Itahari, May 27, 2009

Three coffer dams, which were constructed to divert the water channel of the Koshi River, were breached at 10.30 pm yesterday. Coffer dam is a makeshift embankment that is built with sandfilled plastic sacks. The ominous incident has led to a growing fear of flood fury that was unleashed around nine months ago. “Many scared residents have started shifting to safer areas,” said Purushottam Khadka, an official of the Nepali Army.

Around 50 families are believed to have moved out. Following the breach, the Koshi River is following the course of the eastern current, where the embankments are being reconstructed. “The weak spurs have eroded. This may inundate human settlements since it can cause damage to under-construction spurs,” said Mohan Bhattarai, an engineer, who works with the Water Induced Disaster Division Office in Biratnagar.

Ayup Ansari, a Paschim Kusaha resident, agreed. “The river may change its course if the spurs were not built soon,” he said.

Experts opined that the breach of coffer dams was not a cause for serious concern. They felt that, at best, it would hold up repair work of embankments, which had to be completed soon to avert large scale flooding. As of this afternoon, the flow of water in the Koshi River is pegged at 94,000 cusec. Last year, it was 1, 68,000 cusec when the embankments were breached.

Govt urged to drop Maoist censure motion

Kathmandu, May 27, 2009

A meeting of 22 parties that have supported the formation of the new coalition today advised the government not to proceed with the Sankalpa Prastav registered by the Unified CPN-Maoist at the Parliament secretariat on May 18. The meeting also urged the government to let Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal continue in his post till his tenure expires.

“The 22 parties advised the PM to give continuity to Katawal,” Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel said after the meeting held at PM’s Office in Singha Durbar. Poudel also said the parties advised the PM to form a small cabinet with state and assistant ministers. The meeting also advised the PM to scrap State Restructuring and Constituent Assembly ministries formed by the erstwhile government. The parties also formed a task force to discuss the drafts of common minimum programme, general procedure of running the coalition government, political coordination committee and the code of conduct for the council of ministers. Copies of the four drafts, prepared by the UML, were handed over to the parties for suggestions.

The task force, having the representatives of UML, NC, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, will discuss and finalise the drafts in a day or two, Poudel said. The PCC will comprise top leaders of the coalition partners.