The Nepalese Himalayas have been warming considerably more than the global mean temperature in recent decades.

Glaciers in most of the region are showing signs of shrinking, thinning, and retreating, which is giving way to a lot of melt water.

On Ngozumpa, some of this water is seen to pool on the surface and then drain away via a series of streams and caverns to the snout of the glacier, the BBC reported.

There, around 25km from the mountain, a colossal lake is growing behind a heap of dumped rock fragments.

This lake, called Spillway, is likely to be about 6km long, 1km wide and 100m deep.

The concern is that this huge mass of water could ultimately infringe the debris dam and hurtle down the valley, sweeping away the Sherpa villages in its path.

According to the scientists, although the threat is not immediate, but it is a situation that requires monitoring.

One of the researchers at work on Ngozumpa is Ulyana Horodyskyj, from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado in Boulder, US.

In of the incidences, her cameras captured a supraglacial lake losing more than 100,000 cubic metres of water in just two days. Within five days, the lake had recovered half the volume, fed by waters from higher up the glacier.

“Say I came the week before and the week after a lake drained – it would seem like nothing had happened because the lake level would appear to be the same,” Horodyskyj said.

“But my timelapse photography tells me that something has happened – 40 Olympic-size swimming pools just got sent down the glacier,” she added.

The festival would be organized in Tikaulichaur of Ratnanagar Municipality-7. Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is scheduled to inaugurate the festival.

Coordinator of the organizing committee, Dipak Kumar Karmacharya said, as many as 350 stalls would be kept in the festival.

Ratnanagar Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Ratnanagar Municipality are organizing the festival every two years.

Organizers said that industrial, agricultural and tourism promotion related local arts and culture, and locally-produced goods would be kept on display in the stalls.

KMC revoked its decision to increase the tax keeping in mind the decision of the Main Hosting Committee of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 not to increase any kind of tourist fees and charges during the NTY campaign.

A small plane carrying foreign tourists crashed in a hill south of Kathmandu airport early on Sunday, killing all 19 people aboard including the crew members.The accident site, Kotdanda, lies between Lamatar and Bisankhunarayan VDCs in Lalitpur, around 15 kilometers south of the Tribhuvan International Airport.Eighteen dead bodies were recovered from the site and one died in B &B Hospital while undergoing treatment, according to SP Bhog Bahadur Thapa, who oversaw rescue operations fromthe very beginning.

In all, there were 19 people—ten Indian, two American, a Japanese, three Nepalis and three Nepali crew members—onboard the Buddha Air Beechcraft. The ill-fated aircraft was approaching Kathmandu airport in cloudy weather after completing its mountain flight.

Some locals said the plane caught fire shortly before the crash. While others said it flew lower than its usual course before it crashed.Buddha Air has suspended all its scheduled flights for Sunday following the accident. It is the first crash involving a Buddha Air plane. Police moved rescue team to the site after they got a call from the locals near the crash site around 8 a.m.According to the Buddha Air, Captain JB Tamrakar, Co-pilot Padma Adhikari, Air Hostess Asmita Shrestha were the crew members and Nepali passengers ob board have been identified as Sharada Karmacharya, Jagan Karmacharya and Nirajan Karmacharya.

The Indian nationals killed in the aircraft crash are Pankaj Mehta, Chhaya Mehata, S Nagaraja, T Nagaraja, L Nagaraja, HD Nagaraja, D Jalosubrisum, DP Jalosubrisum, P Jalosubrisum, and Nagraja Talosubrisum, said the company.

Similarly, Toshinori Jehma of Japan and US nationals Natali Nailun and Andrew Wade were among those killed in the crash.The bodies have been take to TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for post-mortem and , airlifted to the Tribhuvan International Airport and authorities are making preperations to hand over the bodies to their relatives.

Source:http://www.ekantipur.com/2011/09/25/top-story/air-crash-near-kathmandu-kills-all-19-aboard/341340.html

According to the Survey of Indian visitors to Nepal by land 2010, a total of 520,522 Indian tourists visited Nepal by land in 2010. The number, however, stood at 298,415 in 2009, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.

The Survey of Indian visitors to Nepal by land in 2010 — the second of its kind of survey — revealed that there were some 96,928 vehicles — an increase by 22 per cent over the previous year — of different categories that entered Nepal from eight border points. Majority of Indian tourists coming to Nepal for a holiday travel used Indian vehicles like mini bus, car, jeep, and motorcycle. Thus only Indian tourists crossing the border in vehicles are counted as tourists, it said, adding that the private vehicles carriers were found to be high with almost half that is 49 per cent of the vehicles compromising of car/jeep, while buses only accounted for eight per cent of the total Indian vehicles entered Nepal.

The survey used Indian vehicles entering Nepal basis as there is not any system of registering Indian tourists by land. According to data collected from Birgunj, Kakarbhitta, Rani (Biratnagar), Belihiya (Bhairahawa), Nepalgunj, Dhan-gadi, Vittamod (Janakpur), Gaddachowki (Mahendranagar) of Indian tourists visiting Nepal for an overnight stay and longer, there were some 154,086 third country tourist arrivals by land in 2010, while some 674,608 tourist used vehicles.

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Indian+tourist+arrivals+by+land+triples&NewsID=300500

Simrik Air is the first company outside the West to acquire the latest offering from Eurocopter. “Ever committed to our principle of exploring new horizons and rising above new frontiers, we ink the deal with Eurocopter South East Asia Pvt. Ltd to acquire the newest AS 350B3e helicopter,” said Thapa. “This makes us the first proud airline, outside the West, to boast such helicopter in the fleet.”

Both the choppers will be delivered in 2012. “The first one will arrive in March 2012 and the second in August 2012,” said Brenner. According to Brenner, there are 12 Eurocopter aircraft in Nepal.

With the addition of these choppers, Simrik’s fleet has increased to four. The company currently has two Japan made BK-117 helicopter.

An enhanced AS350 B3e is the next generation aircraft in the proven Ecureuil family.

Officially launched at Heli-Expo 2011 in Florida, USA, the AS 350B3e features a more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2D turbo shaft engine, a new digital FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) and is fitted with an engine data recorder.

The powerful, high-performance AS350 B3e is designed to carry out the most demanding missions in the most extreme weather and geographical conditions. Its exceptional lift capability, high endurance, extended range and fast cruise speed make the AS350 B3e the leader in its class.

The AS350 B3e has engine filters for protection during flight in sand and snow conditions without a performance penalty. It incorporates tail rotor modifications for additional ease of piloting, and also features an improved interior design.

“This helicopter is suitable for rescue flight and medical evacuation,” said Yog Raj Kandel, general manager of Simrik Air. “It can fly up to an altitude of 23000 ft and has low fuel consumption. Simrik Air had made its debut in the Nepali sky with a Russian MI-17 helicopter.

Source:http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/05/13/money/simrik-air-adds-two-choppers-to-its-fleet/221686.html

Airfare to Nepal is 50 per cent expensive than the airfare to India, and the visitors  from European countries are forced to pay extra airfare of $1,000 to visit Nepal from other foreign airlines whereas, if had enough national carriers with direct flights to Europe the airfare would have been around $700 – $800.

Currently some two dozen international airlines fly to Nepal but the ailing national flag carrier flies to
only limited destinations due to lack of aircraft and regular political bickering that has hit the airlines financials hard.

With these data on sight, although different types of promotion are done in different countries, it will be able to attract only few, since tourists also looks for affordable place .Now it’s a competition between countries to attract more tourists. Nepal should start making a long-term strategy, if the government can’t bring the airlines they can at least help the private sectors or we will have to completely depend upon other international airlines.

Source :http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Lack+of+NAC+aircraft+hits+tourism+sector+hard&NewsID=298567

Moreover, anyone selling tobacco products to person under age of 18 years and pregnant women will be fined upto Rs 10000. The Act also prohibits advertising and sponsoring programmes in the name of tobacco-related products through media.

This step of act from the Health Ministry is definitely a correct one, and long awaited, before people could not raise their voice against smokers in public places, but now with the government act on their side, they can raise their concern and stop them to do so. It has definitely given power to the citizens and will not only save life of the smoker but will also help the non-smokers, which will help the country to prosper in long term. However, the enforcement and the acceptance of this act is yet to be seen.

The government has played its part, now its in the hand of the citizens to implement this act and help make the nation Tobacco free zone.

According to the priest at the Temple, Chakradharanand Rajopadhyaya, the landslide has reached near Chandra Surya shrine on the west side of the Temple.

Rajopadhayaya complained that no bodies concerned have shown any interest to protect the Temple when it is at high risk of landslide.

Locals said this situation came about with the failure of the local administration to stop the rampant mining of sand and stones from the Manohara stream going on since long.

At first, sand smuggling at the Manohara stream should be stopped to save the Temple from the risk of landslide, said Rajopadhayaya.

Aruna Nakarmi, Chief of the Department of Archeology and Palace Management Office, Bhaktapur, said they have been informed of the landslide and they would inspect the area on Friday.

Central Office of the Department of Archeology has asked its local office to submit a report on the extent of the damage to the Temple structure caused, which they will submit after monitoring the area, said Nakarmi.

Source:http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Changunarayan+Temple+at+high+risk+of+landslide&NewsID=298116