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The Karnali provincial government is set to invest in two major drinking water projects aimed at addressing water shortages in the region. These projects, previously initiated in collaboration with the local and federal governments, will now receive a total investment of Rs 940m from the provincial government.

An agreement has been signed between the Federal Ministry of Drinking Water and the Provincial Ministry of Water Resources and Energy to co-invest in these projects. According to the agreement, the provincial government will allocate Rs 804.1m to the much-discussed Bheri Pumping Drinking Water Project in Birendranagar, and Rs 137.3m to another drinking water project in Sharda Municipality, Salyan. Altogether, the provincial government has committed Rs 941.4m over the next four fiscal years for both initiatives.

Both Birendranagar, the provincial capital, and Sharda Municipality, the district headquarters of Salyan, are currently facing an acute drinking water crisis. These projects aim to address that challenge. Chief Minister Yamalal Kandel confirmed that the government plans to complete and operationalize both projects within four years, ensuring a long-term solution to the growing water shortage. He emphasized the government’s comitment to timely implementation.

The agreement, signed on Tuesday, falls under the ‘Drinking Water Sectoral Governance and Infrastructure Support Project’ and outlines a cost-sharing partnership. The drinking water crisis in Birendranagar has worsened with rapid population growth. To tackle the issue, water from the Bheri River will be pumped into the valley. Initially, the federal government and Birendranagar Municipality managed the funding for this project. Now, the provincial government is joining the budget management effort.

The Bheri Pumping Project is estimated to cost Rs 6bn. In September, a contract worth Rs 3.58bn was signed with the Chinese company Xinjiang Times International Economy and Technical Cooperation for the first phase. The federal government will cover 80 percent of the cost, while the provincial government and Birendranagar Municipality will contribute the remaining 20 percent.

Meanwhile, in Salyan, a large-scale drinking water project is being implemented in Sharda Municipality to address similar shortages. The total cost of this project is projected at Rs 1bn. The provincial government will invest Rs 137.3m over four years, while Sharda Municipality has committed Rs 130m. According to Mayor Prakash Bhandari, the federal government will provide the remaining budget.

In the first phase of the Bheri project, two water intakes will be constructed approximately seven meters deep by diverting river flow. A water treatment plant will be built around 400 meters from the intake point. Additionally, a seven-kilometer pipeline will be laid to transport water to a main reserve tank at Amritdanda in Birendranagar-11. This tank will connect to a primary transmission line extending into Birendranagar.

The second phase will extend the transmission line along both sides of the Ratna Highway and the Surkhet-Jumla Road. Water from the Bheri River will be pumped to a treatment tank located at an elevation of 400 meters and then transported to the Amritdanda reserve tank via a seven-kilometer pipeline. A 550-millimeter-capacity pipe will be installed at Amritdanda to connect to the main tank. Three reserve tanks, each with a storage capacity of three million liters, will also be built at the site.

More than Rs 770 million has been collected from mountaineering royalty during the spring season this year, the Department of Tourism stated.

According to the Department's mountaineering division, by Sunday, a total of Rs 773. 58 million in royalties has been collected from mountaineering during the spring this year. 

A total of Rs 676. 92 million has been collected as mountaineering royalty towards Mt Everest alone.

Altogether 1,127 mountaineers, including 240 women and 887 men from 119 expeditions, have received climbing permits for 26 mountain peaks including the highest peak, Mt Everest.

Director of the Department, Liladhar Awasthi, said the highest number of climbers - 456 including 84 women and 372 men - from 45 expeditions have obtained climbing permits for Mt Everest. Climbers from 57 countries have come for the ascent on Mount Everest.

Similarly, 102 climbers of 10 expeditions have taken permit for climbing Mt Ama Dablam, 107 of nine expeditions for ascending Mt Lhotse, 79 of eight expeditions for climbing Mt Makalu, 75 of seven climbing groups for the ascent on Mt Kanchenjunga, 76 of six groups for climbing Mt Nuptse, and 66 mountaineers of six expeditions for ascending Mt Annapurna this spring season.

Spring is considered the suitable season for climbing the mountains, including Mount Everest.

Since the mountaineering permits are still being issued, the Department estimates that the number could increase further.

The inflow of remittance in the past nine months has reached Rs 1, 191. 31 billion.  This is the rise by 10 percent compared to the corresponding period last year that recorded the 17.2 percent rise in the remittance inflow in corresponding period previous fiscal year.

This year's rise in the USD terms is 7.3 percent.

"Remittance inflows increased 10.0 percent to Rs 1, 191.31 billion in the review period compared to an increase of 17.2 percent in the same period of the previous year. In the US Dollar terms, remittance inflows increased 7.3 percent to 8.74 billion in the review period compared to an increase of 15.2 percent in the same period of the previous year," the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) said in its report about Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal (Based on Nine Months Data Ending Mid-April 2024/25).

Similarly, net secondary income (net transfer) reached Rs 1, 301.94 billion in the review period compared to Rs 1, 174.54 billion in the same period of the previous year.

The number of Nepali workers, both institutional and individual, taking first-time approval for foreign employment stands at 358,222 and taking approval for renew entry stands at 249,652. In the previous year, such numbers were 327,842 and 211,226 respectively.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 3, 700 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 186, 800 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 190, 500 per tola on Sunday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 960 per tola today.