By Babbler

Garbage has become a never-ending problem for Nepal, especially for the Kathmandu Valley.

For those involved in garbage collection, it is a money-making business. They receive funds from the concerned municipalities and metropolitan cities and also collect monthly fees from every household in the city. There is a strong syndicate among garbage collectors, which municipalities have been unable to break.

Last week, when mayors gathered to discuss garbage management, MP Ashika Tamang was found engaged in a fierce verbal exchange and walked out of the meeting following a heated dispute with local mayors, notably Lalitpur Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan.

Now, locals in Bancharedanda are staging protests demanding the scientific and proper management of garbage. If processed properly, garbage can be a source of revenue. It can be used to produce compost fertilizer and generate electricity. However, government authorities and local bodies appear reluctant to ensure the proper utilization of waste.

Good Homework Needed for Managing EV Batteries

The trend of importing electric vehicles has increased significantly. Imports have risen by 70 percent compared with ICE vehicles. After two or three years, the batteries used in these vehicles may reach the end of their useful life, creating a potentially serious problem of battery disposal.

If the government takes the initiative to mobilize the private sector to establish battery-recycling plants and develop proper systems for disposing of unusable battery waste, the problem could be managed effectively. Otherwise, it could become hazardous.

Marijuana Farming

The Gandaki Province Government has approved marijuana cultivation for medical purposes. The other day, Finance Minister Swornim Wagle also gave a green signal to marijuana cultivation.

Nepal is already facing the serious problem of drug abuse, and if marijuana cultivation is permitted without adequate safeguards, the problem could worsen. Allowing marijuana cultivation without strict laws and effective regulatory bodies could be hazardous.

Therefore, the government should introduce strong laws to prevent drug abuse and increase the budget for regulatory bodies, including the police. It should also launch effective public-awareness programmes. If properly regulated and limited to legitimate medical and industrial purposes, marijuana cultivation could potentially be financially beneficial for Nepal.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Nepal is not an ordinary nation; it is an impregnable fortress surrounded by the divine powers of Nath and Devi. Nath represents consciousness and protection, while Devi represents power and flow. When consciousness and power come together, Nepal is born. This is why Nepal remained independent and sovereign even when great empires fell.

–Bhumi Raj

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According to my study, 46 percent of the total budget goes to subnational, or lower-level, governments. Except for a few selected municipalities, most local governments have a haphazard approach to budget formulation and plan management. It has even been found that provincial governments allocate funds every year for projects such as landslide control using wire mesh, often repeatedly.

Political participation and the devolution of authority have been achieved, but the devolution of financial capacity has not.

–Gajendra Budhathoki

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The system of governance did not work after all, did it? “For years, plans in provincial governments have been bought and sold through intermediaries after commissions were taken during budget formulation.

–Binod Neupane

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When a nation loses its direction, history once again searches for its roots. In Nepal, monarchy is not merely a system of governance; it is a symbol of national unity, existence and pride.

–Shashank Ghimire

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Today (Bhadra 4) is Children’s Day in our time. The Bal Mandir building brings back many memories of Children’s Day. Bal Mandir was not a school at that time, but basic education at the kindergarten level was provided there. Sisters Meena Basnet (Khadka) and Devi Miss used to teach us the basics. I learned the larger alphabet there.

At Bal Mandir, we were also given milk and haluwa. After completing the larger alphabet and basic Sanskrit lessons with Guru Dahal, I enrolled directly in Grade 2 at Gaighat School. Many of my friends, however, continued going to Bal Mandir for several years just to have the “milk and haluwa.”

The Bal Mandir school in front of my house continued to provide me with various opportunities. For example, when Queen Aishwarya and her sisters visited the area, perhaps around 2042 B.S., I was given an opportunity to stand on the stage and recite a poem. I also received a packet of chocolates as a gift from the Queen.

There used to be a special atmosphere at Bal Mandir on Children’s Day. We children did not care much about anything else. We were simply happy that we could get chocolates.

–Gajendra Budhathoki

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Well, Gajendra brother’s description brought back memories of Children’s Day. Bhadra 4 used to be a special day for children. These days, there does not seem to be a separate day designated for children.

Those who are well-off teach their children to become addicted to mobile phones from an early age while they themselves run after the glitter and glamour of other places. The children of those who struggle to make ends meet, meanwhile, are in trouble from the moment they are born. The speeches and promises of rulers and administrators cannot feed them.

Such, it seems, is the way things are here…

–Dhruba H. Adhikary

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Such a reactive, cosmetic approach will not work. Unless we abandon the surrenderist policy born out of the 12-point agreement in Delhi in 2005, there is no future except continued decline.

–Dipak Gyawali

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 As foreign aid shrinks, there is no alternative to attracting private investment.

The development model based on dependence on foreign aid and concessional loans in the past would no longer be effective.

–Finance Minister Swornim Wagle

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Nepal’s rapper PM hates the three Ps:

1.   Press: He has not faced a single press conference as Prime Minister. Even during his tenure as mayor, he held only one.

2.   Parliament: He tries to avoid and ignore Parliament as much as possible.

3.   Poor: His brutal eviction of squatters has resulted in the deaths of many people.

–Birat Aanupam

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Couldn’t you have predicted even that much? Everyone knew that the countries providing money to Nepal were themselves facing problems. At a time like this, the government should have been reducing expenditure, but instead it has increased civil servants’ salaries by 20 percent and arbitrarily raised tax-free personal allowances.

Isn’t this a problem created by the government itself? Where is the investment-friendly environment?

–Elite Akash

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Excerpted and translated by Sushma Shrestha.