Mayors recommend government to impose lockdown in Kathmandu Valley, again

 The Valley Municipal Forum (VMF) today recommended to impose a strict lockdown in the Kathmandu Valley to contain the rising Covid-19 cases as the festivals will see crowd.

The Forum has advised the government to impose the third phase of lockdown in the Valley after Tihar and Chhath festivals as the Covid-19 cases are making new records every day, according to VMF.

During a meeting with the Covid-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) today, the Forum concluded that the government needs to impose a strict lockdown to break the chain of transmission in the Valley.

“It is very necessary for the government to break the transmission chain,” the Forum concluded, advising the government to increase testing and make contact tracing effective, during the lockdown period. 

Lalitpur city unveils Nepal’s first seed vending machine

Lalitpur Metropolitan City today unveiled the first of its kind ‘seed vending machine’ in the country to promote rooftop vegetable farming in the city and provide farmers with quality seeds at reasonable prices.
Lalitpur Mayor Chiri Babu Maharjan unveiled the state-of-the-art machine in the presence of secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Yubak Dhoj GC, chief of the Agriculture Division Office of the metropolis , Keshav Adhikari, local farmers and journalists. “Our main target is to promote root-top vegetable and flower farming in the city and to provide quality seeds to citizens with minimal cost,” Maharjan said, adding that it will help reduce the organic solid waste to a great extent which is the main problem in the city, if roof-top farming is promoted. “The metropolis is looking forward to installing such machines in all the 29 wards.”
The service seekers, who come at the municipal office, will also buy seeds from the vending machine, he added. “Through the vending machine, farmers can get 36 different varieties of seeds of vegetables and flowers.”
One can buy the vegetable and flower seeds of choice pressing a button on the screen of the vending machine that displays the variety of seeds along with their pictures and price. One needs to put a clean currency bill on the machine and the vending machine issues the packet. The cost ranges from Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 40 to Rs 100.
The machine was procured in a public private partnership model involving Saakal Agro and Seed Traders.  The machine imported from Chennai of India at the cost Rs 900,000 will be operated by traders and they will be looking after its overall maintenance too, Maharjan said, adding that traders needs to renew licence to operate the machine, every year.
“Mayor Maharjan is working with an innovative idea,” agriculture secretary GC said, adding that Nepal’s economy is dependent on agriculture. “The machine will be of great help for commoners to get the seeds they are looking for.”
The city installed ‘Water ATM’ or ‘Pani Padhero’ – in March – to provide the public easy access to safe drinking water, where anyone can drink 200 ml water paying Rs 2.