Clean Kathmandu campaign ends

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: The weeklong ‘Clean Kathmandu: Our Kathmandu Campaign 2068 ’ ended today with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai in sanitary gear cleaning up the Bagmati River near the Tilganga Eye Hospital for about half an hour in the morning.

Prime Minister Bhattarai had launched the Kathmandu clean-up initiative, part of the National Volunteer Service Campaign, by sweeping the road in front of the CA building in Baneswhor on April 6 together with ministers, bureaucrats and high-level police officials.

Under the initiative, officials of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and three other municipalities in the valley, in coordination with security personnel, penalised dozens of people for disposing of garbage in public places.

During the campaign, KMC managed to collect waste on time, providing respite to the public from a stinking environment.

With the weeklong initiative over, people like Basanta Maharjan of New Baneshwor feel that the clean-up campaign should continue.

Worried over pollution resulting from the ongoing road-widening initiative in the Kathmandu valley, Maharjan said the government should clean up the widened roads and black-top the expanded portions right after expansion.

Addressing volunteers, PM Bhattarai also said the initiative should continue. “Driven by the spirit of volunteerism, we should keep our cities, towns and villages clean,” he added.

PM’s wife Hisila Yami, his daughter Manushi Bhattarai, chief secretary, secretary at the PM’s Office and KMC executive officials got involved in today’s clean-up programmes, which covered all wards of the metropolis.

KATHMANDU: Police today arrested Shiva Lamichhane (28) and Ambika Mahat (21) of Khari-9, Dhading, on the charge of stealing cash and gold ornaments from a house in Bagbazaar where they used to work as domestic help.

The Metropolitan Police Crime Division said detectives held the couple after landlady Sujita Tuladhar lodged a complaint against the duo last week.

The investigators said they have solid evidence of the couple’s involvement in the crime. “The two were found to have stolen cash and jewelleries from the house, taking advantage of the landlady’s trust in them,” DSP Himalaya Shrestha said. The theft came to the fore after MPCD raided their rented room in Dhobidhara, leading to the recovery of Rs 1,11,000 in cash, two gold chains, one tola of hallmark gold, two diamond-studded finger rings and two silver coins, stolen from Tuladhar’s house.

Detectives have sent the two to the Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka, to press theft charge against them.

In a separate operation, the MPCD nabbed Santosh Thapa Magar (29) of Ramechhap for a robbery at the Ratopul-based Valley Top Cabin Restaurant on April 19, 2010.

More cloudy days

KATHMANDU: Overcast conditions prevailing in the Kathmandu Valley and in the eastern hills in the last few days are here to stay for some more days, meteorologists said. The forecast comes at a time when the valley has been receiving rainfall two months ahead of the start of the monsoon season due to local weather variables.

“What we are witnessing now is a local phenomenon. As the ground is heated up during the day, it releases moisture into the atmosphere and clouds are formed,” said senior meteorologist Rajendra Prasad Shrestha. According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the valley has recorded 75.1 mm of rainfall so far this month, already exceeding the average 56.9 mm.