Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Nepal

  • Indian Army Chief Due in Nepal to Boost Ties

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    At a time when Nepal-India ties appear to have reached an all-time low due to the boundary dispute starting from November last year, Gen Naravane added a twist in May after India opened a new track linking the Mansarovar to the state of Uttarakhand…reports India Daily Newsdesk In a mission to strengthen defence, security and…

  • Nepal to emulate Gujarat

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    The quake-hit Himalayan nation will replicate the Gujarat model for its reconstruction….reports Prashant Sood Nepal is taking a leaf from the Gujarat Disaster Management Authority set up after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake as it recovers from April’s devastating temblors, the Indian ambassador  has said. “They have decided to set up this authority under the prime…

  • India announces $1 bn aid to rebuild Nepal

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    India announced $1 billion in aid to rebuild Nepal, with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj saying that from “the debris of destruction a stronger united and more confident Nepal will rise”….reports Asian Lite News.   The aid will be used in the reconstruction of physical infrastructure as well as some key heritage sites. India’s contribution…

  • India winds up Operation Maitri

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    By Anil Giri  The final de-induction of the Indian Combined Armed Forces Task Force has marked the winding up of Operation Maitri — the biggest post-disaster operation ever launched by India outside its territory — in the earthquake-ravaged Himalayan nation. Within six hours of the devastating April 25 earthquake, India was the first nation to…

  • Nepal inching closer to new constitution

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    Nepal’s major political parties appeared inching closer to a consensus on the country’s new constitution following an agreement  to set up a national government to cope with the challenges posed by the April 25 devastating earthquake and its aftermath. Leaders of the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) [CPN-UML], Unified Communist Party of…

  • British Sikhs back in Nepal

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    By Vishal Gulati   After rescuing flood victims and helping rebuild homes in Bosnia, British Sikhs are back to help – assisting Nepal to rise again from the debris of three nerve-rattling major earthquakes and many more aftershocks that have killed thousands of people and caused widespread destruction. They are middle-aged volunteers from the Slough-based charity…

  • UK Aid helps rebuilding efforts in Nepal

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      Britain is leading the rebuild of thousands of hospitals in Nepal to get health services up and running and ensure vulnerable groups like girls and women are protected following the devastating earthquakes, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced today, during her visit to the country. As the focus in Nepal moves to reconstruction, the…

  • Kung fu nuns begin rebuilding Nepal

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    By Vishal Gulati   Trained in the ancient Chinese martial arts and second to none, these softhearted Buddhist nuns are fighting against all odds to help Nepal get back on its feet after last month’s devastating quake and a series of aftershocks. They are the 300 kung fu nuns from the Kathmandu-based Druk Amitabha Mountain nunnery,…

  • Nepal bans building houses above two storeys

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    By Anil Giri   Nepal has imposed a temporary ban on constructing houses more than two storeys tall following the devastating April 25 earthquake and restricted approval for house and building design until mid-July. Nepal’s local development ministry on Monday issued a circular to all 75 district development committees and 191 municipalities that are authorised to…

  • Nepal quake damage put at $10 bn

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    By Anil Giri   Nepal has estimated that around $10 billion worth of damage been caused by the April 25 great earthquakes and the subsequent aftershocks that rattled the Himalayan nation. It is estimated that over one million private and public houses and buildings were damaged totally or partially. This includes damages in several other sectors…

  • No clue of missing US Marine chopper

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    By Anil Giri    The armies of Nepal and the US have launched a joint search operation to trace a Marine chopper that went missing from Sunkhani in Charikot district, 67 km northeast of Kathmandu. The US Defense Department said the missing UH-1 Huey, carrying six Marines and two Nepal Army soldiers, had dropped off supplies,…

  • Nepal toll in fresh quake rises to 65

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    The death toll in the powerful earthquake that rocked Nepal has reached 65, authorities here said. As many as 1,926 people sustained injuries in the May 12 quake which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale, according to the Home Ministry’s National Emergency Operation Centre. Geologists describe the May 12 temblor as an aftershock of the…

  • Quake jolts Nepal and Delhi

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    Hundreds of thousands of people across Nepal fled from their homes and offices after a strong earthquake shook buildings, reminding them of the horror of the April 25 temblor. The earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale on Tuesday caused panic among the residents of Kathmandu, according to eyewitnesses. Many thousand people had again assembled…

  • Manisha Koirala to support Nepali women

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       Bollywood star and social activist Manisha Koirala has announced her support for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) as its Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal to work for pregnant women, new mothers and their infants, girls and young people displaced by the devastating earthquake of April 25. “I am truly happy to renew my partnership with…

  • Fresh avalanches paralyse search operations in Nepal

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    More avalanches in Nepal’s Langtang valley have hampered the search for 300 people, reported missing in the area since the April 26 earthquake, an official said. Nepalese rescue teams in Langtang have moved to safer locations after avalanches in different parts of the valley since Friday night, Assistant Chief District Officer Gautam Rimal told Himalayan…

  • NEPAL QUAKE: Down Memory Lane

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      Shweta Sharma meets Ramesh Nath Pandey, a survivor of the 1934 Nepal quakewhich killed over 10,000 people.. Sitting inside a tent set up on the porch outside his now unlivable house that was made 73 years ago, Ramesh Nath Pandey still vividly remembers the earthquake that struck the Himalayan nation in 1934 – when…

  • Gurkha land is in ruins

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    By Gaurav Sharma  Ran Bahadur Gurung is scouring for his belongings in the rubble which once used to be his house at this remote but picturesque village of Gurkha in Nepal, the epicentre of the devastating earthquake in Himalayan nation. While rummaging through the ruins, he stumbles across a mangled aluminum container. He flings it,…

  • NEWS N PICS: NEPAL TODAY

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    The toll across Nepal from the devastating April 25 earthquake has surged to 7,365, according to the latest update by the country’s home ministry. According to the update, the number of injured people has reached 14,355. The highest number of deaths has been recorded in the Sindhupalchowk district, which currently has soared to 2,838, while in…

  • Everest to remain shut this season

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    The Nepalese government has decided to shut Mount Everest for this season as routes above the base camp which were hit by violent avalanches, were found impossible to be refixed, media reported. Special teams of Sherpas, known as Icefall Doctors assigned by Nepal’s Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), said that numerous avalanches triggered by the…

  • NEPAL: An unforgettable Saturday

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    Shweta Sharma files a report on Nepal – A week after – An unforgettable Saturday “It looked like the walls of the house were converging and I would get trapped between them,” recollects Sudha Upadhaya, a week after the devastating earthquake rocked Nepal on a balmy Saturday afternoon. Upadhyaya, 54, said she was watching television when the quake…

  • London NRIs to build 1200 houses in Nepal

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    Mukesh Kumar Sehgal, managing director of Britain-based SISMO Company and  Prakash Lohia offer to build 1,200 houses in Nepal Two billionaire NRIs have offered to build 1,200 earthquake-resistant houses in quake-affected villages of Nepal immediately, Nepal’s embassy in London has said. Mukesh Kumar Sehgal, managing director of Britain-based SISMO Company that is well known for its…

  • NEPAL VOWS TO BACK ON TRACK

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    The Nepal govt sets up $2 billion reconstruction fund The Nepal government decided to set up a $2 billion fund to rebuild thousands of buildings that were either damaged or destroyed in the killer earthquake on April 25. A decision to this effect was taken at a cabinet meeting. The meeting also decided to provide…

  • Normalcy returning to Kathmandu

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    By Gaurav Sharma  Normalcy appeared to be returning here finally over a week after a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal, leaving over 6,000 killed and more than 10,000 injured in this Himalayan nation. But aftershocks were still keeping many people outside their houses. It was a bright sunny day in Kathmandu on Friday, with…

  • Perishable items rot as vehicles idle at Nepal-India border

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    Fruit, bread and other perishable commodities have begun to go bad as vehicles carrying relief material to quake-hit Nepal wait at a clogged border crossing. The better known route to the Himalayan nation from Uttar Pradesh is the Sunauli border near Gorakhpur. The route is choked these days as hundreds of transport vehicles, light motor…

  • Nepal quake toll cross 6000

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    The toll in the massive earthquake that devastated Nepal has risen to 6,166, the Nepalese home ministry said. According to Nepal Police, the total number of injured is over 10,000, Kantipur News reported. As many as 12,064 houses have been reported destroyed. “This is just the preliminary data. We are still in the process of…

  • Visitors lending helping hand in Nepal

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    Foreigners who were in Nepal when a devastating earthquake struck the country are lending a helping hand. They are working alongwith thousands of Nepalese youth who are assisting the injured and the grief-stricken. Emmy, who hails from Canada, was visiting Nepal when the quake struck on Saturday. She was to go trekking, but dropped the…

  • Sharif lauds Indian rescue efforts

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    Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express condolence over the deaths in India due to the quake and appreciated India’s rescue operations in Nepal. “Got a call from PM Nawaz Sharif. He expressed condolences on the loss of lives in various parts of India due to the earthquake,” Modi…

  • Over 50,000 pregnant women affected in quake

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     Some 50,000 pregnant women were likely affected by the devastating earthquake in Nepal, a UN agency said on . Initial estimates by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) indicate that some 50,000 pregnant women and girls could be among the survivors in quake-affected Nepal where at least 4,347 lives were lost in the temblor. The…

  • Nepal earthquake toll rises to 4,347

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      Rescuers, including foreigners, worked feverishly across Nepal as the country grappled with an acute water scarcity and the toll in the devastating earthquake shot up to 4,347, authorities said . People spent their third uncomfortable night out in the open, worried that an earthquake may strike again. They had to make do with whatever…

  • Virtual media drives rescue operations

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    Considering the popularity and reach of social networking sites in the modern world, the Indian government is pro-actively using Twitter and Facebook to reach out to those affected in quake-ravaged Nepal. From giving information about the missing ones to offering aid, the government and netizens have gone all out to utilise the power of social…

  • Modi thanks doctors, military for helping Nepal

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Indian doctors, military personnel and rescue teams for going to the aid of earthquake-battered Nepal. In a series of tweets, Modi said that while he appreciated those saying “Thank You PM”, “real thanks should be to our great culture which teaches us ‘Seva Parmo Dharma’. “We must thank our armed…

  • Nepal grieves for its dead

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  • World rushes aid to Nepal amid 2,300 deaths

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    By Anil Giri   Another tremblor measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale shook Nepal on Sunday causing fresh panic as rescuers pulled out bodies from debris, a day after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake left over 2,300 dead and forced tens of thousands to spend the night on the streets. As the world rushed emergency aid to…

  • India begins ‘Operation Maitri’ in Nepal

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      The Indian Army has named the aid to Nepal ‘Operation Maitri’ or friendship, a day after it started extending help to the neighbouring country that was hit by a massive earthquake just before noon on Saturday, leaving a trail of death and destruction. India is with the “sisters and brothers” of Nepal in its…

  • Over 1,800 killed in Nepal earthquake

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    The earthquake that hit Nepal  has killed at least 1,805 people, an official statement said. The earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, had its epicenter in Lamjung district, around 75 km northwest of capital Kathmandu. Following the massive quake, over 50 aftershocks were also felt. The statement issued by the Nepal home ministry states…

  • Quake hits historic sites in Nepal – GALLERY

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    The Dharahara, a nine-storeyed 19th-century tower, collapsed here after a huge earthquake shook Nepal and caused widespread devastation on Saturday, a media report said. Hundreds of people are reportedly trapped in the debris, a posting on Twitter said. According to bloggers, the tower, built in 1832, was an iconic monument erected by Nepal’s first prime minister, Bhimsen…

  • Quake rocks Nepal, North India

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    A strong earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale rocked Nepal at 11.41 a.m. India time, with tremors felt from Delhi to Guwahati and Srinagar to Jaipur. Even half an hour later, the aftershocks continued. According to the India Meteorological Department, the depth of earthquake was 10 km and measured 6 on the Richter scale…

  • Surya Bahadur Thapa 1928-2015

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    By Deepak Goel  A democrat even under a monarchy and a relentless crusader for the upliftment of the deprived sections of the Nepali feudal society, Surya Bahadur Thapa never yearned for power — yet he graced the office of prime minister of the Himalayan nation for an enviable five times, a record equalled only by…

  • India rank below neighbours in social progress

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      India has a low rank of 101 among the 133 countries measured for their social progress, even below some immediate neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, indicating the level of meeting basic human needs and well-being, among other factors. Conducted by Social Progress Imperative, a US-based non-profit organisation set up in…

  • South Asia’s concern of growing Pak nuclear arsenal

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    By Arun Kumar  Noting that “Pakistan, with the world’s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, is unquestionably the biggest concern,” in South Asia, a leading US daily wants major powers to turn their attention towards it after finalising the Iran deal. Citing several recent developments, the New York Times said in an editorial that “These investments reflect the…

  • India’s $3-bn investment game changer for Nepal

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    By Anil Giri    Within just six months at the helm, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi injected over $3 billion of investments into Nepal, a possible gamechanger in Nepal-India relations that may entirely change the economic landscape of the Himalayan nation. The two sides recently reached three agreements – two in the energy sector and one…

  • How Koirala broke the impasse

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      Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala played a crucial role in ending the impasse between India and Pakistan during the retreat at Dhulikhel near here  on the sidelines of the 18th Saarc Summit. There was immense pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Shairf, from visiting leaders and the media…

  • Let’s walk in step, Modi tells SAARC

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday exhorted the eight neighbouring nations of the south Asian regional grouping Saarc to “walk in step” as he proposed a slew of measures, including ease for business travel, a level playing field in trade, and initiatives in healthcare and tourism. Modi, in his maiden speech to the South Asian…

  • Saarc must act for economic integration: Modi

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  called for a better economic  integration among Saarc, expressing concern that under 5 percent of the region’s global trade takes place between its eight member countries. The Indian prime minister also promised a special funding vehicle, overseen by his country, to finance infrastructure projects in the region, while also proposing…

  • India calls for collective response to terrorism

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      India  said that terrorism is the biggest challenge the South Asian region faces and called for collective response to it. India also reiterated its “sincere and abiding commitment” towards regional peace, prosperity and development in South Asia. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her opening statement at the SAARC Council of Ministers Meeting…

  • Saarc summit to focus on peace & unity

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    By Anil Giri   The forthcoming 18th Saarc Summit to be held in Kathmandu will focus on installing durable peace and prosperity among the member states and will give utmost priority to regional unity, Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said. The theme of the summit is “deeper integration for peace and prosperity”, and…

  • Nepal Maoists burn India Accord

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    Nepal Maoists burn copies of power accord with India …writes  Anil Giri  Activists of Nepal’s hardline Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) burnt copies of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) with India as part of their protests. Nepal and India initially signed the PTA last week in New Delhi aiming to boost bilateral power trade. The Maoist…

  • SAARC centres to be slashed

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    Anil Giri says number of SAARC regional centres will be slashed SAARC member states have agreed to bring down the number of the association’s regional centres from 11 to five in order to end the duplication of work and to reduce expenditure. A meeting of the SAARC Programming Committee that concluded in Kathmandu on Monday has proposed…

  • Britain assisted Maoist torture

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    Thomas Bell, a journalist who writes on Nepal for The Economist and other publications, has in his new book, “Kathmandu”, accused British secret service MI6 of aiding Nepal authorities in the torture of Maoist rebels during the South Asian country’s civil war, a media report said Sunday. Bell said that Britain funded a four-year intelligence…

  • NEPAL HONOUR FOR FATHERS

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    Hindu devotees in Nepal perform a religious rituals on the bank of Bagmati River, celebrating Kuse Aunsi at Gokarna Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Aug. 25, 2014. Kuse Aunsi is a Hindu festival in which fathers, living or past, are honored.