Peacekeeping operations:

After Congo, Burundi, Haiti and other places, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) is now sending a contingent for UN peacekeeping operations in Sudan within a month. According to the news “RNA troops to go to Sudan in a month” published in THT on February 22, Nepali army personnel are to be deployed at UN coordination centre in Kasala. An advance team is leaving within a week to make assessment of the operation areas in Sudan. Nepal has been contributing to the UN’s peacekeeping missions in many places for several years and thousands of our soldiers have bravely fought under the UN flag. This is a matter of national pride and the RNA should keep up the good work. Nepal’s participation in such missions should help us secure a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council as well.

Anil Pandey, Gwarko

Street crime:

I support Ganesh Niraula’s views expressed in his letter “Rescue them” published in THT on February 18 in which he brought out the pathetic state of the street children, who are begging and pick-pocketing. There is an urgent need to rehabilitate them. However, this is not the only problem with these children. Another major issue is that they are increasingly moving into the world of crime, and are actually enjoying it. Recently, six of the street boys asked me for money near Gyaneswor threatening me with a knife. I gave them all that I had since I had no choice. The money they collect is most likely used for buying drugs or for going to the cabin restaurants exposing themselves to HIV/AIDS menace. The police, together with NGOs, should immediately design right policies to solve this problem before it is too late.

Sambidhan Acharya,

Kathmandu

Unplanned:

So much noise is being made about the Melamchi water project. Donor agencies have spent considerable resources on it. While the completion of the project, if ever, is years away, drinking water is still a scarcity in many parts of the Kathmandu Valley. Only a few days back, I paid my water bills. Unfortunately, I don’t remember when water actually flowed out of my tap last time. The people have to pay the bills every month even though the taps remain dry. But the problem partly arises out of the lack of initiative to properly maintain the pipelines and monitor the water flow. How is it that some houses have overflowing water while others in the vicinity are not getting any water at all? That has forced people to rely on wells and underground water. Let’s hope that water distribution in the Valley improves after a planned network takes over the existing system.

Diwakar Basnet, Maharajgunj

Unfortunate:

The much expected launch of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, has been postponed (THT, February 22). As always, the reason given for the delay is “unavoidable technical problems.” This programme was already postponed once when the preparations completed at BPKIHS came to nothing after blockades hampered the launch. There are several people who are waiting to benefit from that programme. The health authorities must realise that lives will be put at risk by the delay. It is a difficult feeling for those suffering from the disease to see their rekindled hopes to fade away. The government must try and launch it at the earliest.

Laxmi Khanal, Jorpati