HAPPY FATHER’S DAY !!!
Kushe Aausi or Pitritarpani Aausi or Gokarne Aausi
(बाबुको मुख हेर्ने दिन, गोकर्णे औंसी, कुशेऔंसी)
KASKI, AUG 21 – In a recent tally, at least 18 leopards have been found dead in the jungles of Pokhara since the past year. The toll apparently increased since many of the injured and sick leopards could not get timely treatment. According to the District Forest Office in Kaski, the death toll is rising at an alarming rate since the district does not have a veterinary specialising on the treatment of wild animals.
“Most of these leopards were found dead at separate locations in the district,” assistant DFO Madhav Prasad Baral said, “those found injured or in a sick state died for want of treatment.” The DFO said that the 18 leopards were found dead between August 2013 and August 2014. The injured or sickly leopards are often found straying out of forests and entering human settlements in search of easy prey. Few months ago, around half a dozen leopards were found dead in the district within a week. Authorities suspected that they might have died of consuming poison.
According to the existing laws, a person found to have poached wildlife will be sentenced to two years in jail and fined Rs 10,000.
Forest officials in the district admitted that incidents of wild animals being killed by traps or by feeding them carcasses of domestic animals treated with medicines are increasing of late.
Source: ekantipur.com
KATHMANDU: Security in and around Pashupatinath Temple has been stepped up for the Teej festival, to be observed on Thursday, when around 300,000 women devotee are expected to visit the hallowed Hindu shrine to offer puja. The Pashupati Area Development Trust has formed a main organising committee led by its Treasurer Taranath Subedi for the festival. According to PADT, there will be three entry points — Bankali-Char Shivalaya-Panchadeval-Bajraghar-Dakshin Dhoka, Jaya Bageshwori-Bhuwaneshwori-Falame Pul-Pashim Dhoka and Mitrapark-Gaurighat-Umakunda-Dakshina Murti-Rudragadeshwor-Bashuki — through which devotees could proceed towards the temple in lines.
According to Subedi, arrangements will be made in such a way that no devotee has to wait for more than an hour to reach the temple. “All four doors of Pashupatinath Temple will be opened four in the morning for the devotees to pay homage to Lord Shiva,” he said. “The northern, southern and eastern doors, however, will remain closed from 12 noon to 3pm for the daily rituals in the temple. All doors will be closed at eight in the night.”
PADT has also made arrangements for puja for those devotees who do not want to stand in queues, for which devotees need to pay Rs 1,000.
The elderly and people with disabilities also need stand in lines, according to PADT. Around 10 health camps with doctors will also be set up. An information centre and nine temporary and mobile toilets have already been placed around the temple area.
According to Subedi, as many as 4,043 cops, both in uniform and civvies from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force led by a SSP, will be deployed around the temple area for security. Of them, 226 are women security personnel who will be stationed closer to the temple. The entire area will be under CCTV camera surveillance. Men except security personnel, PADT officials and journalists, will be barred from entering the designated area around the temple throughout the day.
Source: The Himalayan Times
KATHMANDU, Aug 24:
Joint Tourism Coordination Committee (JTCC), a group of travel trade associations, on Sunday organized a program to welcome newly appointed tourism secretary Suresh Man Shrestha.
Speaking at the program, tourism entrepreneurs requested the new secretary to strengthen Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) saying that irregularities there have hindered growth of the tourism industry. Ramesh Prasad Dhamala, coordinator of JTCC, said the new secretary should do the needful for strengthening NTB so that Nepali tourism products and services can be promoted effectively in international market. “We are ready to partner with the government for the development of tourism industry and help the government to make amendment to policies as per the need,” added Dhamala. 
Saying that tourist arrival is falling in 2014 because of the impasse in NTB, tourism entrepreneurs urged the government to make NTB functional at the earliest. “The government must think of improving tourist arrivals. For this, it should soon control irregularities at NTB and strengthen transport system, mainly the national flag carrier,” BK Shrestha, president of Hotel association of Nepal (HAN), said.
Responding to the tourism entrepreneurs, Secretary Shrestha said he would help the private sector to promote Nepal in the international arena. “We need to promote our alternative tourist destinations. Our destinations are unique as we are rich in natural resources and biodiversity,” he said. Shrestha also said NTB should be saved from political interference. “It is a matter of great shame that NTB is involved in financial irregularities,” Shrestha said, adding, “We will wait for the report of the probe team and take appropriate decision accordingly.”
He also called upon tourism entrepreneurs to promote domestic tourism.
Source: myrepublica.com