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Nepal tiger population reaches 176, says govt
Written By Little Words That Count on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 | 4:13 AM
As Nepal observed the World Tiger Day-2012, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) unveiled the results of the recent counting on Sunday, which put the numbers of adult wild tigers at 37 in Bardiya National Park and at 10 in Shukla Phata Wildlife Reserve, Kanchanpur.
Although only two new adult tigers have been found in Bardiya since 2009, the number of big cat has doubled in Kanchanpur over the last three years. In 2009, tigers´ numbers were just 18 and eight in Bardiya and Kanchanpur respectively. With altogether 21 tigers found in the new counting conducted early this year by using camera trapping method, the national tiger population is now short of only 74 for Nepal to achieve its 2022 target.
In 2010, when the tiger population was 155, Nepal had set a target to double the number by 2022. However, Maheshwor Dahal, an ecologist at the DNPWC, says, "It´s just a tentative target. We believe our target will be met even if we succeed to increase tiger population to around 250."
More scientific tiger count by 2013
The National Tiger Conservation Committee (NTCC), headed by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, on Sunday instructed the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) to count tigers in all protected areas simultaneously in the next year. This means that Nepal will have more scientific data about tigers by 2013 end.
As of now, DNPWC has never conducted tiger counts simultaneously in all protected areas. In 2010, when Nepal claimed to have found 155 tigers, the national tiger population was compiled by using the results of previous counts. Even this year, when the new tiger population is believed to have reached 176, the number of recently traced tigers (21) has been added to the 2010 data (155).
"Our tiger counts are not completely scientific till now," says Dahal. "When we add new numbers of tigers found in a certain area, some of the tigers counted in the previous census might have already been killed or dead. In this way, we can never figure out the exact number of tigers."
In November, 2013, DNPWC will count tigers in all national parks, wildlife reserves and some other potential areas simultaneously.
Joint mechanism against environmental crimes
Sagar Shumsher JBR, a retired general of Nepal Army (NA), along with two others, was arrested with an illegal gun allegedly for hunting a deer inside Chitwan National Park (CNP) on June 13, 2012.
This created a sort of confusion between the Chitwan District Administration Office (DAO) and the CNP administration over whether to charge Shumsher with illegally possessing a weapon or killing the deer. As a quasi judicial authority for hearing cases of wildlife crimes, the CNP administration could punish Shumsher for hunting the deer while the Chitwan administration had the rights to try him for possessing the illegal weapon.
This sort of confusion is common because wildlife crimes are often intertwined with criminal activities like those of forgery and possession of drug and illegal weapons. In order to avoid this confusion, NTCC on Sunday also made a policy decision to form an integrated mechanism of several government bodies to combat all types of environmental crimes.
The third meeting of NTCC also decided to increase the amount of compensation given to the families of those killed by tigers and other wild animals. As of now, the families of the victims of wild animals are provided Rs 150,000 in compensation. "It´s a necessary step," says Dahal. "The idea is to reduce conflict between people and tigers. We can´t protect tigers if we don´t address the local community´s concerns."
Transformation from positive thinking
Positive thinking is the act of thinking good or affirmative thoughts. Many people engage in positive thinking to rid themselves of depressing, unhealthy, negative thoughts.
Positive thinking is a way to use your mind to reverse the damaging effects of negative thinking. Positive thoughts create more positive circumstances.
Alternatively, negative thoughts contribute to feelings of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Therefore, changing our negative thoughts is essential to achieve happiness and peace.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” That is why the difference between can and cannot is only of three letters, and these three letters can determine one’s life’s direction.
It doesn´t matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positive, expect favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks.
It may take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they will. The person who sends positive thoughts shall activate the world around him positively.
Positive thinking is not something that comes automatically but it rather requires time and practice. You would not give a three-hour examination without preparing for it and the same goes for positive thinking.
You need to acquire endurance and build it step by step. Sitting in the midst of a crisis with an unhappy smile, repeating “It’s going to be fine” is not positive thinking – that is being unrealistic.
In a video, Shiva Khera, the Indian motivational speaker, shared an example of Muhammad Ali about how positive thinking helps you to climb the ladder of success.
When Muhammad Ali practiced, he continuously used to repeat the phrase “I’m the greatest, I’m the champion” and this positive thinking created positive vibes in him which ultimately led him to positive action.
He practiced and made it happen and the positive thoughts helped him.
Life is what you think of it and what you can make out of it. Even amidst difficulties, hope for the best. With faith in your heart and confidence in yourself, keep the courage.
You can surmount all your problems. Know with certainty that after darkness there can only be light. Today can never happen again. We were not born to fail.
The positive thinker can see the invisible, feel the intangible, and achieve the impossible.
It's not just dancing!
KATHMANDU, July 31: Dance is essential to a healthy society and has the power to cut across caste, creed and cultural diversity. It can demonstrate the infinite possibilities for human expression and potential, and facilitate communication within and across cultures and generations.
‘Lyrical Dances’ was such an event which focused to develop lyrical choreography in Nepal and inspire and contribute to the value of dance as a powerful medium of communication.
Nritya Aagan, a dance school in Kathmandu, launched the lyrical dance project in July 2011 with support from Danida, Denmark’s development cooperation. The first step of the project was to select dance teachers and enthusiasts from various schools and have them participate in various workshops.
After an intense orientation program and pre-master classes, participants were selected for a Master class with Lokesh Bharadwaj, master in Bharat Natyam and contemporary dancer from India.
The finale of the year long project was then ‘Lyrical Dances’, which took place on July 20, 2012 at the Nepal Army Officers Club in Kathmandu.
Choreographers Swojan Raghubansi, Subima Shrestha, Saurabh Neupane, Sulochan Gopali, Deeya Maske, Beli Maya Ale Magar, Hem Raj Gajmer, Rohit Tamang (Kumar), Sushma Koirala, Shova Chand, Rajan Khatiwada, Jenisha Dangol flaunted their talent at the event and the young ones got to learn something new and exciting.
“Nritya Aagan is a strong believer in the arts as creative forms that express stories, feelings, and contexts relevant to the performers and their worlds. We aim to inspire young people to learn and appreciate different dance forms, maintain the integrity and essence of the forms and create a dance community well versed in different forms and principles,” said Subima Shrestha, Director at Nritya Aagan.
Sushma Koirala, 28, was involved with the project from the beginning. A dance teacher herself, she choreographed small scale dances but ‘Lyrical Dance’ was a whole different scenario for her.
“I actually went to participate as a dancer but after the workshops, I had the opportunity to learn more and I was given a chance to choreograph, which was a big thing for me,” she shared.
Koirala did not know about the ‘theme’ that one has to follow as a choreographer after listening to the music and lyrics, but now she says she has learned how to direct the dancers according to the tune and the theme of the song and if it suits them or not. “I think the project has helped me to a large extent and this will definitely help boost my career graph,” said she.
Lyrical dance emerged as a new art form after the cultural changes of the 1970s. Dancers wanted new ways to convey a wide range of human emotion through movement, rather than relying on the precision of classical ballet or the abstract quality of modern dance.
Lyrical dances show expression, mood and often tell a story. The interpretation of the music is left to the choreographer.
“The project aimed to develop lyrical choreography in Nepal and inspire choreographers and dance teachers to discover a more internal understanding of movement. Lyrical dance fused traditional, classical and modern dance techniques to create a contemporary dance style, known for its expressiveness and musicality,” said Shrijana Singh Yonjan, Event Coordinator of the project.
Sharing her experience, 20-year-old Jenisha Maharjan, one of the dancers, shared that she got to learn a lot from the event, which she had not expected.
“As a break-dancer, I dance mostly in English music and I don’t even listen to Nepali music much. Dancing to Nepali tunes with a mix of various classical forms of dancing, was an amazing experience,” she said, adding that she would further love to learn more classical dancing and also continue dancing to Nepali tunes.
The songs that were used during the show were all re-recorded. It was an attempt to conserve and promote classical musical compositions that are the musical heritage of Nepal.
“The search for songs from the early sixties through the mid seventies proved to be an eye opening experience for the choreographers that participated in a research activity to find songs suitable for performing during the ‘Lyrical Dances’ program,” said Renchin Yonjan, Cultural Consultant at the Embassy of Denmark in Nepal.
Through ‘Lyrical Dances’, the young minds did not only get a chance to learn about the various dancing styles but also got to connect to classical Nepali music besides getting to learn about choreographing and dancing to not just tunes, but lyrics.
China stretch medal haul as Missy lights up pool
LONDON, July 31: China stretched their lead at the top of the Olympic medal table on Monday as American swimming sensation Missy Franklin lived up to the hype with her first gold of the Games.
After a stellar opening weekend which saw them bag six titles, China scored wins in artistic gymnastics, diving and women´s weightlifting to take their total to nine on a day marred by officiating controversies.
China´s men´s gymnasts endured a disastrous qualifying round but swept back to form to win the all-round team event and retain the gold won in Beijing four years ago.
But the biggest cheers were reserved for Britain´s men, who finished with a bronze -- the hosts´ first medal of any colour in the team gymnastics event since Stockholm 1912.
Britain had initially finished in the silver medal position before being relegated into bronze as Japan moved up to second after an appeal, with Ukraine dropping out of the medals altogether.
Elsewhere, China´s Li Xueying set two new Olympic records as she crushed her rivals on the way to clinching gold in the women´s weightlifting -58kg class.
At the Aquatics Centre, China´s Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan took advantage of a blunder by British duo Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield to win the 10m platform synchronised diving gold.
The British pair had been on course for the host nations´ first gold until a messy dive from Waterfield let the Chinese teenagers back into the contest.
Daley later refused to blame Waterfield for his mistake that likely cost Britain a medal.
"We´re a team, that´s it, full stop," said the 18-year-old. "You win as a team and you lose as a team."
With four titles up for grabs in the swimming pool on Monday it was US swimmers who cashed in with two golds, although there was disappointment for American star Ryan Lochte, who was bumped out of a podim place in the 200m freestyle won by France´s Yannick Agnel.
With Lochte struggling, it was left to the 17-year-old Franklin to sprinkle stardust on the occasion, and the youngster from Colorado did not disappoint with a win in the 100m backstroke.
"I couldn´t be happier right now. I´ve just won an Olympic gold medal, so I am not thinking straight right now," Franklin said.
"It is exceeding the expectations a hundred billion times more than I think it could be like."
Franklin´s achievement was trumped by 15-year-old Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte who edged out American world champion Rebecca Soni for the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke.
Meilutyte led all the way to post a brilliant win over Soni in one minute 05.47 seconds, becoming the first swimmer from Lithuania to win a gold medal.
Away from the pool, the Olympics lived up to its tradition of providing abundant drama in sports which rarely enjoy a global spotlight, with amazing scenes in the fencing competition at the Excel Centre.
South Korean fencer Shin A-Lam staged a dramatic, lonely sit-down protest for more than one hour after losing her epee semi-final against Germany´s Britta Heidemann, convinced she had been the victim of an officiating blunder.
Shin sat sobbing disconsolately on the piste as her coach protested her defeat to no avail. She eventually returned to lose her bronze medal match.
"I am very emotional. I should have won," said Shin, the 11th seed.
Away from the medals, Great Britain trounced Argentina 4-1 in the men´s field hockey, a game which followed recent tensions between the two nations on the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War.
Meanwhile Switzerland footballer Michel Morganella became the second competitor to be sent home for posting racist abuse on Twitter after insulting South Korea´s players on the micro-blogging site.
"Michel Morganella has discriminated against, insulted and violated the dignity of the South Korean football team, as well as the South Korean people," said Switzerland Olympic team chef de mission Gian Gilli.
Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou was kicked out of the Olympics last week for a comment which poked fun at Africans living in the country.
Meanwhile under-fire London Olympic organisers (LOCOG) continued to face criticism over the banks of empty seats which have been seen across various venues since the Games got under way.
Some 3,000 tickets from international sports federations were "put back in the pot" and sold to the public Sunday, LOCOG said amid growing public anger over empty seats.
Nepal-B’desh Commerce talks: 100 Nepali items to get duty-free access in B’desh
The two-day Nepal-Bangladesh Commerce Secretary level talks ended on Monday, with Bangladesh agreeing to provide unilateral duty-free access for 100 Nepali agriculture products to its market. The agreement was signed by Nepali Commerce Secretary Lila Mani Joshi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Ghulam Hossain.
Nepal had previously sought such facility for 246 Nepali products, including lentils, tomato, spinach and herbs, among others. According to officials involved in the meeting, the Bangladeshi delegates approved Nepal’s request for the duty-free access for local vegetables and fruit products to the Bangladeshi market. “However, it has not been finalised as to which products from the list will get the facility,” said Joshi.
He said that the meeting had decided to form a bi-lateral technical committee to take a final decision on providing duty-free access to Bangladeshi market. “The committee formed on Sunday, will submit its report by December this year,” he added. “Following the submission of the report, a decision will be taken as to when the new provision will combe into effect.” The technical committee will be led by joint secretaries of the two countries.
The Bangladeshi side, however, had only asked for trade expansion and tariff cut to five percent for Bangladeshi agri-products. According to the Nepali delegates, the Bangladeshi side especially sought tariff cuts on the products, including jute and fish. They had previously been seeking similar zero tariff facility for its products including cement and pharmaceutical products, among others. “The Bangladeshi government after knowing that we cannot provide its product a zero tariff facility due to Nepal India Commerce Treaty, it did not press us to fulfill its demand,” said Joshi.
The two-day meeting was especially focused on issues like trade facilitation, establishment of direct transport service and zero tariff market access.
Earlier on Sunday, the Bangladeshi side had notified the Nepali delegates of Bangladeshi government’s decision to provide visa on arrival to Nepalis. “We are pleased to know that the Bangladeshi government has already fulfilled our demand in this respect even before the talks,” said Naindra Prasad Upadhyaya, joint secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS). Nepal and Bangladesh agreed to work towards making each others’ currencies readily convertible to ease visitors and businessmen. So far, Nepal has currency convertibility agreement only with India.
The Nepali officials informed that both sides had agreed to ask their central banks to work towards that direction. “As the issue was beyond the scope of the meeting, it was agreed that central banks of both countries will be asked to work towards that possibility,” said Secretary Joshi.
The meeting also reviewed the progress on the decision made in the last meeting. According to Joshi, the Nepali side also asked their counterparts to endorse the transport agreement signed in 2006. The agreement had envisaged connecting Nepal and Bangladesh directly through India. Joshi said that the Bangladeshi delegates had informed the Nepali side of the upgradation of the road connecting Bangladesh’s Singhabad and India. The Bangladeshi side also agreed to operate Kakarbhitta-Fulbari-Banglaband Customs by upgrading infrastructure. “Likewise, the discussion on building quarantine, cold storage and store house, among others in the border points of two countries also went positively,” said another member of the Nepali delegation. “This will help Nepali traders to export their goods.”
The next Commerce Secretary level talks will be held in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka in February 2013.
Posted on: 2012-07-31 08:30
Watch out for the Google Nexus 7 Tab
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -2012
The domestic tablet market looks like becoming more competitive with the Google Nexus 7 Tablet scheduled to hit the stores next month. The tablet, manufactured by Asus, will be introduced by Nagmani International, the sole authorised distributor of Asus in Nepal, by the end of August.
“The Google Nexus has been getting positive responses from users worldwide, and we are confident about its performance in the Nepali market,” said Amit Sharaf, director of Nagmani International. He added that the device was the first of its kind to possess the upgraded version of the Android Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System (OS) making it more efficient than its competitors in the domestic market.
Nagmani International believes that the tablet will be successful in attracting techno-savvy people because of its captivating features and affordable price tag. “The market for tablets in Nepal is very small. Around 300 tablets costing Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 are sold monthly. With the Google Nexus, we are aiming to acquire a decent market share,” Sharaf said.
The Google Nexus is equipped with Android V4.1 - Jelly Bean OS, Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset, Quad-Core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A CPU and ULP GeForce GPU. However, the tablet doesn’t support GSM voice communication, SMS or MMS.
As suggested by the name, the tablet has a seven-inch screen. It has an LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen and multi-touch functionality. Its screen is protected with corning gorilla glass. The Nexus 7 is 10.9 mm thick and is very light, weighing just 336 gm. Due to its slim body, users can reach round the tablet with a single hand like holding a smartphone. The device has accelerometer, gyro, proximity and compass sensors.
The Google Nexus comes with internal memory storage of 8 GB and 16 GB and 1 GB RAM. It doesn’t have a card slot to access external memory by using an SD card. It has a 1.2 mega pixel camera and video calling features. Other general features include Google wallet, SNS integration, MP4, WMV, DIVX, XVID, H.263, MP3, WAV, EAAC and WMA player, organiser, image and video editor, document viewer, Google search, maps and Gmail. Features like YouTube, calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration and voice memo are also incorporated in this device. As for connectivity, the tablet features various options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a near-field communications (NFC) chip. A Li-lon 4325 mAh battery supplies runtime of one hour.
Due to the competitive price set by Google in the international market, the tablet will be competitive in terms of pricing.
According to Sharaf, the company is planning to price the Nexus 7 with 8 GB storage at Rs 30,000 and the model with 16 GB will cost Rs 37,000 to Rs 38,000.
Posted on: 2012-07-26 08:30
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