Nepal: Before and after

[Rowdy]

Credits:
Kathmandu, Nepal, before and after the earthquake – in pictures | World news | The Guardian

@Mad Indian @Rashna @maomao @Khagesh @Tshering22 @roma @Sakal Gharelu Ustad

 

[Zebra]

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/worl...mt-everest-shifts-3cm-due-to-nepal-quake.html

Mt Everest shifts 3cm due to Nepal quake

Published: 3:19 pm, Tuesday, 16 June 2015 -

 

[Hari Sud]

No sympathy. They were nasty to India when it brought aid within hours of the earthquake. Now these thankless people have to fend for themselves.

I was in Kathmandu, Manokanama temple etc. just three weeks before the earthquake struck. These building, all look historic but flimsily built of mostly wood and not very heavy stone (without mortar). Several places the stone and brick work seemed to be new, not one bit ancient as they like you to believe. The local guide said that a medium earthquake had struck Kathmandu in 1930s. This repair work was done afterwards. That earthquake did not disturb some of high but flimsily built structures. This earthquake was of a higher intensity and it shook the ground much harder, hence much of the historic structure fell. Anything well built like Buddhist stupa is still standing and is damaged.

 

[amoy]

Nepal-China border reopens

Oct 16, 2015- The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border point, which remained closed for the past six months following the April 25 earthquake, reopened on Thursday. The road leading to the border was severely damaged by the earthquake and monsoon rains.

It is one of the two major trade routes between Nepal and China, with the other being Tatopani-Khasa route.

“The border point has reopened for trade,” said Paneru. “Even petroleum products can be imported through this route if an agreement is made at the higher level.” Before bringing the border point into operation, China had cleared a huge mound of landslide debris on their side, about 10km from Rasuwagadhi.

Gelal said that the Chinese side has assured that they would coordinate with Nepal to ease export and import of goods. Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Armed Police Force Darsan Giri said that they arranged an APF unit to control revenue leakages. “We will stop smuggling of goods, provide border security and control other illegal activities,” he pledged.

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-10-16/nepal-china-border-reopens.html

 

[amoy]

China to supply Nepal with 1,000 MT of fuel
The Chinese government would be dispatching the fuel through Kerung pass along the Nepal-Tibet border, and “the consignment may be arriving here by early next week,” according to top sources.

The Chinese gesture comes as a big relief for Nepal that remains fuel-starved following obstruction in supply from India for the past five weeks. The government of India has cited security reasons and discouraged Indian trucks to enter Nepal following the protests leading to a sharp fall in the supply of petroleum products and acute shortage that has fuelled anti-India sentiments across the Himalayan country.

Prime Minister K P Oli had a meeting with Chinese ambassador Wu Chuntai on Friday with a request to supply fuel.

“Initially China will be providing 1,000 metric tonnes of petrol soon, and then terms and conditions would be worked out,” sources said. Indian supply of essential commodities including fuel and medicines however continues from other entry points other than the Raxaul border crossing that accounts for the biggest volume of export to Kathmandu due to cheaper transportation cost. - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/wo...0-mt-of-supply-to-nepal/#sthash.ZEv4hyJi.dpuf

Kerung is also the border pass of the planned Shigatse - Nepal ralway.

 

[bengalraider]

India and China should look at building a framework for extending the rail links in Tibet all the way into India as well. Kushinsgar( where the Buddha breathed his last) in Uttar Pradesh may serve as the linchpin of such a link.
It serves both our purposes.

 

[amoy]

Nepal inks historic oil agreement with China
- Sangam Prasain, Rajesh Khanal, Kathmandu Oct 29, 2015-

Nepal signed a historic oil trade deal with China on Wednesday, ending a four-decade supply monopoly of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and China National United Oil Corporation (PetroChina) in Beijing to supply petroleum products to Nepal. “Finally, we have the second oil trade partner. We can bring any amount of fuel as per our needs when required from the north,” said NOC spokesperson Deepak Baral. “A larger business-to-business agreement will be signed between the two state-owned oil companies within one and a half month,” he said.

As the country’s fragile economy continues to reel under severe fuel shortage due to an “unofficial trade embargo” imposed by India, the government took an unprecedented move to appoint its second oil trading partner.

Wednesday’s agreement provides the framework for the imports of petroleum products from China to break the cycle of short-term fuel crisis in Nepal, the NOC said. Fuel supply to Nepal has been curtailed by as much as 90 percent for the last one month due to the ongoing “blockade”.

In a separate deal on Wednesday, China also agreed to immediately supply 1.2 million litres of fuel to Nepal on grant. Subsequently, there would be a larger commercial oil trade deal between the two countries, which would make China an additional long-term oil source, the NOC said, adding that a modality would be prepared on the required quantity, transportation route, quality and pricing, before signing the business-to-business deal.

Nepal could import 35-40 percent of its total fuel needs, it said. The country imported fuel worth Rs107.13 billion and Rs131.73 billion in 2012-13 and 2013-14 respectively. The fuel bills dropped considerably last fiscal year in the wake of a global drop in fuel prices even as imports grew. Due to extended power cuts and increase in development works, demand for petroleum products in Nepal has been growing by 10 percent annually.

Meanwhile Press Trust of India report adds China has expressed readiness for “friendly” talks with India to stabilise Nepal, reeling under acute fuel shortage due to a blockade of border points with India. “Both India and Nepal are friendly neighbours to China,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing when asked about reports of backchannel talks between New Delhi and Beijing over resolving the constitutional crisis in Nepal. “We hope that in maintaining regional stability and state-to-state friendship, all relevant countries can sit together and have friendly consultations so that consensus can be reached,” he said.

About Beijing stepping up fuel and food supplies through its recently reopened border in Tibet, Lu said “as a friend and neighbour of Nepal, China hopes that Nepal can have stable domestic situation after the passage of the new constitution”.

Asked whether China has commenced supplies to Nepal, currently hit by the Indian-origin Madhesis’ protests over the new constitution, Lu said “in view of their (Nepal’s) request, we will do our best to provide assistance and both sides are in communication”.

NOC asked to send tankers to Kerung
KATHMANDU: The Chinese government has asked Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to send 12 fuel tankers at the Kerung-Rasuwagadhi border point on Saturday to take delivery of fuel that China had promised as grant.

“As it is not feasible to bring in fuel from the border point at once, China has informed us through its embassy here to send the said number of tankers,” said NOC spokesperson Deepak Baral. “We will bring in fuel gradually.”

The NOC has provided details of 40 oil tankers to the Chinese authority to facilitate their entry into China. The Chinese authority has also notified the NOC that they would take care of issues regarding insurance, transport and labour law once the Nepali vehicles enter their territory, Baral added.

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-10-29/nepal-inks-historic-oil-agreement-with-china.html

 

[amoy]

Nepal receives petrol from China

2015-11-02

Nepal has received 73.5 metric tons of petrol in the first batch of Chinese delivery, a Nepali official said on Sunday.

The first fuel delivery came through 12 fuel tankers sent by Nepal Oil Corporation(NOC) to China on Saturday and Sunday.

"We have received 73.5 metric tons of petrol from China in these two days," NOC spokesperson Deepak Baral told Xinhua.

The fuel-filled tanks have been on the way from the northern hilly district Rasuwa to the Kathmandu valley, said the official.

 

[amoy]

Could China really drill an enormous tunnel through Mount Everest to reach Nepal?
By Nick Vivion April 11, 2015 10:00 am

The Qinghai-Tibet railway, which would likely be connected onwards from Lhasa into Nepal. Photo credit WikiCommons

If you thought climbing Mount Everest seemed difficult, how about going through it? Well, China wants to build a new tunnel to connect to Nepal, and all that’s required is boring a hole underneath the world’s largest mountain.

The rub here is that the mountain is still shifting and settling because the Himalayas are among the planet’s youngest mountain ranges. The tunnel would be subject to a serious amount of settling and there’s no saying what sort of environmental impact that it could have on the mountain itself.

If successful, the tunnel would facilitate overland rail travel via the treacherous terrain and open up Nepal to China’s burgeoning middle class. Considering China’s appetite for mega infrastructure projects, the largest of which is the ongoing effort to build the world’s most far-reaching high-speed rail network, this proposal isn’t that shocking.

The geo-political reasoning is also strong for China as it seeks to influence Nepal, a country that has traditionally been closer to India. Nothing like an insanely expensive tunnel — and the resulting tourism dollars – to bring two countries together.

The projected reach of high-speed rail in China by 2020. Photo credit WikiCommons

 

[bengalraider]

The fact remains that China will have to take enormous financial hits to provide Nepal with cheap fuel in the long term, any fuel reaching Nepal via China has to cross Tibet which means that there will be little or no connectivity in the much of the Winter, exactly when Nepal will need fuel most.
Also Tibet in itself requires heavy subsidies to be run the way it is with Beijing pouring in billions to build infrastructure capable of withstanding the extreme weather and terrain.These subsidies will have to be increased and extended to Nepal to keep the Fuel commercially viable vis a vis cheap fuel from India once the Madhesi agitation is contained.

 

[amoy]

Nepal to request China to expand Araniko Highway


Nov 29, 2015- The government is preparing to formally request China to expand the Dhulekhel-Tatopani section of the Araniko Highway.

Nepal’s main inland trade route with the northern neighbour has been heavily damaged by the April 25 earthquake and trade has not taken place through this route since the disaster.

Officials at Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport said they were preparing to a send a proposal in this regard to the Cabinet soon. The government plans to expand this two-lane road to four lanes. “Preparations are underway to formally request China for the road expansion,” said Bishnu Om Bade, joint secretary at the ministry. “Although we have been requesting the northern neighbour in different meetings, we are now preparing to make a formal request.”

According to ministry officials, the proposal will be forwarded to the Cabinet once Deputy Prime Minister and Physical Infrastructure Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchadar completes his planned to trip to Tatopani and Kimathanka border points. A team led by Gachchhdar had visited Rasuwagadhi border point on Friday. The trade route was resumed after remaining closed for six months after the earthquake.

Nepal has been requesting the Chinese side to reopen the Tatopani border point at the earliest so that bilateral trade could be enhanced. The quake has damaged infrastructure on both sides of the border.

Another joint secretary at the ministry Rabindra Nath Shrestha said the Chinese assistance for the road expansion was being sought to the utilise Chinese annual aid to Nepal in a single big project.

A few months ago, China had announced to increase its in annual aid to Nepal to 800 million yuan (Rs13.4 billion). However, it is still not clear which Chinese aid would be used to for the road upgradation given China has also pledged a huge assistance for post-earthquake reconstruction, according to ministry officials.

The highway was built 45 years ago with Chinese assistance, due to which Nepal had to face the first Indian embargo in 1970.


http://bit.ly/1NBWwPU

~~Still waters run deep. ~~from my MiPad using tapatalk

 

[Hari Sud]

Token oil deliveries from Tibet after being shipped 800 miles over a hostile terrain for 25 million people of Nepal, economically unsound plan.

But go right ahead and try it out.

There 4 million Nepalese in northern India on most coveted jobs and some on less desirable jobs. Send them all to Tibet.

There are 8,000 recruits from Nepal out of 64,000 Gurkhas in Indian Army. India can relieve the Nepalese and make up the shortage with Gurkhas in India. Whose loss will it be, it will be mostly Nepalese.

Think again communist masters of Nepal, before you blame India too much. China can give you token service and support, much has come from India. So think again.

 

[amoy]

Nepal waives visa fee for Chinese tourists

Dec 26, 2015- Chinese tourists will not have to pay visa fee to enter Nepal henceforth.

In a bid to boost arrivals from the north, the Cabinet on Friday decided to waive the fee for Chinese visitors—a facility enjoyed only by visitors from Saarc countries so far.

The Cabinet decision came immediately after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa announced the new visa policy during bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday.

The Chinese government also lifted travel advisories to its citizens travelling to Nepal with immediate effect. The advisory was issued by the Chinese consular service network in the context of earthquakes in Nepal. “This marks the tour normalization for Chinese citizens in Nepal,” read a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Foreign visitors have to pay $25 for a 15-day visa and $40 and $100 for 30-day and 90-day visas, respectively.

“It’s a welcome move,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, secretary at the Tourism Ministry. “It will help attract a greater number of Chinese tourists to Nepal.”

He said Nepal has seen a phenomenal growth in the number of Chinese tourists over the past decade and this growth momentum is expected to continue in the years ahead with the new policy.

Over the past decade, Chinese tourist arrivals have jumped more than fivefold, making the northern neighbour Nepal’s second largest source market, attesting to the growing popularity of the Himalayan country among Chinese vacationers.

After becoming the world’s largest bloc of outbound travellers in 2012, Chinese tourists gained a bigger lead in 2013 and 2014. According to China Tourism Research Institute, China has been the world’s largest outbound market since 2012.

By November, 2014, China’s yearly outbound tourists reached 100 million for the first time. In the whole year, the outbound tourists reached 117 million, an increase of 19.16 percent over 2013.

The outbound tourists spent a record $164.8 billion overseas in 2014. China had 61.90 million outbound visitors in the first half of 2015, an increase of 12.1 percent compared with the same period in 2014.

Nepal witnessed a constant growth in the number of Chinese tourist arrivals since June 2009. Tourism Ministry statistics showed Nepal received 123,805 Chinese visitors in 2014, up 10 percent year-on-year. Ministry officials attributed the rise to increased air connectivity. Currently, four Chinese carriers—Air China, China Southern, China Eastern and Sichuan Airlines—operate flights to Nepal.

The China National Tourism Administration categorised Nepal under the Approved Destination Status (ADS) for the first time in November 2001, after which Chinese citizens came to Nepal officially as tourists. Before 2000, the Chinese were allowed to travel to Nepal only on official visits.

In February last year, Nepal and China signed a revised bilateral air services agreement (ASA), permitting the operation of 56 flights per week. Under the old ASA, Chinese airlines were allowed to operate 14 flights every week to Nepal.
Favourite places in Nepal for the Chinese are Kathmandu, Pokhara, Jomsom and Muktinath. They are also shifting towards soft adventure sports like trekking, paragliding and rafting of late.

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-12-26/govt-waives-visa-fee-for-chinese-tourists.html


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[amoy]

China to donate 1.4 m litres of fuel to Nepal: DPM Thapa

Dec 29, 2015- The Chinese government has decided to provide 1.4 million litres of fuel worth 10 million RMB to Nepal government in grant to meet the emergency needs, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa.

DPM Thapa informed the media about the agreement to import fuel from China upon his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

Earlier in October, the Chinese government had provided 1.3 million litres of petrol to Nepal to cope with the severe fuel crisis following the unofficial trade blockade on Nepal-India border. Nepal Oil Corporation brought the grant fuel provided by China from Kerung of Tibet.
________________________________

The Deputy Prime Minister added that they forged consensus on gradually resuming different nine border points with China and also discussed about the road and air connectivity and infrastructure development as well.

Thapa said that discussions were held with Chinese officials to re-operate the Araniko Highway, prepare the baseline for Nepal-China friendship and operate the Rasuwagadhi-Syafrubesi road around the year.

He said that during the discussion, Nepal also would initiate preliminary works of constructing railway in its territory in the context of China’s plan to expand its railway up to the Nepal-China border.

Minister Thapa said that he also met with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao and high-level officials of Sichuan province, adding that during the discussions, officials of the province expressed their wishes towards investing in hydropower in Nepal.

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/...-to-donate-14-m-litres-of-fuel-dpm-thapa.html


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[amoy]

Pokhara int’l airport loan negotiations: $216m loan agreed

Jan 5, 2016- The government has concluded negotiations with China EXIM Bank for a $215.96 million loan to build a new regional international airport in Pokhara.

The bank has pledged to finance the construction of the proposed airport in the tourist and commercial hub, and also agreed to provide 25 percent of the loan without interest, said Madhu Marasini, chief of the international cooperation coordination division at the Finance Ministry. The government will have to pay interest on the rest of the loan at the rate of 2 percent per annum.

The loan repayment period has been fixed at 20 years including a grace period of seven years when no interest will be charged. A formal loan agreement will be signed after the deal is okayed by the Cabinet, said Marasini.

According to Tourism Ministry officials, a high-level government team led by Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel is scheduled to leave for China on January 14 to take part in the formal inauguration of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral development bank, when the credit accord is likely to be signed.

-------------------------------------------
Those who go gaga over "gloom and doom" of Chinese economy shall carefully read the terms of the loan.

That's a graceful investment in friendship and neighbourhood.

 

[amoy]

Nepal signs deal to gain access to Chinese ports

Seamless use of Chinese facilities could start in 2020 at the earliest, when the Chinese rail network is scheduled to reach Kerung, according to officials. Tatopani, another Nepal-China trading point, that has remained closed since the April 25 earthquake is yet to open, and there is no official confirmation from the Chinese side whether it will ever open it up.

During the meeting, PM Oli requested China to build three rail lines—-one connecting three of Nepal’s most important cities, other crossing the border from China into Nepal, and a monorail in Kathmandu.

“The government would encourage Chinese firms to look at the internal rail plan, and that China was already planning to extend the railway from the Tibetan city of Shigatse to Gyirong on the Nepal border,” she said.

Sichuan-Tibet railway work picks up speed

1,629-km line perched on high mountains to be complete in early 2030s

China will accelerate the construction of a 1,629-kilometer Sichuan-Tibet railway starting this year, heads of the two regions' governments confirmed.

"The government will start a preliminary survey and research of the Kangting-Lyingchi railway project this year, and accelerate the construction of Sichuan-Tibet railway in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period," Losang Jamcan, chairman of the Tibet autonomous region government

 

[bengalraider]

While i totally welcome the extension of A Chinese rail head to Kathmandu and further wish for the same to be connected to the Indian EDFC, i still am at pains to understand the economic benefits for Nepal from this line.
The Closest port in China is 2950KM away(Hong Kong) The Article mentions Tianjin which is 3195km away, both are three times the distance of Haldia Port in West Bengal which lies merely 965km away from Kathmandu. Also any Railway freight through the high passes needs more fuel to move ,hence increasing costs even more. Unless the Chinese Government subsidies Nepali usage of this line with nearly 70-80% of the costs coming form Beiking i don't see how this is beneficial to Kathmandu.

 

[amoy]

@bengalraider Why do u focus on Chinese seaports only? Tianjin or Haldia ports are supposed to serve trading with third countries, as well as China-Nepal trade partly via Indian seaports (which may switch to rail in future). However, most of Nepal's trade / foreign investment happens btwn China -Nepal and India - Nepal.

The rail links are meant to integrate Nepal into the Chinese network by overcoming poor infrastructure and difficult geographical terrain. After the completion in 2020 earliest or so, logistics to/fro Nepal will be as convenient as from Beijing to Hongkong （2,536km, 23hrs).

For China it's just an extention from Tibet and Sichuan. And Chengdu Sichuan and Chongqing are very prosperous. Hours of traffic to this top-notched city circle will bring Nepal very much close to China's economic heartland, though still far away from coastal. Millions of tourists to Tibet will be able to add Nepal into journeys by a few extra hours of railage. What a boost to its tourism?!

I saw quite a lot of colorful Mahindra or Tata running when lingering in Nepal. It's predictable what challenges these brands will face once China-Nepal infra. has big leaps.

Chengdu, where Nepal is about to open a consulate

 

[garg_bharat]

I think it is appropriate that Nepal is connected to both China and India.

China has money to invest in expensive infrastructure projects. So it is ok if they take the initiative.

Nepali people have their aspirations and we should respect that.

Development of Nepal should be seen as good for India.

 

[bengalraider]

@amoy love the view of Chengdu, we still have a lot of ground to cover before our cities become as prosperous. Possibly by mid 2020's.We've just started on our economic liberalization in a way.
One of my school batchmates has a stake in a factory in Chonqing. Your inner cities have done well.
True Tourism is something i hadn't factored in , again an extension of the line into India would boost tourism on both sides of the Nepalese frontier like never before.
I wouldn't worry too much about Tata or Mahindra both are already competing well with global brands in Africa, Latin America, Europe and other markets as well.The prospect of future automobile exports from India to China and Vice Versa are immense to say the least.
An interesting prospect from this line also arises. The DMIC is a Indo-Japanese industrial belt under development around the WDFC .Why not make the EDFC the core of an Indo-Chinese industrial belt along the DKIC?