A year of achievements and mishaps in Nepal in 2015

Dec 31, 2015- The eventful year 2015 witnessed accidents, natural disasters and political upheavals. The constitution was promulgated after seven years of protracted political disputes, yet it also triggered protests, deaths and unofficial blockade.

Here we start the story from January:
January

UCPN Maoist lawmaker Umesh Yadav picks up a chair during a protest in the Constituent Assembly following the move of CA Chairman Subas Nembang to allow a proposal for the formation of the Questionnaire Committee to work out the disputed issues of the new constitution before they are put to a vote on January 20, 2015. The tussle destroyed properties worth 3 million.

February

Two school girls Sangita Magar and Sima Basnet received severe burns while one escaped with minor injuries in an acid attack at a Basantapur-based tuition centre on February 22. Kathmandu District Court on December 20 sentenced 20-year-old BK, to 10 years in jail.

March

An Airbus A330 belonging to Turkish Airlines crash-landed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) after the plane missed the runway central line while landing at around 7:45am on March 4.

April


A deadly 7.9 magnitude quake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015 with its epicenter at Gorkha district. Altogether 8,673 people including 4,779 women, 3,893 women and one unidentified had lost their lives to the devastating earthquake, police confirmed. Death toll from the earthquake is 1,734 in the capital, 57 in eastern region, 6,430 in central region, 451 in western region and two in mid-western region.

Multiple avalanches caused by the earthquake on April 25 rumbled down an icefall and hit the mountaineering base camp, killing at least 17 climbers and injuring at least 37 others.

A total of 270 aftershocks over 4 Richter scale were recorded in a period of a month since April 25. The occurrence of aftershock has not stopped till date.

May

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal yet again on May 12 at 12:50 afternoon and its epicentre was at Kodari in Sindhupalchowk district. Even as the people were struggling to cope with the aftermath of the Great Earthquake of April 25, the 7.3 magnitude quake jolted on Tuesday further adding to the woes of already troubled victims.

June

A helicopter returning from Dolakha after distributing relief to earthquake victims crashed in Yamuna Danda VDC in Sindhupalchok district on June 2, killing all four onboard on June 2.

July

Hundreds of taxi drivers rallied in Kathmandu on July 29, demanding the government scrap its decision to add new taxis in the Valley. Around 1,000 taxis gathered in Khula Manch to press for their demands. The protesters were also against the government decision to discontinue the use of taxis more than 20 years old.

August

37-year old Monica Shahi became the first transgender in Nepal to acquire a passport under the ‘others’ category on August 10.

Notorious gangster Kumar Shrestha ‘Ghainte’ was gunned down by Nepal Police at Kapurdhara in Samakhusi on August 20.

At least eight people, mostly security personnel-including a Senior Superintendent of Police- and a two-year-old child died when a mob of protesters clashed with the police in Tikapur, Kailali on August 24.

Hundreds of dwellings in Bhaktapur and Thimi were inundated due to the flash flood following the torrential rain on August 27.

September

Chandra Bahadur Dangi of Dang, who held the Guinness World Record for being the shortest adult man on the planet, died aged 76 on September 7.

President Ram Baran Yadav promulgated the new Constitution at CA hall on September 20.

An unofficial blockade at border checkpoints between Nepal and India commenced on September 22.

October

People formed a human chain from Mechi to Mahakali along the Hulaki Highway as part of the Madhes agitation on October 1.

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli was elected the new Prime Minister of Nepal on October 11.

Five Nepal footballers including team skipper Sagar Thapa, arrested for their involvement in match fixing on October 14

UCPN (Maoist) candidate Onsari Gharti Magar was elected the first female House Speaker.

CPN (UML) Vice-Chair Bidhya Devi Bhandari was elected first female President of Republic Nepal.

Nanda Bahadur Pun was elected country’s Vice President.

November

Government began the sale of firewood as fuel after shortages of cooking gas.

Maggie Doyne was named CNN’s 2015 Hero of the Year on November 17 at a star-studded awards ceremony in New York, according to CNN.

December

The CIAA recommended the government suspend Armed Police Force chief, Kosh Raj Onta, for his alleged involvement in corruption on December 17.

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato was injured on December 26 in a clash between activists of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) and security personnel at Biratnagar-Jogbani border point in Morang district on December 26.

Source: Kathmandu Post

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