Live and let live

The news report “Kailali flood-hit face eviction” (THT, Feb 19) is really worrisome. I can’t understand why the forest officials are burning the flood victims’ huts. I do not think the victims will cause any harm to the community forests provided they are given certain instructions. We must sympathise with the victims of any natural disaster. These flood victims are living in fear.

It’s the duty of officials to identify the genuine victims and permit them to live in the forests till alternate arrangements are made for them. Apart from that, the state must provide financial assistance to relocate them and provide long-term

packages until they become economically independent.

Sanjay Shrestha, Balaju, Kathmandu

Unfair

This is in reference to the news report “Does your cooking gas cylinder weigh less?” (THT, Feb 18). I think most of the customers have received unfair treatment from the gas dealers. Getting the cylinders weighed before taking delivery will help protect the consumers from being cheated both in weight and price.

Shiva Neupane, Melbourne, Australia

Bright star

It is a wise suggestion that king Prithvi Narayan Shah should be declared the

symbol of national unity. He is undisputedly the brightest star to grace Nepal’s history. It is highly condemnable that some political parties are trying to tarnish his

image and devalue his contributions to the nation.

Rabin Gautam, via e-mail

An idea

Almost all the private sector housing colonies in the capital seem to be using the underground water reserves through deep boring method. It has caused a very quick depletion of the underground water reserves that may lead to the metropolis caving in anytime. I would like to opine that a simple dam-system in selected sites of the river-system would keep all the rivers always full. It would cure the depletion of the underground water reserves.

Private sector housing colonies might be willing to bear a part of the cost of building the dams and embankments on rivers. Conservation of water reserves seems to be very important as a safety measure for the metropolis. It would also be a reliable source of drinking water.

Rabi Manandhar, Kathmandu

Waste

Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai is reported to have stated that all the private schools should pay tax according to the government’s decision, and if they don’t their students would be barred from appearing in the SLC examinations. The government is spending

billions of rupees every year in educating the youth. It will be a waste of the public money and the precious time if the government is not able to create employment opportunities for students. All the private schools should switch their education schedule towards programmes like preparing for the “O” Level and A Level examinations of Cambridge University or other

programmes that are recognised all over the world. Students should boycott the SLC examination till its standards have any value in the international job market.

V P Sayami, Kathmandu