Pedestrian's safety

Metropolitan Police Office is extensively demolishing physical structures such as retaining walls, parts of houses and even the existing footpaths to expand the Valley roads. With increasing population, number of vehicles is also increasing. This urban development task of widening the roads has become necessary. However, it seems that adequate space has not been left for footpath construction overlooking the rights of the pedestrians. Breaking structures are necessary to expand the road, but it is not sufficient for safe movement considering the obstruction created by demolished materials littered on the roadside. 

For limited space of footpath or lack of it, pedestrians are bound to walk on the roads instead, which makes them prone to accidents. Minimum width of footpath for pedestrian needs to be fixed, the remaining space needs to be used for expanding motorable road. It is not necessary that the footpath needs to be very wide, as the width alone does not guarantee pedestrians’ safety. 

Using footpath by shops, vendors, and motorcyclist is entirely wrong. It is considered as no person’s land and even used for storing construction materials by local. Therefore, such footpath-obstructing practices should strictly be discouraged. 

— Basan Shrestha, Ghattekulo Marg
http://www.epaper.thehimalayantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/THT/THT/2012/01/29/ArticleHtmls/PEOPLE-SPEAK-Address-pedestrians-safety-29012012008003.shtml?Mode=1

Perfection is My Choice

Perfection has no limit but one must go for it, but it requires intensive thinking, actions and testing in different contexts. It keeps people happy and happiness is a measure that prevents ill health. However, it is also true that perfection in one context may not exactly be perfection in another one. For example, a crop variety developed for hilly range of agro-ecological condition may not fit well into the plains’ condition. However, the continued interest and effort will lead to developing technologies for a different context as well in the pursuit of professional development. Continued thinking and action will develop confidence and predictability leading one towards developing appropriate technologies and perfection. I opt for and encourage everyone to strive for perfection to grow professionally and be happy. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Perfection+is+a+choice&NewsID=315663

Load Shedding and Living with It

Power cut, particularly during winter season is a common schedule in Nepal, although the country is rich in its water resources. Power cut known as load shedding has both positive and negative sides. I focus on a better way of utilising load shedding hours. Urban area is most affected during power cut because all the machineries, information and communication technologies depend on power supply. Often people are busy studying, writing, watching television and working on the computer. Family members find little time for each other to reflect on their experiences and plans.

The load-shedding hour provides an opportunity to plan the coming days reviewing the past sitting together in a room. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=peoplespeak&NewsID=314694

Women Rights Monitoring and Analysis System (WoRiMAS)

Women Rights Monitoring and Analysis System (WoRiMAS) is being established at National Women Commission (NWC) with the support from UN Women in Nepal. Both organisations entrusted and supported me to develop WoRiMAS. I developed WoRiMAS in close consultation with NWC and UN Women officials, in three months from 15 October to 14 December 2011.

WoRiMAS aims at periodically monitoring and reporting on implementation status of policies, legislations and programmes pertaining to gender equality and women's empowerment. WoRiMAS is based on Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), National Action Plan (NAP) on United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1325 and 1820, and Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA).

WoRiMAS constitutes: 1) two set of monitoring data collection formats to be administered to district based government agencies (District Attorney Office, District Court, Chief District Office, District Police Office, District Jail Office, District Development Committee, District Women and Children Office, District Education Office, District Health Office, District Agricultural Development Office, Cottage and Small industries District Office, Local Peace Committee, Zonal Labour office and Department of Foreign Employment; The first format is administered to all listed agencies. It primarily consists of information on gender focal unit, gender sensitive leave provisions, infrastructure development, program and budgeting. Second format is administered to sectoral agencies. 2) Management Information System (MIS) developed in Excel software and 3) data output tables for reporting.

The smooth functioning of WoRiMAS by NWC on its own and with the support from Women Rights Monitoring Network member organizations will add a mile stone to monitoring and evaluation of gender equality and women's empowerment.