WATER TROUBLE

Once again we have a prime example of how unfit our new leaders are to rule this country ('Troubled waters', #350). Once again a project that would have helped Nepal is cut down to gain popularity. I doubt Hisila Yami has any idea what she is doing. She is unfit to be in a public position and should be sacked unless she can prove otherwise. Arun III and now Melamchi. How many more? Only in Nepal does a leader destroy infrastructure and gun-toting guerrillas become ministers overnight.

A B Nepal,
Australia

. It may not matter to the cat owner whether the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice ('Not a drop to drink', #350). However, if seen from the cat's perspective, it does matter-if it's the white cat that gets the mice, the black one goes hungry, and vice versa.

S Pal,
email

. Most state-owned corporations are running up huge losses due to lack of new investments. The closure of such institutions is inevitable because the government does not have the money or the desire to keep them running. We can prolong the process and incur endless losses or privatise it for the greater good. NWSC is a living example. It comes down to: what is in it for me.

Dibesh Shrestha,
email

. Navin Singh Khadka ('Troubled waters', #350) and Ratna Sansar Shrestha ('Not a drop to drink', #350) are both realistic. Preserving traditional taps, rainwater harvesting, and underground water generation are good options but will not cater to the massive and exponentially growing demand. The groundwater level of deep tubewells within the valley is decreasing rapidly every year and recharging them may take more than 10 years. Similarly, traditional taps cannot be revived in most cases as their channels have been destroyed by urbanisation. So the ultimate crux of the problem lies with the uprooting of existing distribution system network. With the lack of political will, is this possible? Perhaps we do need a non-Nepali boss.

Name withheld,
email

NO LOGIC

Because I'm a foreigner with only a conversational knowledge of Nepali and 20 years of residence here, I'm not getting either the economics or the social logic of the situation ('Bankrupt', #348). NOC pays rates for petroleum products set by IOC which are higher than what NOC is mandated to sell them for and incurs a monthly loss of Rs 250 million and has a debt worth Rs 60 billion to settle with IOC and Rs 4 billion to the local banks. Meanwhile people queue up for 8-10 hours to get a petrol ration amounting to between Rs 500-700 (This figures to around Rs 7 per hour making the minimum wage loss for queuing up about Rs 56 per day). However, Commerce Minister Rajendra Mahato's solution is to extend fresh loans to NOC. NOC Chief BN Goyal's solution is to sell most of the petroleum back to the Indian consumers just over the border at prices Indians pay at their pumps and
thereby reduce NOC's losses.

Who is crazy enough to loan money to a losing proposition with a long track of red ink that is controlled by politicians with advanced bombastic degrees? Who appointed these numskulls to their jobs? By the way, in case you are wondering, I drive an aging Honda Kinetic scooter and use about five litres of petrol a week, subject to availability of course.

PM Brandt,
Hattisar

REACH OUT

Ashutosh Tiwari's article ('Why is it we are here', #350) on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is interesting but lacking in content. Perhaps instead of interviewing people from trading houses or financial institutions, he should have captured the CSR practices of the Nepali business community. As a general member of Care and Fair Nepal, it gives me tremendous pleasure to announce that we have been helping the poor for over 11 years through six projects. In 2006, over 15,000 patients received rudimentary checkups at clinics and over 1,300 students received some form of scholarship. I am sure there are other businesses in Nepal that deserve a mention. I suggest Tiwari go beyond the familiar path and be more inclusive.

Ramesh Lama,
email

NAC

We wish Minister Prithibi Subba ('They have sucked NAC dry', #350) a successful tenure at a time when NAC has the reputation of being hopeless, corrupt, and erratic. I agree that politicians are responsible to an extent, but not all the time. Ninety-nine percent of flights to Mumbai were either delayed, cancelled, or suspended in the last three years. There have been no flights from Mumbai for the past year, but NAC's Mumbai branch has renovated its rented office at Nariman Point and still maintains expensive flats for the staff. In the meantime, NAC aircraft have old napkins and faded seat covers. If Nepal Airlines wants to revive its reputation, urgent changes are needed. We hope Subba and his party will positively look into this matter.

A tourism entrepreneur,
Kathmandu

CHRISTIANIA

Obviously we in Christiania have a lot more to learn from Nepal about how to unleash anarchy ('Christiania', #350). But we have made a start. For example, we still don't close down all schools all over Denmark because our Maoist party (yes, we have one) wants to put pressure on the government. We don't yet prevent parliament from having a session for over a month. We don't let a minor traffic accident shut down the whole town. And we didn't declare a snap two-hour banda when police charged us in Christiania. But we are learning.

Marta Andersen,
Copenhagen

. 'Running riot in Christiania' was devilishly pleasing and very true to our psyche. As the popular Nepali saying goes, "Afno aang ko bhaisi nadekhne, arkako aang ko jumra pani dekhne," which translates as, "Can't spot a buffalo on your own back but can clearly see a louse on someone else's."

Swagat Raj Pyakurel,
email

. Kunda Dixit's 'Running riot in Christiania' is an absolute joke. Is he trying to preach to us that if tyres are burnt in Denmark then it's perfectly fine to do the same in Nepal as well? Is he supporting the mockery the Maoists and political parties have let loose in Nepal? Or is he trying to brag that he has actually been to Denmark?

Name withheld,
email