IOM hands over another multipurpose community centre in Bhimeshwor

A newly constructed multipurpose community centre at Bhimeshwor municipality of Dolakha district was officially handed over to the municipal authorities today. This earthquake-resistant building constructed by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) with funding from the people of Thailand through the Royal Thai government, will be used by the municipality as ‘coordination hub’ in its response to crises like Covid-19 pandemic.
“With the operation of multipurpose evacuation center in the municipality, IOM is hopeful that the disaster risk management can be supported from the grassroot level to encompass all the beneficiaries,” said head of Programmes at IOM Nepal Jitendtra Bohara.
Confirmed Covid cases in Nepal have been increasing daily, although there has been decline partly attributed to declining number of returnees from neighbouring India, while the country saw sharp increase in cases after the Indian government eased its lockdown effective from June 1. Majority of cases in Nepal so far, have been returnee migrants, read a press note issued by the IOM-Kathmandu Office today.
“Having designated open spaces with on-site amenities is certainly much safer and important than setting up tent at random area at the event of disaster,” said the Bhimeshwor municipality mayor Bharat Bahadur KC, inaugurating the building.
On the same occasion, mayor KC also unveiled the ‘Open Space Map Book’ developed by the IOM covering all details of designated ‘open spaces’ in the municipality to be used for humanitarian purposes in the event of a disaster. The map book covers all details of ‘open spaces’ such as Global Positioning System (GPS) location, total area, nearest route for evacuation when disaster strikes, nearest emergency services and so on around the open spaces.
IOM is supporting the government in the identification and protection of ‘open spaces’ in the provinces of Bagmati, Gandaki and Province 5. The 83 open spaces identified in Kathmandu valley with support from the IOM, were found to be useful during the Nepal earthquake 2015 that displaced approximately 2.8 million people. The identified open spaces will be integrated to government’s BIPAD platform, a real time database information management sharing portal that will be related completely to both natural and non-natural hazards.
On the onset of disaster, the building will be used to provide shelter for displaced people with priority given to the most vulnerable, including pregnant women, children, people with special needs and the elderly people. In times when no disasters or emergencies are prevalent, the building will serve as a venue for community and municipal activities, including women and youth groups, community-based trainings, recreational pursuits, information dissemination and income generating activities.
Under the same project, IOM is building similar multipurpose structures in seven other municipalities in earthquake-affected districts namely Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Gorkha, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk and Rasuwa, with the structure in Bhaktapur district already completed and handed over to the concerned authority.
The project, part of support from the people of Thailand to the Nepalese people in their recovery efforts from the earthquake 2015, is being implemented under the leadership of the government, mainly the Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.
As co-lead for camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) cluster in humanitarian emergencies, IOM Nepal contributes to government’s efforts in disaster risk reduction and building resilient communities.

Elderly to get 50 per cent discount on airfare : Tourism Minister

Unveiling his one-year work plan, tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai today during a press meet announced that domestic passengers above 70 years will get 50 per cent discount on their airfare.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will hold discussions with stakeholders to implement the new policy, he said, claiming that his ministry will form new legal provisions and reform the old policies to meet the standards of the European Union (EU) aiming to get off from the EU’s air safety list.
Presenting a gamut of his to-do list for a year at a press meet – almost a month after his appointment as the tourism minister – Bhattarai said that the ministry will conduct a feasibility study of opening an international standard flying school to produce skilled manpower for the aviation sector. “Draft of new acts will be prepared soon,” he said, adding that he is prepared to complete all the activities that are scheduled for the current fiscal year efficiently, citing that he has a strong team backing him up.
Likewise, the minister has also announced to provide incentive package to airline companies that operate flights to Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA). “Construction of GBIA is all set to be completed by December,” he said, hoping that the airport will be fully operational within three months after the completion of the construction. “We will be providing incentive packages to those airline companies that operate commercial flights to and from GBIA.”
He also claimed that the site clearance for Nijgadh International Airport (NIA) will also be completed by the end of the year.
On the occasion, minister Bhattarai also said that the ministry will issue expression of interest (EoI) to develop those airports as air sports activity centres. Many a airports in the country have remained non-operational at the moment.
Bhattarai, talking about upgradation of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), said that the country’s sole international airport is capable of providing 24-hour service. “The ministry will offer special packages to those airline companies that operate flights after midnight,” he said, adding that the ministry will also prepare new criteria for VIP movement at TIA to address the congestion and traffic jams during VIP movements. “The ministry is also preparing to organise a Global Tourism Ministers’ Conclave – by the end opf the year – in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) with the theme ‘New Year in Nepal’, to make Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020 successful.”
Bhattarai, on the occasion, also announced about organising tourism investment summit, to complete the work of Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) to provide skill-based training related with tourism sector to 12,000 interested candidates and to instal GPS tracking system to make mountaineering sector more reliable and secure.

Tribhuvan International Airport to track taxi for safe ride

Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is setting up a taxi tracking system to guarantee passengers’ safety and security, especially for night taxis.
During his inspection visit to the international airport today, tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai directed TIA to do homework for the tracking of taxis for passengers’ safe ride. He also directed the TIA officials to make airport taxi services affordable, easy and secure for passengers.
According to the TIA officials, the taxi tracking system – as a part of the TIA upgradation project – will will help track taxis ferrying passengers from TIA to their destinations with the help of Global Positioning System (GPS). “The system will help concerned authority track the movements of taxis,” the officials said, adding that it is also expected to make the taxi services safer, especially during the night time.
The minister – citing the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation’s plans to operate TIA round-the-clock – directed the TIA officials to make airport taxi services convenient and secure during night time. “After completing the homework, the TIA will call a tender to set up the tracking system,” the officials said, adding that the TIA will then coordinate with taxi service providers to implement the service.
The TIA had earlier initiated pre-paid taxi service system in 2014 in coordination with the Airport Passengers Transport Service Management Ltd. The passengers have to pay before their ride and can use the taxi service to different places within the valley from and to TIA.
The TIA is also upgrading its internal management system, trolley and baggage management system, quick services to passengers from check-in to immigration areas. The TIA has just completed runway rehabilitation, and the construction of taxiway and parking bay will begin from September. “the government is planning to upgrade TIA as a ‘boutique’ airport,” the TIA officials said.

New cargo tracking system increased freight forwarders’ cost

Freight forwarders today complained that the electronic cargo tracking system has raised transportation costs by 25 per cent despite minimising documentation costs also due to reduction of transportation time, detention and demurrage charges for Nepali traders.
“Despite government’s assurances that the new system will make shipping cheaper due to reduction of transportation time to almost four times, the shipping companies at Indian ports have been imposing additional surcharges under different headings increasing the cost against the government’s claim, they complained.
The government has recently launched the electronic tracking that uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) – a satellite-based radio navigation system – and allows the shipper to keep track of consignments. Nepal has received transshipment privileges from Indian authorities – along with the system – under which goods imported from third countries undergo customs clearance directly at the customs points on the Nepal-India border.
The government has been implementing the electronic tracking and the transshipment on Nepal-bound cargo released from Kolkata, Haldiya and Visakhapatnam ports in India since mid-February. The system permits electronic documentation that has been claimed to make shipping cheaper apart from reducing time of transportation to five days from earlier 21 days, saving demurrage and detention charges.
The traders – to use the system – need to pay Rs 4,200 extra per container as fitting charge for electronic tracking device. However, the freight forwarders complained that they are forced to pay higher consignment charges. “Shipping companies hiked the cost of cargo handling by Rs 25,000 to Rs 125,000 from Rs 100,000 per container,” according to past president of Nepal Freight Forwarders Association (NFFA) Rajan Sharma. “Shipping lines give only a four-day concession period for empty containers to be returned from Birgunj to Kolkata after they are unloaded,” he said, adding that the companies charge an additional $100 per container per day, if there are delays. “The limited capacity of Sirsiya Dry Port in Birgunj to handle containers has pushed the costs up.”
Apart from congestion at Sirsiya Dry Port in Birgunj, the rising labour cost and the need to train manpower at the ports have also contributed to the hike in the price, according to the incumbent president of the association Prakash Singh Karki.
Karki also suspected intervention of customs agents behind the hike in freight charges. “When the system was launched in February, customs handling agents at Indian ports had disrupted the movement of Nepal-bound cargo,” he said, adding that they used to earn by using the manual system but upset by the loss of income, the agents protested by halting the movement of Nepal-bound cargo.
Currently, six shipping lines are providing services to Nepali traders. Among them, Maersk Line handles around 60 per cent of the cargo destined for Nepal. The small number of companies handling Nepal-bound cargo is also one of the reasons for increasing the cost due to the monopoly.
The association has suggested the government to use more shipping companies to check such malpractices.

Government starts embossed number plates distribution

After some 25 years, the government has implemented its Act as the Department of Transport Management started issuing high security embossed number plates from today.
Though, the embossed number plates are against the new Constitution -- that does not recognise Zones -- these number plates are readable by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera systems. "The number plates carry a chip which is connected to the vehicle’s GPS system," the department informed, adding that it helps to locate the vehicle in the event of theft.
The government had been long planning to replace the old number plates but it took some two-and-a-half decade to implement the Act that had 25 years envisioned to use embossed number plates. "The department plans to replace all the old number plates by the next five years," it added. "In the first phase, all the government-owned vehicles will have embossed number plates to be followed by diplomatic and personal vehicles."
Five colours of plate and text will be used to differentiate between government vehicles, private and diplomatic vehicles. The numbers will be however be in English only and it might be widely criticised for not using the Nepali numbers, apart from using the Zones instead of Province. 

Government to impose strict measures against Mt Everest climbers

The government is going to adopt strict measures for Mt Everest climbing aspirant from this spring – March, April and May – due to repeated breaches of rules and guidelines while climbing the highest mountain of the world.

The government has also decided to set up an integrated office at the Everest base camp to provide better service to the climbers, porters, sherpas, sardars, high-altitude workers and cooks, according to Tourism Ministry.

Last year, two European climbers and a group of rope-fixing sherpas fought on the Mt Everest.

Earlier, Ueli Steck of Switzerland and Italian Simone Moro, along with a British photographer, had a fight with a group of sherpas over climbing rights.

Likewise, British climber Daniel Huges also last year broadcast live footage from top of the Mt Everest via smart phone to BBC News, without any permission from the government.

Taking clue from the past incidents, the government is also going to verify climbers' experience, health and age before allowing them to climb the world's highest peak besides setting up a dedicated liaison office at the base camp for the first time.

The move aimed at climbers' safety will also help keep better track of the climbers. The ministry is also mulling installing GPS facilities in Khumbu region, where the Mt Everest is situated, to track the location of trekkers and mountaineers. It is bringing new guideline for garbage management as the region has ben littered by the climbers.

The proposed office will be manned by police, liaison officials, doctors and representation from ministry of tourism and conservation area. It will be equipped with satellite phone, email, internet and mobile phone services.

US government supports work on Avian Influenza

Two specialists from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) led a weeklong workshop on how to effectively map the spread of diseases, like avian influenza, using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from January 20 to 24.

These cutting-edge technologies can help determine how diseases spread within a country, which makes programmes to combat diseases more effective, the US embassy in Kathmandu said in a press note. "The programme was attended by twenty Nepali veterinarians, scientists and other specialists working on issues related to the spread of diseases."

The workshop was also supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Regional Support Unit in Kathmandu.

Mobile data traffic to grow by 66 per cent a year to 2017

Global mobile data traffic is forecast to increase by 66 per cent Compounded Annual Growth rate (CAGR) or 13-fold by 2017, reaching 11.2 exabytes (one quintillion bytes) per month, or 134 exabytes a year, by that year, according to Cisco.
The company expects 46 per cent of all cellular traffic to be off-loaded from fixed or Wi-Fi by 2017 (9.6 Exabytes a month), compared with 33 per cent (428 petabytes a month) in 2012. LTE is likely to support nearly 10 per cent of all mobile connections by 2017.

Continued strong growth in the mobile Internet connections, both personal devices and M2M applications, which will exceed the UN’s world population estimated of 7.6 billion.
Cisco explains that 134 exabytes is the equivalent of three trillion video clips, or one clip daily from each person on Earth over one year.

Mobile data is being driven by an increase in mobile users (5.2 billion by 2017 vs 4.3 billion in 2012), rise in mobile connections (10 billion, including 1.7 billion M2M by 2017 vs 7 billion in total in 2012), faster mobile speeds (3.9 Mbps vs 0.5Mbps), and more mobile video, expected to account for 66 per cent of all mobile data traffic by 2017, versus 51 per cent in 2012.
Cisco expects M2M traffic, including car GPS, asset tracking, medical applications, etc, to account for five per cent of global mobile data traffic in 2017.

The MEA region is expected to 77 per cent CAGR mobile data growth between 2012-2017, Asia-Pacific 76 per cent, Latin America 67 per cent, Central and Eastern Europe 66 per cent, North America 56 per cent and Western Europe 50 per cent.