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