capacity each along the major sections of the city. However, only a single bin was kept at different parts of the city for organic and inorganic waste. They were later removed during the road expansion drive, according to KMC.

The civic body will also install two separate bins in those places from where the bins were removed, said KMC officials. 

KMC has allotted Rs 1.5 million for the plan to be implemented in the coming fiscal. Despite several attempts, KMC has not succeeded in implementing the waste segregation laws at households.

The Waste Management Act 2011 has provisioned the segregation of waste at the source to keep the city clean, but it is yet to be effectively enforced.

It has also provisioned a fine of Rs 500 to Rs 100,000 and imprisonment of two weeks to three months against the violators of the waste management law

Soruce: The Himalayan Times

Published Date: 2014-02-01

KMC's sanitation campaigns fail to keep city clean

KATHMANDU, Dec 7: Every day Dambar Bahadur Naral, a security guard at the Nepal Medical Association, has to clean away the refuse pile dumped in front of his office to open the main gate. 
It has been his daily routine in the last 13 years. Naral is fed up with the negligence of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) office, a major body to maintain wastage in Kathmandu city. 

“I joined this office some 13 years ago and I have been cleaning the refuses from the first day of my job,” said Naral. “The problem of refuse is always same here. If the KMC office does not maintain the wastage of the capital city, then what is the office for?”
Naral, 52, said that along with the KMC office, nearby hotels and other shops are also responsible for the piles of refuse in front of his office. “They use this place as a dumping site and sometime the rickshaw which is operated by the KMC office, to collect the refuse, also dumps the collected refuse here only,” he added.
“Once we had submitted a letter to the KMC office, requesting them to clean the road and collect all the refuse,” said Naral. “As per our request letter, they sent garbage truck and collected all the refuse. By then, they did not come again which means we have to send letters regularly in order to clean the refuse.”
Like Naral, Januka Adhikari, 30, is also facing the problem of wastages. Adhikari, who has been operating her cosmetic shop on a pulling cart at Kalanki, is compelled to run her shop near the pile of refuse as that place is the closest to her room.
“I have been operating here for the last one year and I have not seen any garbage van collecting the refuses from here,” said Adhikari. “But I have seen people throwing wastage. The concerned authority should collect the refuse regularly so that people would not have to face so many problems. Not only me but all the people who cross this road have been facing the same problem." 
According to her, the refuse could be harmful for children´s health as well. So, the concerned authority must collect the refuse timely. 
Tons of wastes have piled up on many street of the capital city. Despite the fact that the KMC office has been organizing special cleanliness campaigns, the problem of waste is still the same. 

The KMC office is organizing a seven-day cleanliness campaign from today to mark 18th anniversary of its establishment. Some of the officials gathered today and organized various plans along with cleaning the capital city. Similarly, they have also informed all the wards of Kathmandu to carry out cleanliness campaign in their respective wards. The KMC office will celebrate its anniversary on December 14. 
“We have organized a cleaning campaign on the anniversary of our office,” said Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of Environment Management Division at KMC office. “Our campaign will help to increase awareness among the people.”
The KMC office has organized a number of such campaigns in the past but none of them have had any noticeable effect on the cleanliness of the capital city.
source: myrepublica.com

Air pollution giving Capital denizens a cough

KATHMANDU: The ongoing road expansion drive has given rise to various respiratory disease in the Kathmandu Valley. 

According to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, it has recorded 831 patients of pneumonia, 676 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 114 of asthma and 144 of bronchitis since July. 

“Number of people suffering from various respiratory diseases has doubled since the road-widening drive began,” said Dr Dirgha Singh Bam, a former health secretary. “Though the government’s road expansion initiative is appreciable, it has not been well-organised.”

According to World Health Organisation, air pollution is a significant risk factor for multiple health conditions, including respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer.

Air pollution causes breathing difficulty, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, skin diseases, allergy, wheezing and coughing problems. The problems caused due to air pollution is broad, however, it mostly affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. 

“The government could have prevented this problem by expediting the road construction and carrying out the works at night,” Dr Bam said. 

According to WHO standards‚ the level of Particulate Matter10 should be 20 microgram per cubic metre (µg/m3). The Ministry of Environment informed that the PM-10 concentration in ambient air was recorded at up to 699 µg/m3 against 120 µg/m3, the national ambient air quality standards in Kathmandu in March. 

The air pollution in Kathmandu is mainly attributed to vehicular emissions. The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division says that on-duty traffic cops can be taken as indicator to the adverse health hazards triggered by the air pollution as they perform duty by standing at least 18 hours on the roads daily. 

According to statistics, an average of four traffic cops are taken ill daily due to exposure to dust particles and exhaust, prompting the MTPD to organise health camps from time to time.

Source: The Himalayan Times
5th December, 2013

Nepal’s Female Community Health Volunteers have paved the way for groundbreaking ideas in the health sector

DEC 05 -

Today, December 5 marks an important milestone—the 25th anniversary of Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHV).  The idea was simple enough in theory. With the assistance of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations, a cadre of female health practitioners would bring health education and medical outreach services to families throughout the country. In practice, the challenges were enormous, not least Nepal’s underdeveloped infrastructure and extreme geography.  

Now, 25 years later, I can confidently say the project has been a huge success.  Since its inception in 1988, the FCHV programme has proven to be a key factor in Nepal’s dramatic reduction in maternal and child mortality.  Today, there are about 52,000 FCHV members working across the country’s 75 districts.  They are a vital pillar of Nepal’s public health sector and have saved the lives of tens of thousands of people who would otherwise have died from unnecessary causes.

December 5 is also commemorated worldwide as International Volunteer’s Day. And who better to be honoured on this day than Female Community Health Volunteers, who serve as Nepal’s frontline public health workers? In congratulating these special, dedicated women, let me cite a few of their most impressive achievements:

सर्लाहीमा झाडापखालाको प्रकोप

सर्लाहीमा झाडापखालाको प्रकोप

दूषित पानीले यहाँको चुरेफेदीको परवानीपुर १ सतभैया टोलमा झाडापखालाको प्रकोप फैलिएको छ । प्रकोप बढेपछि स्वास्थ्यकर्मीको टोलीले गाउँमा पुगेर उपचार गरिरहेको छ । शनिबार बिहान गाउँमा पखाला फैलिएपछि उपचारका लागि लालबन्दी प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य केन्द्रमा लगिएको थियो ।

'पूरै गाउँमा एकै पटक झाडापखाला फैलियो,' स्थानीय दिलबहादुर रेग्मीले भने, 'टाउको दुख्ने, बान्ता हुने र पखाला लाग्ने भयो ।' गाउँलेले प्रयोग गर्ने साझा इनारको पानी दूषित भएर झाडापखाला फैलिएको अनुमान छ । एक्कासि धेरै बिरामी परेपछि चुनाव प्रचारमा पुगेका उम्मेदवारका गाडीमा उनीहरूलाई अस्पताल लगिएको थियो । १७ जनाको लालबन्दी अस्पतालमा उपचार भइरहेको छ । 'चुनाव प्रचारका गाडी नभएको भए के हुन्थ्यो भन्न सकिन्न,' रेग्मीले भने, 'धेरै जना बिरामी भएकाले आत्तिएर हामी त सोच्नै नसक्ने भएका थियौं ।' लालबन्दी प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य केन्द्रमा उपचारार्थ भर्ना भएका १२ जना निको भएर आइतबार घर फिर्ता भएका छन् । 

बढी बिरामी ५ जनाको उपचार जारी छ । बिरामी भई अस्पतालमा उपचारार्थ भर्ना भएका टलकबहादुर रानाले सधैंझैं खानेकुरा खाएकाले पानीकै कारण पखाला फैलिएको बताए । 'गाउँमा रहेको इनारको पानी खाने तल्लो टोलका मात्र सबैजसो बिरामी पर्‍यौं,' उनले भने, 'अस्पताल आएका बाहेक गाउँमा पनि उत्तिकै बिरामी छन् ।' शनिबार अस्पताल भर्ना भएका रानालाई आइतबारसम्म निको भएको छैन । अस्पतालकी नर्स कमला भट्टराईले पखाला, बान्ता र टाउको दुख्ने लक्षण बिरामीमा देखिएको बताइन् ।

 

प्रकाशित मिति: २०७० कार्तिक १०

स्रोत :कान्तिपुर दैनिक 

Vet teams to curb flow of unhealthy meat to capital

KATHMANDU, October 1: In a bid to contain the supply of unhealthy and hygienic meat to the capital for the upcoming Dashain festival, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has decided to deploy five teams of veterinary experts at main entry points. 
Traders could supply the livestock to the capital only after the teams vet and clear them, officials at metropolis´ health department said.
Vet doctors will give green label to the healthy animals and red to the unhealthy ones, said Dr Baburam Gautam, Chief of the department. 
The sick or suspicious animals will then be quarantined for 24 hours. [brealk] 
"Quarantined animals will be sent back if their health does not improve within 24 hours," said Narendra Bajracharya, another official at Department.
The officials added that they will strictly prohibit sale and slaughter of sick animals.
They said that the metropolis will also deploy veterinary teams at the livestock markets at Tukuchha, Dillibazar and Koteshwor apart from the major entry points at Nagarjune and Kalanki areas for a week from October 6.
He said that the office will take stern legal action against the traders if they are caught supplying dead animals to or within the metropolis. 
The metropolis has also launched raids against traders involved in the supply of unhealthy animals and meat products. 
Recently, it had carried out a mid night raid following a tip off that a group of meat traders were supplying carcass to the capital. It had seized some dead fowls and goats following the raid.
"We have already taken legal action against such traders," Bajracharya said, adding that the metropolis will hand over the culprits to the police as it lacked law to penalize them. 
The KMC also handed over the carcasses to the District Administration Office, which in turn handed it over to the District Veterinary Office for postmortem. 
The metropolis has also been inspecting the meat markets twice a week in the run up to the festive season.
Published on 2013-10-04 03:24:06
Source: Republica news

Dengue cases on the rise in Jhapa

Dengue , an infectious disease caused by mosquito bite, is taking its toll in Jhapa district lately.

Health workers said 17 people, including 13 from Mechinagar Municipality alone, are found to have been infected with the disease.Lekhnath Khatiwada, assistant health worker at the Kakadvitta Health Post, said dengue cases are found mostly in Kakadvitta and its adjoining areas.

The disease, which is transmitted by female mosquitoes named Aedes aegypti, causes fever and severe pain in the joints.

Bed Prasad Ghimire, official at the District Public Health Office (DPHO), said his office has carried out publicity and awareness programmes in order to control the disease in the affected areas.

The health officials suspect that the disease was transmitted to local people who went to Indian town of Siliguri which is greatly affected by dengue in past few months.

Meanwhile, the number of patients suffering from the disease reached 25 in Parsa district. DPHO chief Arun Kumar Mahato said 12 patients are receiving treatment in various hospitals while 13 others returned homes after treatment.

Posted on: 2013-10-03 08:42 

Source: ekantipur. com

Keep your locality tidy‚ take part in clean up campaign tomorrow

KATHMANDU: The government is launching a ‘Clean Up Nepal’ campaign coinciding with the World Sanitation Day, 2013, on Saturday.
Organising a press conference, the Solid Waste Management Technical Support Centre today urged all the stakeholders to actively participate in the campaign in order to keep the city and locality clean and tidy. 
This year’s World Sanitation Day slogan is: ‘Our place, our planet, our responsibility’. Nepal is organising the campaign with the slogan ‘Together let’s sparkle Nepal’. 
“We appeal to everyone to participate in the sanitation campaign from their locality from seven in the morning to noon on September 21,” said Sumitra Amatya, Director, SWMTSC. “We need helping hands to make our places clean and healthy,” she added. According to SWMTSC, the campaign will begin at 200 places across the country on Saturday. “Some 10,000 volunteers and 300 different organisations are taking part in the programme,” said Amatya.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Urban Development has formulated a policy on urban development which focuses on waste management, drinking water and sewerage management, pollution control, greenery promotion and enhancing the beauty of cities.
The government has plans to provide universal access to basic drinking water and sanitation facilities to all by 2017 as per the Millennium Development Goals. Water and sanitation traps people in a vicious circle of disease, poverty and cost people their lives, said experts at the press meet today. According to the Ministry of Urban development, only 82 per cent of the population have access to drinking water and only 62 per cent have access to sanitation facilities in Nepal.

Though the data indicates that Nepal has met MDG target on water and sanitation, only 50 per cent of water supply schemes are functional and sustainability of the sanitation practices is still questionable. The World Sanitation Day, which began from 1997, is marked on the second week of September by 130 countries across the world. 
About 35 million people around the world participate in the ‘Clean up the World’ campaign every year.
Source: The Himalayan Times

Suddha Pani shut down for selling contaminated water

A market monitoring team of the Department of Commerce and Supply Management (DoCSM) shut down Suddha Pani situated in the Pepsicola town planning area on Monday. The department took action against the company after it failed to abide by the purity standards set by the government.

According to the DoCSM, the water being supplied by Suddha Pani was found to contain mesophilic and coliform bacteria. The company has been extracting ground water and selling it in the market after purifying it.

A DoCSM statement said that the company had been banned from extracting ground water and supplying it. The operation was carried out in the presence of Sushmita Shrestha, proprietor of Suddha Pani.

“The company has been sealed as it failed the quality test carried out by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Controls,” said Narayan Prasad Bidari, director general at the DoCSM. “We will intensify such operations in the days to come.”    

The Kathmandu valley is heavily dependent on water supplied by the private sector. Against the average daily demand of 370 million l of water in the valley, the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has been supplying just 140 million l. Private firms claim that they supply 90 million l of water by tanker daily. Likewise, they supply 120,000 units of 20-l water jars on a daily basis.

“As per our findings, there are around 260 water extracting and distributing companies in Kathmandu. And most of them have not acquired operation permits. This has raised a serious question about the health of the general people,” said Prem Lal Maharjan, president of the National Consumers

Forum. He added that the government should intensify such checks on water extraction and distribution as drinking water is among the basic needs of the general people.

Maharjan added that the DoCSM should also look into the price factor of the water being distributed in the capital city. “A one-litre bottle of drinking water is sold for around Rs 25 while the production cost is just around Rs 10. As for the 20-l jar, the production cost is Rs 25-Rs 30,” said Maharjan, adding that the government should realize this and ask private water bottling firms to reduce prices.

Apart from the water plant, the monitoring team checked Family Store in Pepsicola town planning area and seven other stores—New Namaste Mart, Baneshwor; Ganga Khadya Bhandar, Battisputali; Aaman Kirana Pasal, Bhimsengola and Banepali Pasal, Apna Cold Store and Best Buy Shopping Centre in Old Baneshwor.

They were caught for not displaying price lists and signboards, not renewing their business licences and selling date-expired products. The DoCSM said in a statement that all the date-expired products found in the stores were destroyed and the owners were warned not to repeat the offence in the future.

soruce : http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/09/03/business/suddha-pani-shut-down-for-selling-contaminated-water/377439.html

Date : sept 3, 2013

९० प्रतिशत ढुंगेधाराको पानी दूषित

काठमाडौ, भाद्र ९ -
उपत्यकाका ९० प्रतिशत ढुंगेधाराको पानी पिउन अयोग्य भेटिएको छ । विज्ञहरूको परीक्षणले प्राकृतिक स्रोतको पानी मुहान नै संक्रमित भएकाले ढुंगेधाराको पानी दूषित देखाएको हो । 
काठमाडौं उपत्यका खानेपानी लिमिटेड -केयूकेएल) का अनुसार काठमाडौं, ललितपुर र भक्तपुरमा २ सय २३ वटा ढुंगेधारा छन् । ती धाराको पानी काठमाडौं खानेपानी तथा ढल निकास विभागले परीक्षण गरेको हो । वातावरण जनस्वास्थ्य संस्थाले गरेको परीक्षणले पनि यस्तो पानी दूषित नै देखाएको थियो ।

ढुंगेधाराबाट आउने पानीमा ब्याक्टेरिया, अमोनिया, इकोली, कुल कोलिर्फम, आइरन र मेंगानिज रासायनिक र सूक्ष्म जैविक देखिएको काठमाडौं खानेपानी तथा ढल निकास विभागका पानी परीक्षण प्रयोगशालाका केमिन्ट राजेन्द्रकुमार सोनकारले बताए । परीक्षणमा एक सय एमएल पानीमा १ सियम कोलिर्फम, ब्याक्टेरिया, आइरन, अमोनिया जस्ता सूक्ष्म जैविक र रासायनिक कीटाणु भेटिएको थियो । पिउन योग्य पानीमा शून्य कोलनी हुनुपर्छ ।

केयूकेएलले रासायनिक र सूक्ष्म जैविक कीटाणु नष्ट गर्ने औषधि प्रयोग गरी पानी वितरण गरेको प्रयोगशालाका प्रमुख ज्ञानबहादुर कार्कीले बताए । उनले भने, 'प्राकृतिक स्रोतबाट आउने पानीमा कीटाणुहरू देखिनु स्वाभाविक हो, तर पानीमा देखिएको कीटाणुलाई नष्ट गरी शुद्धीकरण गर्न सकिएको छैन ।' वातावरण र जनस्वास्थ्य संस्थाले साउन महिनाभित्र गरेको अध्ययन र ढंुगेधाराको पानी परीक्षणमा पनि ९० प्रतिशत पानी दूषित रहेको निष्कर्ष निकालेको छ ।

संस्थाका कार्यकारी निर्देश्ाक डा.सुमनकुमार शाक्यले ढुंगेधाराको पानीमा रासायनिक र सूक्ष्म जैविक कीटाणुहरू रहेकाले प्रयोग गर्न उचित नहुने बताए । ढुंगेधाराको पानीमा कोलिर्फमसमेत परीक्षणमा देखिएकाले पानी पूर्णरूपमा शुद्धीकरण गरेरमात्र वितरण गर्नुपर्ने आंैल्याए । उनले भने, 'सरकारले राष्ट्रिय खानेपानी गुणस्तर मापदण्ड कार्यान्वयन निर्देशिका २०६३ जारी गरे पनि कार्यान्वयन हुन नसक्दा पानी झन्-झन् दूषित बन्दै गइरहेको छ ।'

संस्थाले हरेक महिना उपत्यकाका सबै धाराको पानी परीक्षण गर्ने गरेको छ । काठमाडौंमा १ सय ६५, ललितपुरमा ६१, भक्तपुरमा ८७, मध्यपुर ठिमीमा ६५ र कीर्तिपुरमा ११ गरी २ सय २३ ढंुगेधारा पानीको प्राकृतिक स्रोतका रूपमा प्रयोग हुँदै आएका छन् । सधैं पानीको हाहाकार हुने काठमाडांै, ललितपुर र भक्तपुरमा १७ लाख मानिसले ढंुगेधाराको पानी खाँदै आइरहेका छन् ।

प्रशिक्षार्थी
श्रोत् : कन्तिपुर दैनिक
प्रकाशित मिति: २०७० भाद्र १० ०८:३६

डेढ सय लाई झाडापखाला

                                      डेढ सय लाई झाडापखाला

रोल्पा — खुमेल–३ वेदधारामा सोमबार दिउँसोबाट फैलिएको झाडापखालाले १ सय ५२ जना बिरामी परेका छन्। बिरामी पर्नेमा ७९ महिला छन्।यो संख्या बढ्दो रहेको जिल्ला जनस्वास्थ्य कार्यालयका चिकित्सक विपिन कार्कीले बताए । उनका अनुसार बिरामीमध्ये १ सय ४१ जनाको खुमेल–४ स्थित उपस्वाथ्य चौकीमा उपचार भएको छ । अन्यको गजुल स्वास्थ्य चौकीमा उपचार गरिएको जिल्ला जनस्वास्थ्य कार्यालयले जनाएको छ ।बिरामीमध्ये १ सय ३७ जना प्राथमिक उपचारपछि घर फर्किसकेका छन् । १५ जनाको उपस्वाथ्य चौकीमै उपचार भइरहेको कार्कीले बताए ।स्थानीय नरबहादुर रोकाको श्राद्धमा गएका उनीहरू त्यहीं खाना खाएपछि बिरामी परेका थिए । आलु, तरिका, मासुलगायत परिकार खाएका थिए । बिरामी सबैमा एक्कासि वान्ता आउने, टाउको दुख्ने, रिंगटा लाग्ने र झाडापखाला हुने लक्षण देखिएको थियो ।

जिल्ला जनस्वास्थ्य कार्यालय रेउघाबाट कार्कीको नेतृत्वमा गएको स्वास्थ्यकर्मी टोलीले झाडापखाला प्रभावितको उपचार गरेको थियो । जिल्ला जनस्वाथ्य कार्यालयबाट औषधी र डाक्टरसहितको टोली प्रभावित क्षेत्रमा पुगेको थियो ।
झाडापखाला प्रभावितलाई राष्ट्रिय मावि खुमेलका शिक्षक, विद्यार्थी र अस्थायी प्रहरी चौकी सातदोबाटोका असई तेजबहादुर गुरुङ नेतृत्वको टोलीले उद्धार गरेको थियो । टाढा घर भएका बिरामी राति पनि स्वास्थ्यचौकी आउने क्रम चलिरहेको प्रसनि गुरुङले जानकारी दिए ।
सदरमुकाम लिबाङसँगै जोडिएको खुमेलमा झाडापखाला देखिएपछि जिल्लाबाट केही स्थानीय राजनीतिक दल र सञ्चारकर्मीको टोली प्रभावित क्षेत्र पुगेको छ ।
एक महिनाअघि लिवाङ–५ काभ्रेखर्कमा फैलिएको झाडापखालाबाट २२ जा प्रभावित भएका थिए । सदरमुकाम लिबाङमै असार २५ मा फैलिएको झाडापखालाबाट २२ जना प्रभावित देखिएका थिए । लिबाङ–५ काभ्रेखर्कमा वितरित खानेपानी ट्यांकीमा अविरल वर्षासँगै आएको बाढी पस्दा प्रकोप देखिएको थियो ।

श्रोत् : नगारिक दैनिक ,२०७० /०५ /०४ 

झाडापखाला र टाइफाइडका बिरामी बढे

झाडापखाला र टाइफाइडका बिरामी बढे

अछाम, साउन १४ गते । जिल्ला अस्पताल अछाममा झाडापखाला र टाइफाइडका बिरामीको सङ्ख्या बढेको अस्पताल प्रशासनले जनाएको छ ।
 उपचारका लागि अस्पताल आउने दैनिक ८०÷९० जना बिरामीमध्ये ३० जनामा झाडापखाला र टाइफाइड देखिएको जिल्ला अस्पतालको बहिरङ्ग सेवाका तीर्थराज जोशीले बताउनुभयो । 
 पछिल्लो समय फोहोर पानी र सरसफाइको कमीका कारण यस्ता बिरामी बढेको स्वास्थ्यकर्मीले बताएका छन् । जिल्लाका अन्य स्वास्थ्य चौकीमा पनि झाडापखाला र टाइफाइडका बिरामी बढी आउने गरेको बुझिएको छ । रासस
स्रोत : गोरखापत्र  दैनिक 

उपभोक्ता अझै 'दूषित' दूध खान बाध्य

                               उपभोक्ता अझै 'दूषित' दूध खान बाध्य

  काठमाडौ, श्रावण ११ - खाद्य प्रविधि तथा गुण नियन्त्रण विभागले कोलिर्फमबाट दूषित रहेको भनिएका १३ दुग्ध उद्योगको उत्पादनमध्ये कुन कोलिर्फम युक्त हुन् र कुन होइनन् भन्ने जानकारी आमउपभोक्तलाई छैन । विभागले समेत उच्च राजनीतिक दबाब र आर्थिक कारण उपभोक्तालाई यो जानकारी दिन सकेको छैन ।

'दूधमा कोलिर्फम हुनुहुँदैन,' अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मापदण्डअनुसार कोलिर्फम भएको दूध स्वास्थ्यका लागि हानिकारक हुन सक्ने भएको जनाउँदै सूक्ष्मजीव विज्ञान विशेषज्ञ प्रा. डा. शिवकुमार राईले भने, 'गुणस्तर विभागले कोलिर्फम देखिएकामध्ये हाल कुन-कुन उद्योगको दूधमा कोलिर्फम छ र कुन कुनमा छैन भन्ने जानकारी उपभोक्तालाई दिनुपर्छ । उपभोक्तालाई शुद्घ गुणस्तरीय दूध सेवन गर्ने अधिकारको प्रत्याभूति गर्न दूधबाट यस्ता प्रकारका प्रदूषण अविलम्ब हटाउनुपर्छ ।'

दूषित उत्पादन गरेका उद्योगको हालको स्थितिबारे विभागसँग जानकारी माग्दा लिखित निवेदन दिनुपर्ने जनाएपछि कान्तिपुरले सूचना अधिकारीसँग इमेलबाट जानकारी माग्यो । तर कुनै प्रतिक्रिया दिएन । 'हामी कहाँ लिखित निवेदन दिएपछि मात्र सूचना दिने उर्दी जारी गरिएको छ,' स्रोतले यो प्रकरणमा सूचनालाई सञ्चार माध्यममा नदिन अत्यन्त उच्च दबाब रहेको जनाउँदै भन्यो, 'कसैले लिखित मागे कानुन औंल्याउँदै सूचना प्रशोधनको नाउँमा सात दिन कुराउन सकिने र त्यसपछि समेत विभिन्न बाहना गर्न सकिने नीति लिइएको छ ।'

'सूचना पाउनु उपभोक्ताको मौलिक हक हो,' उपभोक्ता हित संरक्षण मञ्चका महासचिव ज्योति बानियाँले भने, 'प्रत्येक गतिविधि जसका लागि गरेको हो त्यसलाई सूचना दिनै पर्छ, यसमा कुनै सीमा, अवरोध गर्नुहुन्न ।' सूचना नदिनु अनुचित काम रहेको जनाउँदै यसले सूचना लुकाउने प्रक्रिया सुरु भएको दाबी गरे ।

विभागले दूधमा कोलिर्फम विरुद्घको अभियान गत जेठ २३ गते देखि सुरु गरेको थियो । त्यसताका विभागले कोलिर्फम पाइएका १३ डेरीमध्ये प्रतिमिलिलिटर २५ सयभन्दा बढी कोलिर्फम पाइएका ६ वटा डेरीलाई बन्द गरेर कारबाही सुरु गरेको थियो ।

त्यसताका विभागले असार ३ गते जारी गरेको विज्ञप्तिमा 'प्रशोधित दूधमा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थितिले सम्बन्धित उद्योगले सरसफाइमा ध्यान नदिएको र प्रशोधनमै कमी कमजोरी रहेको प्रस्ट देखिन्छ' उल्लेख छ । यतिमात्र नभई विभागले उल्लेख्य संख्यामा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति पाइएका त्यसताका पाँचवटा डेरीबाट उत्पादित विभिन्न ब्राण्डका दूध अर्को सूचना नभएसम्म उपभोग नगर्न सर्वसाधारणलाई अनुरोधसमेत गरेको थियो ।

त्यसताका केही उद्योगीहरूले कानुनअनुसार सबै दुग्ध उत्पादनमा कोलिर्फम शून्य हुनुपर्ने भए पनि केही खास मात्रामा कोलिर्फम पाइएका उद्योगलाई कारबाहीमा छुट दिन सकिने कानुनी व्यवस्था नभएको जनाएका थिए ।

कोलिर्फम देखिएका उद्योगहरूसँग विभागले लिखितमा दूधमा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति शून्य हुने र यसका लागि सुधार गर्दै जाने प्रतिबद्घता लिए पनि कहिलेसम्म कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति शून्य हुने हो भन्ने समयसीमा नतोकेको उल्लेख गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो, 'यसैले गर्दा उद्योगले ढिलासुस्ती गरिरहेका छन्, उपभोक्तालाई आफूले मूल्य तिरेर उपयोग गर्ने दूध कोलिर्फम मुक्त छ वा छैन भन्ने जानकारी दिनमा रोक लगाइएको छ ।'

तर दुग्ध विकास संस्थानले आफ्नो दूधलाई कोलिर्फम मुक्त गरिसकेको दाबी गरेको छ । 'हामीले दूधलाई कोलिर्फम प्रदूषणबाट मुक्त गर्‍यो, विभागका प्राविधिकहरूले समेत यसको परीक्षण गरिसकेको छ,' दुग्ध विकास संस्थानका जेनरल म्यानेजर एसपी सिंहले भने, 'हाम्रो उत्पादनमा कोलिर्फमको उपस्थिति शून्य बनाउन करिब पाँचदेखि सात दिन लागेको थियो ।'

कोलिर्फम जीवाणु (ब्याक्टेरिया) को समूह हो । दूधमा कोलिर्फम देखिनुको अर्थ त्यसमा अन्य रोग उत्पन्न गर्न सक्ने जीवाणु हुन सक्ने सूचकसमेत रहेको जनाउँदै राईले भने, 'यस्तो दूध उपलब्ध रहनुको अर्थ कुनै पनि बेलामा झाडापखाला, आउँ, जन्डिस, टाइफाइड लगायतका पानीजन्य रोग महामारीका रूपमा फैलिन सक्ने सूचकसमेत हो ।'

प्रकाशित मिति: २०७० श्रावण ११ ०९:३१

श्रोत् : कन्तिपुर दैनिक

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Meeting water and sanitation target a daunting challenge

Meeting water and sanitation target a daunting challenge

KATHMANDU, July 24:Though the government has increased the budget for programs aimed at ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation, it still has to face daunting challenges in order to meet the sanitation target by 2017. 

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has set aside Rs 404 billion for water and sanitation programs. However, the government is still a long way from meeting its goals on safe drinking water and sanitation, as per the national census 2011. 

Though 82.7 percent of households in the country are connected to drinking water supply lines, only 47.78 percent households receive safe drinking water from taps, whereas 35 percent households get water drawn using tube wells and hand pumps.

The sanitation coverage is still low as only 61 percent households have toilets, though the government has to increase the coverage to 100 percent by 2017. Only eight districts have been declared Open Defecation Free till date. 

According to the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) Secretary Kishor Thapa, the main challenge is to change the public attitude toward using toilet so that areas that are once declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) zone remain so in future as well. 

Thapa added that his ministry this year would set the standard for number of people per toilet. The standard number of toilets would vary in academic institutions, hospitals and crowded areas, he mentioned.

Likewise, the MoUD would also coordinate with the Ministry of Local Development to increase the number of public toilets in urban areas. Only 61 public toilets are in usable condition in the Kathmandu Valley at present.

For sanitation, the National Planning Commission had set the budget ceiling of Rs 450 million for sanitation. 
Of the total allocated amount for water and sanitation the government has allocated total Rs 3.99 billion to improve the coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation in rural areas in the next four years.

Following an increasing water crises in the hill districts like Ramechhap, Kavre Palanchowk and Panchthar in dry seasons, the government has allocated Rs 250 million for ensuring drinking water in the areas this year.

Likewise, Rs 300 million has been allotted to promote public private partnership program in VDCs. Likewise, the government is also planning to add water supply facility in Tansen of Palpa, which is facing acute shortage following the fast urbanization. 

Similarly, Rs 560 million has been allocated for the development of Bagmati river corridor. The amount would be utilized to stop encroachment around the the Bagmati River area and to make the river sewerage free. 

Melamchi water project gets Rs 5.24 billion

The government´s focus still remains on Melamchi drinking water project as Rs 5.24 billion of the total expense on drinking water service has been allotted to the project to establish the water treatment plant at Sundarijal. The project falls in the category of national priority.

On July 10, the MoUD had inaugurated the construction of water treatment plant at Sundarijal, which has the capacity to treat 80.5 million liters of water per day. The project is supported by JICA.

The standard of water brought from Melamchi would meet the national standard after treatment at the center, according to Suresh Prakash Acharya, spokesperson of the Ministry of Urban Development. 

Two international companies M/S VA Tech Wabag Limited, Austria and Pratibha Industries, India had received the joint contract to complete the project by November 2015. 

However, the construction of a tunnel from Melamchi to Sundarijal has been stalled since September last year after the government terminated the contract of the Chinese contractor that was building the tunnel.

The project had started in 2000 with an aim to supply 170 million liters of water to the Valley by 2007. The slow pace of the project, however, has resulted in two deadline extensions. The total cost of the project is US $ 249.4 million.

According to Madhav Prasad Nepal, senior engineer with the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, the government has initiated the bidding process for tunnel construction with the hopes of restarting the project within a couple of months.

The initial contract with the Chinese contractor China Railway 15 Bureau Group Corporation on building a diversion tunnel for the water supply project came to an end on September 26 last year. The contractors blamed the government saying that the board was unsupportive and had failed to address their demands over payment.
Of the total 27.5 km tunnel, the Chinese contractors had built only 6 km till September last year. Engineer Nepal, meanwhile, claimed that the Chinese contractors did not bring equipments needed for constructing the tunnel. 

The board officials say that the government was disappointed with the contractor after it became clear that they could not complete the work in time.
There is a demand of 320 million liters of drinking water in the Valley for 3.2 million people, out of which 2.6 million are Valley residents and more than half a million people are those who travel to the Valley for various reasons. 

The KUKL has the capacity to supply only 90 million liters of water to the Kathmanduties in dry season and 150 million liters of water during rainy season. Therefore, the KUKL is also working on other alternatives as Melamchi project would supply only 170 million liters of water every day, which is only half of the total requirement. 

The government has estimated that additional Rs 9 billion would be needed to supply drinking water to the Valley dwellers till 2016. The estimation excludes the cost of the ongoing Melamchi drinking water project and the Bagmati Basin improvement program.

The MoUD has also estimated that 20 new tube wells, with the capacity to generate 20 million liters water per day, would have to be brought in operation in the next three years. 

Similarly, a plan to construct a 22 kilometer network for improved water distribution system inside the ring road areas is also in the pipeline. The MoUD project also aims to construct basins at various places of the Valley. 

Under this plan, ponds with the capacity to store 30 million liters of water in Mahankal, 12 million liters in Balaju, 8 million liters each in Arubari and Khumaltar would be built. In total, 68 million liters of water would be stored in the basins. In another phase, from 2016 to 2025, the government aims to establish water treatment centers and improved distribution systems at an investment of Rs 13 billion.

source : Republica
Link: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=58370