MaPaSe : Is it a Real Solution?

MaPaSe : Is it a Real Solution?

Alcohol consumption is not today's phenomenon. It's been in practice since the evolution of earth or the existence of human kind. No matter happiness or sadness, people worldwide get into drinking.

In Nepal, drinking is a very old religious, cultural and traditional dimension along with social, economic and political implication. Nepal, being a multicultural and multi-ethnic country, alcohol or drinking culture is largely practiced. But, with the change in time, tradition sanction and caste-bound restraints have moved out. The use of alcohol other similar things have exaggerated the stratum of society widely. Alcohol industry has been taken as a powerful and strong hold economy generating business in Nepal. 

 In the past few months, when it comes to drinking everyone repeats the same line, "Be aware of drinking. You might be caught in MaPaSe (Madak Padartha Sewan) check". This has been a very common term being used by Nepalese people when they think to enjoy drinking. For the last 8 months, Traffic Police have launched a drive to curb drivers those driving consuming alcoholic products. 

These checks have made people aware of drinking in the parties, get together or other functions. This has brought fear in the drinking habit of people. In a way, it is helping make people aware that drinking and driving isn’t safe. Many people have lost their life partially or fully because of the drinking habit. Well, if talking about the safety / less accidents, the traffic checks are very nicely brought in use.

  

But what if they drink during the day time to escape the MaPaSe in the evening? Shouldn’t that be stopped as well?

Well, what if the campaign would be made scientific that the Breathalyzer, an equipment use to measure the level of alcohol consumption, gives facility in the level of drinking? It will teach the people their limit (in amount of drinking) during they go for drive. If the facility is provided, then people will at least stop drink during the day time. We even hear people saying that they got in problems of traffic check consuming energy drinks like Red Bull. So, are the energy drinks should also be ignored to get rid of the custom checks?

Being a girl of a newar community, I have seen alcohol in a high importance. It’s not just used as a form or liquor for satisfying oneself but also taken as one of the holiest liquor used as “sagun” in every activities. From birth until death, every ritual is incomplete without alcohol in a newar culture.  

 “Drinking and driving is illegal yet I think limit should be made, because none of the parties, gatherings are complete without drinks,” shares Sports program Producer of Nepal television, Prajol Shakya.  

Recently, I took part in the discussion regarding the credibility of Ma. Pa. Se., most of the people stressed that people have started looking for various ways to escape Ma. Pa. Se. checking, which shows despite it is brought for good cause but has not been accepted effectively.

This shows, once the enforcement of Ma. Pa. Se. checking, will stop the same saga will start. I personally don't think traffic police will be imposing this checking for years and years. This however shows the credibility of policies and their ownership by the users.

I think the traffic police could have launched various discussions and surveys before launching this campaign, which might be sms poll regarding the nature of this campaign. It could have been much better if it was done in the concurrence of users.

I am not saying, the current campaign is wrong but my only concern is whether it will be sustainable or not?

म माग्छु....तिमी भन्छौ

म माग्छु....तिमी भन्छौ

म माग्छु....तिमी भन्छौ 

म माग्छु , काम गरेर खान देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौ, पर्ख न राज्यै दिन्छु ,त्यसपछि त तिमी आफै राज गर 

म माग्छु , चाहिया छैन मलाई राज्य, तिम्रै राज्यको म नागरिक, शान्तिसुरक्षा देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौ, पर्ख न मेरै त सुरक्षा डनहहरुको जिम्मा लाएको छु 

म माग्छु, खानलाई चामल छैन्...धान देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौ , पर्ख न संबिधानै दिँदैछु 

म माग्छु , पैसो लेऊ ग्यास देऊ..पेटो«ल देऊ...मट्टीतेल देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौ , पर्ख न ILO महासन्धी छँदैछ सबै सम्पदा तिम्रै जातिको नाममा गरिँदिँदैछु 

म माग्छु , मलाई मेरो देश नेपाल देऊ

तिमी भन्छौ , पर्ख न भाग लगाउँदैछु

आफ्नो भाग पाएपछि च्यात..काट..चुस....निमोठ...जे गर्न मन लाग्छ गर 

म माग्छु , मलाई मेरो राष्टियता देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौं , राष्टियता किन चाहियो जातियता,क्षेत्रियता,साम्प्रदायिकता लेऊ 

म माग्छु ,मलाई बिकास देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौं ,पर्ख न छिमेकीकहाँ माग्न पठाछु  

म माग्छु निकास देऊ 

तिमी भन्छौं ,देशैलाई कब्जीयत लाग्या बेला कसरी निकास दिनु ???

२०६८ चैत्र २१ मंगलबार  (· http://pavikc.blogspot.com/)

Present Status Of Hydropower In Nepal

THE STATUS OF HYDROPOWER IN NEPAL

Nepal has a huge hydropower potential. In fact, the perennial nature of Nepali rivers and the steep gradient of the country's topography provide ideal conditions for the development of some of the world's largest hydroelectric projects in Nepal. Current estimates are that Nepal has approximately 40,000 MW of economically feasible hydropower potential. However, the present situation is that Nepal has developed only approximately 600 MW of hydropower. Therefore, bulk of the economically feasible generation has not been realized yet. Besides, the multipurpose, secondary and tertiary benefits have not been realized from the development of its rivers. Although bestowed with tremendous hydropower resources, only about 40% of Nepal's population has access to electricity. Most of the power plants in Nepal are run-of-river type with energy available in excess of the in-country demand during the monsoon season and deficit during the dry season. Nepal's electricity generation is dominated by hydropower, though in the entire scenario of energy use of the country, the electricity is a tiny fraction, only 1% energy need is fulfilled by electricity. The bulk of the energy need is dominated by fuel wood (68%), agricultural waste (15%), animal dung (8%) and imported fossil fuel (8%). The other fact is that only about 40% of Nepal's population has access to electricity. With this scenario and having immense potential of hydropower development, it is important for Nepal to increase its energy dependency on electricity with hydropower development. This contributes to deforestation, soil erosion and depletion, and increased flooding downstream in the Ganges plain. Shortage of wood also pushes farmers to burn animal dung, which is needed for agriculture. Not only this, the development of hydropower will help to achieve the millennium development goals with protecting environment, increasing literacy, improving health of children and women with better energy. Growing environmental degradation adds a sense of urgency.                                                           Energy Consumption in Nepal The electricity demand in Nepal is increasing by about 7-9% per year. About 40 % of population in Nepal has access to electricity through the grid and off grid system. Nepal's Tenth Five Year Plan (2002– 2007) aims to extend the electrification within country and export to India for mutual benefit. The new Hydropower Policy 2001 seeks to promote private sector investment in the sector of hydropower development and aims to expand the electrification within the country and export. The hydropower system in Nepal is dominated by run-of-river Projects. There is only one seasonal storage project in the system. There is shortage of power during winter and spill during wet season. The load factor is quite low as the majority of the consumption is dominated by household use. This imbalance has clearly shown the need for storage projects, and hence, cooperation between the two neighboring countries is essential for the best use of the hydro resource for mutual benefit. The system loss is one of the major issues to be addressed to improve the power system which accounts to be 25 % including technical and non-technical losses like pilferage. Status of Power Generation and Transmission Nepal has 600 MW of installed capacity in its Integrated Nepal Power System (INPS). The power system is dominated by the hydropower which contributes about 90 % of the system and the balance is met by multi fuel plant. The hydropower development in Nepal began with the development of 500 kW Pharping power plant in 1911. The most recent significant power plant commissioned is the 144-MW Kali Gandaki “A” Hydroelectric Plant. Transmission Network in Nepal Until 1990, hydropower development was under the domain of government utility, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) only. However, with the enactment of new Hydropower Development Policy 1992, the sector was opened to the private sector also. There are number of projects already built by the private developers. Private power producers contribute 148 MW of power to the ‘Integrated Nepal Power System'. The major hydropower plants with their capacity are listed in the table as follows: Power Plants in Operation: S.N. Power Plant Capacity (MW) Annual Energy (GWh) Owned by Type 1 Trishuli 24 292 NEA ROR 2 Sunkoshi 10 66 NEA ROR 3 Gandak 15 53 NEA ROR 4 Kulekhani I 60 164 NEA STO 5 Devighat 14 13 NEA ROR 6 Kulekhani II 32 96 NEA STO 7 Marshyangdi 69 519 NEA PROR 8 Puwa 6 41 NEA ROR 9 Modi 15 87 NEA ROR 10 Kaligandaki 144 791 NEA PROR 11 Andhikhola 5 38 BPC ROR 12 Jhimruk 12 81 BPC ROR 13 Khimti 60 353 HPL ROR 14 Bhotekoshi 36 246 BKPC ROR 15 Indrawati 7.5 51 NHPC ROR 16 Syange .2 1.2 SHC ROR 17 Chilime 20 101 CHC PROR 18 Piluwa 3 18 AVHCO ROR 19 Sunkoshi 2.6 14.5 SHPC ROR 20 Chaku Khola 1.5 Alliance Power 21 Small hydro 12.5 26 NEA ROR 22 Small hydro (Isolated) 6.4 NEA ROR 23 Microhydro 14.5 Total =SUM(ABOVE) 568.7 There are few hydro plants under construction by NEA and private developers as listed in the Table below: Power Plants under construction SN Power Plant Capacity (MW) Owned by Remarks 1 Middle Marshyangdi 70 NEA 3 Gamgad 0.4 NEA 4 Heldung 0.5 NEA 5 6 Rairang 0.5 Rairang HPD 7 Upper Modi 14 GITEC 8 Khudi 3.5 KHL 9 Mailung 5 MPC Potential for Development There are about six thousand big and small rivers in three major river basins namely Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali including some southern rivers, and two border rivers, Mechi and Mahakali in Nepal. The basin wise potential for power generation is in the table below: Basin wise Hydropower potential River Basin Capacity on small river courses Capacity on Major River Courses Gross Total (GW) Economic potential (GW) Sapta Koshi 3.6 18.75 22.35 10.86 Sapta Gandaki 2.7 17.95 20.65 5.27 Karnali and Mahakali 3.5 32.68 36.18 25.1 Southern Rivers 1.04 3.07 4.11 .88 Total 10.84 72.45 83.29 42.14 There are many projects which have been identified for development. Some of those identified promising projects for development are in the following table: Identified potential Hydropower Projects S.N. Project Capacity (MW) Type Remarks 1 West Seti 750 Storage 2 Arun III 402 PROR 3 Budhi Gandaki 600 Storage 4 Kali Gandaki II 660 Storage 5 Lower Arun 308 PROR 6 Upper Arun 335 PROR 7 Karnali Chisapani 10800 Storage 8 Upper Karnali 300 PROR 9 Chamelia 30 ROR 10 Pancheswor 6480 Storage 11 Thulodhunga 25 ROR 12 Tamor/ Mewa 100 PROR 13 Dudh Koshi 300 Storage 14 Budhi Ganga 20 ROR 15 Rahughat Khola 27 ROR 16 Likhu 4 51 PROR 17 Kabeli A 30 ROR 18 Upper Marshyangdi A 121 PROR 19 Kulekhani III 45 Storage Cascade of Kulekhani- I and II 20 Andhikhola (Storage) 180 Storage 21 Khimti II 27 ROR 22 Upper Modi A 42 ROR 23 Langtang Khola (Storage) 218 Storage 24 Madi Ishaneswor (Storage) 86 Storage 25 Upper Seti (Storage) 122 Storage 26 Kankai (Storage) 60 Storage 27 Upper Tamakoshi 250 PROR prssrm.blogspot.com