Dec 162014
 

This Article was published on Haka Haki Mangshir issue

राजधानीको प्रदूषण नियन्त्रण गर्न अहिलेसम्म भएका पहल पर्याप्त छैनन् । यसका साथै भएका कार्यक्रम तथा नीति पनि समन्वय र अनुगमनको अभावमा उपलब्धिमूलक हुन सकिरहेका छैनन् ।

एउटा स्वस्थ्य मानिसले औसत प्रतिमिनेट १२ पटकसम्म सास फेर्छ । त्यसक्रममा उसले लगभग ६ लिटर हावा प्रयोग गर्छ । यसबाट अनुमान गर्न सकिन्छ, बाँच्नका लागि हावा कति आवश्यक छ ? भनिन्छ, खाना नखाई मानिस तीन हप्तासम्म र पानी नपिइ २–३ दिनसम्म बाँच्न सक्छ । तर, हावाबिना ३ मिनेटभन्दा बढी बाँच्न गाह्रो हुन्छ ।

हामीले सास फेर्ने हावामा सामान्य आँखाले देख्न सकिने र नसकिने धुलोका अनेकन कण हुन्छन् । ती मध्ये केही हानिकारक हुन्छन् त केही असर नगर्ने किसिमका पनि हुन्छन् । हावामा यसरी हानिकारक धुलोका कणको मिसावट भई हुने वायु प्रदूषणबाट राजधानी काठमाडौंै अछुतो नरहेको सर्वविदितै छ । काठमाडौंैमा गरिएका अध्ययन मनन गर्दा, यहाँ विशेषगरी रासायनिक वा अन्य किसिमका प्रदूषणभन्दा पनि सडक, सवारी र कलकारखानाबाट निस्कने धुवाँ र धुलोको समस्या टड्कारो देखिन्छ ।

सडक धुलाम्ये भएको बेला होस् या कुनै कलकाखानाबाट निस्कने धुवाँको मुस्लो, हामी ‘ओहो, कति धेरै प्रदूषित भएको’ भन्छौं । Continue reading »

Jul 312012
 

This article was published on MYREPUBLICA (31 July, 2012)

In a bid to promote clean technology in the country, Nepal has more than 700 electric vehicles (Safa tempos) running in the valley—a commendable effort to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. Safa tempos are best driven for short distances and at relatively slow speeds, all of which suits the natural topography of Kathmandu valley. These green machines, which are mostly operated by women drivers, hold a lot of potential for the country’s economy and can tap Nepal’s massive hydropower potential to create a regional energy grid that contributes significantly in reducing GHG emission in the region.

The Trolley Bus Service
The interurban line (Trolley Bus Service) that connects Kathmandu to the satellite towns ceased its operation around November 2008. Established in 1975 and managed by the Nepal Trolley Bus Service (NTBS) of Nepal Transportation Corporation (NTC), the system functioned well in its early stages. At that time, this was one of the cheapest and most desirable modes of transport in the valley. With the change in political set up in the country in the 1990s, the management of the trolley bus service encountered hostile government bureaucracy and the organization’s overstaffing resulted in huge losses for NTBS. The revenue collected from fares was not enough to pay even the electricity bills or staff salaries. Currently, its office compound at Baneshwar is occupied by another implausible project, the Melamchi Water Supply. A part of its space is managed as battery charging station for Safa tempos, where they get uninterrupted electric supply even during load shedding.

THE BIRTH OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The advent of Safa Tempo’s in Kathmandu has replaced the notoriously environment unfriendly Vikram tempos that run on diesel. The development and promotion of Safa tempos in Nepal was initially supported through international projects. This later developed into a bigger EV industry with over 700 Safa tempos operating in more than 13 routes in Kathmandu. The journey was not as simple for other electric vehicles. When the first REVA car arrived in February 2001, it was bunged at the customs office for several months due to customs duty and additional special taxes. There are other similar stories for four and two wheeler electric vehicles that faced enormous challenges at all stages of import, registration and deployment to road and users.
Today, there are more than 700 three wheeler, approximately 1500 two wheeler and few four wheeler electric vehicles on our roads.

The prevailing law does not recognize a two wheeler as a Continue reading »

Mar 102012
 

It had been around 53 days, since I put in writing my earlier piece. And it has been the same 53 days, I was in shortage of cooking gas. Today afternoon, after I came back to my office after the meeting at Ministry of Environment, there was a call from the local gas dealer to be there by next 10-15 minutes to take gas cylinder that was booked for me.

Just a quick flash back of those dry days: many days I prepare breakfast and dinner at office, many days fry rice and momo were home packed, many times just forget or had no time for food and in between these many days I traveled in and outside Nepal.

I am indebted to Ugan dai for those all memorable moments at Delhi, Colombo and diner at Kathmandu. Similarly, I am very thankful to Sanjay and Srini for those beautiful moments and hospitality at Delhi and making arrangement to visit ‘Delhi Book fair’. Also, thanks to Krity and Dr. Sugathapal for taking your all valuable time and taking us for shopping, dinner and Colombo city tour. Oh how can I forget that dinner with Geeta, Thanks you very much- wish you a wonderful marriage life.

[Movies] So many movies, 2 times I went for ‘Loot’-a nepali record breaker and now also I am just back after watching ‘Kahaani’  a bollyhood thriller. Also there were two more late night hindi movies at Delhi. [Travel] There were also number of travel, started with Mahendranagar-far wet Nepal, Comombo – Srilanka, Delhi and Dhaka. Just forget about the expenses. [Books] Oh, now I have Bhagwatgita and Kuran, Continue reading »

Jan 162012
 

बत्ति कुन वेला हुन्छ, त्यही अनुसार आफु पनि चल्नु पर्नै । हिजो राती धेरै अबेर सम्म बसिएछ, कुन वेला सुतियो थाहाँ नै भएन, घडी हेर्दा त बिहान ९ः४० भई सकेको रहेछ । अर्लाम बजेको पनि पत्तै भएनछ, अर्लाम बन्द गर्ने पनि बानी जस्ते भई सक्यो । अब अफिस जान ढिला हुने भयो भनेर हत्तार हत्तार तयारी गर्न तिर लागे । केहि त खानै प¥यो भनेर, कफि बनाउन लागेको, आजै ग्याँस पनि सकियो । जसो तसो पानी सम्म उमाल्न भ्यईयो । ढिला भएको वेला, आज साईकल होईन, मोटर साईकलमा जानु प¥यो भन्ने लाग्यो । जाडो फेरी पेट्रोल पनि धेरै नभएको, वाईक स्र्टाट गर्न कत्रो जात्रा । दुई तिन वटा ग्याँस पसलहरुमा बुभ्mदै जादा झण्डै एक घण्टा ढिला पुगिएछ अफिसमा ।
बेलुकी घर फर्कदा बाहिर वाटै केहि खानेकुरा लानु प¥यो भनेर, बाटोमा रेस्टुराहरु हेदै ब्याईक ढिला कुदाउदै थिए, दुई तिन वटा रेस्टुराहरु लहरै रहेछ पुरानो बानेस्वरको बाटोमा । मेनु हेदै जादा पिज्जा अलि सजिलो होला जस्तो लाग्यो, “हट ब्रेडको पिज्जा” । अडर गरे, बिल त सेचेको भन्दा अलि धेरै आयो । के हो भाई, घर लाने सामानमा पनि सभिर्स चाँर्ज भनेको, “दाई हाम्रोमा त मेनुमा भएको सबै आईटममा सभिर्स चाँज लाग्छ” भन्छन् भाई त । छेउमा भएका अरु ग्राहकहरुले पनि यस्तो त गर्नु हुदैन नि भन्दै थिए, के मान्थ्यो र, कसैको कुरा सुनेनन । बाहिर निस्किए, ग्याँस लिनलाई पैसा निकाल्न नजिकैको एटिएममा गए

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