CHITWAN & MELAMCHI
Thank you for your double-barrelled editorial ('Harm reduction', #464) exposing the government's incompetence. I doubt if it will make any difference, though, because as you hint in your editorial both the Chitwan and Melamchi deals are lubricated by kickbacks and the decisions are never going to be rational.

Tashi Namgyal,
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* We really appreciate your leader on Chitwan. A clear voice of reason.

Many congratulations to you and Nepali Times.

Leela Chhetri,
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* I have followed the whole saga of the Chitwan resort controversy from the inside, and I'm afraid Nepal is committing tourism hara-kiri by letting this thing drag on. You probably couldn't be more explicit in your editorial than to say senior bureaucrats and the new ministers want 'a piece of the action', but let me spell it out to your readers that Nepal's tourism industry is being held hostage by a corrupt government and bureaucracy as well as rapacious private sector individuals who want control over the established resorts.

Ganesh Shrestha,
Chitwan

* While it might have been a bad idea to suddenly close down lodges inside the park, especially seeing their contribution towards promoting eco-tourism in Nepal, the government's move should not be viewed with such cynicism. These resorts need to adhere to strict guidelines to be able to operate inside the national park. However, that does not seem to be the case. If they have been sticking to the guidelines, then renewing their license should not be a problem. But perhaps these lodges have not been as earnest in their operations and thus they are creating the fuss.

Priya Joshi,
Kathmandu

ARMS AND THE MAN
The Guest Column by Kul Chandra Gautam ('Rollback violence', #460) about arms and their effect on society was well written and articulate. But, the idea that the development of a culture of criminality and armed violence is a side effect or by-product of the political development that have taken place over the past 12 years is wrong. Rather than being a side effect, armed violence and criminal behaviour was the hallmark of the so-called movement for democracy from its inception. When the Panchayat system was in place, no one would dream of possessing weapons. There was no fear of violence or chaos for ordinary people. Even the police were unarmed. The idea that the political changes in Nepal over the past couple of decades represent some sort of social progress or improvement is absurd. The situation has been deteriorating steadily since the 1980 protests began the unraveling of the Panchayat system and, finally, the decline of the monarchy. The mere existence of political parties and the holding elections is not sensible proof of positive progress. Nepal's political parties and their supporters only know how to disrupt society. They only know how to incite violence. The armed violence that is now prevalent in Nepal can be blamed squarely on the netas. The obvious link between the rise to power of political parties and the simultaneous catastrophic decline in civilised society in Nepal is something that should be seriously examined. His late Majesty Mahendra had very good reasons for exiling or imprisoning the political bosses and outlawing their parties.

Daniel Birch,
USA

ENERGY FROM GARBAGE
Ratna Sansar Shrestha's 'Sharing Water Resources'(#464) further illustrates how the years and years of dreaming that Nepal will become rich from its hydropower proves is yet more evidence that it was just that: a dream. The government has been talking about hydropower saving the nation for at least the 20 years, ignoring other possibilities. The major resource that could be turned into energy, that is found everywhere in Kathmandu these days, is garbage. Nepalis are ignoring what is right under their noses while pining away for hydropower that will never come. With global warming and Nepal's amazing glacial rivers too silty to be turned into hydropower without major problems, turning garbage into power is the way forward for Nepal. Check out: http://wasteage.com/mag waste_wastetoenergy_chicagoarea_facility/ and let's get moving on a new energy plan for Nepal, instead of sitting in the dark this winter.

'Jenny',
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