NEW SPOTLIGHT | April 16. 2021 | 1 NEW SPOTLIGHT | April 16. 2021 | 2 Vol.: 14, No.-16, April-16, 2021 (Baisakh 03. 2078) Price NRs.100 Completing mega-projects like Melamchi and 456MW Upper Tamakoshi is a technically challeng- ing and complicated feat to accomplish. High risks are involved and safety factors need to be addressed with meticulous considerations. Following a failure in the first testing, in which two people were killed, Melamchi Drinking Water Project made the second testing a grand success. With the inauguration of the project, Melamchi is now supplying drinking water to taps in the Kathman- du Valley. As Nepal starts its journey to New Year 2078 BS, the 456MW Upper Tamakoshi, another mega-pro- ject, is ready for its testing and commissioning phases. With risks involved in testing the infrastructure, Upper Tamakoshi is walking step by step making all safety considerations. Following successfully testing of head- work, including dam and desilting basin, the project is now planning to start further testing from April 24. Dur- ing this period the project will test tunnel and penstock, diverting small amount of water from head works. If everything goes well, it will generate electricity from the end of May. The project is now making efforts to finally generate electricity from the first unit. Passing through a very difficult period, including great earth- quake of 2015, Upper Tamakoshi Project, the largest hydropower project of Nepal, is now headed in the right direction. Under the capable leadership of Chief Execu- tive Officer Bigyan Prasad Shrstha and his entire team, Upper Tamakoshi will be another great gift to Nepali people for the new year. As Nepalese celebrate the New Year, New Spotlight also takes this occasion to wish Happy New Year 2078 to all readers, patrons and well wishers. Although Nepal is entering the second phase of COVID-19, hopefully, it will manage the situation as it did the last year. NEW SPOTLIGHT | April 16. 2021 | 1 CONTENT EU SUPPORT TO EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY Successful Completion 3 NEWSNOTES 4 BUSINESS BRIEF 6 OPINION Dipak Gyawali 8 COVERSTORY: UPPER TAMAKOSHI: Get Set To Go 19 POLITICS No Magic Number 10 DIPLOMACY Foreign Policy Dilemma 13 ENVIRONMENT Batu uprety 17 INTERVIEW Yutaka Kikuta 26 VIEWPOINT MELAMCHI COMPLETION: Japan’s Pleasure 12 Dr. Chandra Lal Pandey 29 RAHUL CHAUDHARY Hospitable For Hotels 31 THE WORLD BANK Support For Vaccine 32 PERSPECTIVES Pratima Pande 33 NEPAL BRITAIN SOCIETY Painting Diplomacy 34 ARITICLE NEPAL’S ECONOMY: Growth At 2.7% 14 Hemang Dixit 36 NEW SPOTLIGHT | April 16. 2021 | 2 EU SUPPORT TO EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY Successful Completion Following the successful completion of earthquake recovery project, European Union and Nepal are preparing to close the NEARR facility By A CORRESPONDENT evastated by major earth- quake of 2015, Nepal was in Da desperate need of support to recovery and reconstruction. Re- sponding immediately to a call for humanitarian support to Nepal, EU funded a facility for action on Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction. After five years of success- fully supporting the earthquake re- covery and reconstruction program, the Nepal EU Action for Recovery & Reconstruction (NEARR) Facility has finally closed. To formalize its closure, NEARR hosted its official ceremony Authority (NRA), responsible for over ceremony. on the 9th of April amidst a function, the oversight and coordination of the “The EU congratulates the reflecting on the ‘overall recovery and earthquake recovery and reconstruc- NRA and NDRRMA and all stake- reconstruction context’, as well as ‘as- tion process. holders involved for the progress pects of governance behind the recon- made so far in advancing reconstruc- struction scenes’. In the event, some of the key From reviving the old settle- tion process in Nepal. It is important accomplishments of the Facility were that the current momentum be main- ments supporting reconstruction, EU highlighted, including how its man- tained and indeed increased in the time provided all necessary support through date as a ‘demand-driven, adaptable ahead so as to ‘build back greener and NEARR. Working with government and close-proximity technical assis- agencies, NEARR showed an example tance development partner’ has prov- better’ for the benefit of the Nepali of how to make a better collaboration en extremely effective in the complex people including the most vulnerable happen. operational context of Nepal. communities,” said EU Ambassador The European Union (EU) It also reflected on how its Nona Deprez. has been supporting the government work with the main government agen- Participants included repre- and people of Nepal with reconstruc- cies involved National Reconstruction sentatives from the European Union tion and recovery measures after the Authority (NRA) and National Disas- Delegation to Nepal, Development earthquake in 2015. This includes a ter Risk Reduction and Management Partners, National Reconstruction Au- State Building Contract (budget sup- Authority (NDRRMA). The NEARR thority, the National Disaster Risk Re- port) of 90 million euros, and the Facility has provided a wide range duction and Management Authority, contracting of the German Consulting of advisory services and products the Prime Minister’s Office, the Min- Group GFA to establish a ‘Reconstruc- over these past four years, including istry of Finance, and the Department tion Facility’ under the ‘Nepal EU Ac- through its core team, through sever- tion for Recovery and Reconstruction’ al international and national experts, of Archaeology. Programme (NEARR). The Facility and with the use of a flexible inciden- During the closing ceremo- provided demand-driven, flexible tal budget. Experiences, challenges ny, participants shared their experi- technical assistance, advisory services faced, and a set of recommendations ence working in most difficult time to and products, and capacity develop- were also included in the programme carry out the recovery and reconstruc- ment for the National Reconstruction presentations, and an official handing tion work. NEW SPOTLIGHT | April 16. 2021 | 3 NEWSNOTES Israeli Ambassador To Nepal Teaching Tech West Manage- pal is in line with the European Commission President, Ursula ment To Nepali Students von der Leyen’s Global Recovery Initiative, which called for Israeli ambassador to linking investments and debt relief to the SDGs. Nepal Hanan Goder-Goldberger The European Union supports its partner countries in visited various schools to teach maintaining their commitment and path towards the Sustaina- students the ways to manage such ble Development Goals despite dire financial situations. Debt dry batteries, which have a direct levels were already high before the crisis. In many countries, impact on public health. they are becoming unsustainable due to public expenditure re- On Wednesday, Ambas- quired to address the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of sador Goder-Goldberger visited a low-income countries are in high risk or already in debt dis- private school in New Baneshwor tress. with an empty water jar, request- The European Union alongside the development ed the principal, administrators and teachers of the school to partners community has been supporting Nepal in its green, collect the dry batteries used by the students and teachers and resilient and inclusive recovery from the adverse impacts of collect them in the empty water jars kept in the school. the pandemic. The announcement of an aid package of Euro He arrived at the school intending to encourage the 75 million (NPR 9.8 billion) in April last year was a move in students of different schools in the capital to save the envi- the same direction. ronment by collecting and managing such dry batteries at the The CCRT provides grants to pay debt service owed initiative of the Israeli Embassy in Nepal. to the IMF by eligible low-income member countries that are He said that dumping of the used dry batteries would hit by the most catastrophic of natural disasters or battling pub- adversely affect insects, grasshoppers and animals on land and lic health disasters—such as the COVID-19 pandemic. water and destroy the fertility of the soil. CCRT-eligible countries are those eligible for con- Ambassador Goder-Goldberger asked the school cessional borrowing through the IMF’s Poverty Reduction management to drop the used e-waste in the empty water jars and Growth Trust (PRGT) and whose annual per capita gross kept at the school and inform him so that he could send such national income level is below $1,175. Vulnerable countries waste to the concerned authorities for proper disposal. most seriously affected by the COVID-19 crisis benefit from The Israeli envoy also highlighted the diplomatic re- the CCRT. lations between Nepal and Israel and expressed his confidence that the friendship between the two countries would be even Nepali Army Renovates Seven Border Pillars In Dolakha stronger in the future. Nepal Army concludes Operation Himal Darshan in Dolakha upgrading the border Nepal Gets EU Debt Service Relief Worth NPR 582M pillars and ensuring the safety Nepal is among 28 countries to receive a debt service in Bigu Rural Municipality-1, relief amounting to EURO 4.299 million (NPR 582 million) reports The Rising Nepal. through a European Union contribution of EURO 183 million The Nepali Army has to the ‘Catastrophe Containment Relief Trust (CCRT) set up been conducting this operation by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). every year to ensure the safety The CCRT aims to provide debt service relief on in- of the locals, check land en- stances of disasters and catastrophes to the poorest and most croachment and upgrade pillars. vulnerable countries. At the border point of Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for Inter- Lapche, Bigu Rural Municipal- national Partnerships, said: “Through this contribution to the ity – 1, which sprawls up to 90 CCRT, Team Europe continues to stand in solidarity with its kilometres, there are seven pillars that draw the line between most vulnerable partners.