Over 6mn Nepalis living under poverty line
Kathmandu, May 28: Over 6 million Nepalis are still living under the poverty line, which is 21.6 per cent of the Himalayan nation's total population, a new report has revealed.
Unveiling the Economic Survey 2017-18 at parliament on Sunday, Nepal's Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada said despite reduction in poverty over the years, there has not been achievement in the area as expected, reports Xinhua news agency.
Nepal has taken a number of measures, including targeted programmes to alleviate poverty and create employment opportunities.
Nepal has been running various income generating activities and small community infrastructure targeting the poor households through Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF), an institution formed to run targeted programmes.
According to the Economic Survey, as many as 984,421 poor households have been benefited from the programmes launched by PAF in 60 out of 77 districts of the country.
Likewise, 44,810 youths were self-employed in the first eight months of the current fiscal year that began in mid-July 2017 under the Youth and Small Entrepreneur Self Employment Fund.
However, due to limited employment opportunities at home, around 4.3 million Nepalis have gone for foreign employment through formal or informal channels, stated the Economic Survey.
According to the Economic Survey, Nepal's economy is expected to grow by 5.9 per cent in the current fiscal year ending in mid-July. Nepal's average economic growth over the last one decade stood at 4.3 per cent.
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GRAP-III restrictions in Delhi as air quality remains 'severe' for third consecutive day
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi woke up to GRAP Stage III restrictions on Friday, as the city's air quality remained in the 'severe' category for the third consecutive day, prompting strict measures to curb pollution levels.
According to the Sameer aap , the Air Quality Index at 9 am was recorded in the 'severe' category (400 to 500), with a reading of 411.
The CAQM imposed GRAP Stage III as the national capital recorded the worst pollution levels in the country, with the air quality remaining in the 'severe' category for two consecutive days.
Prior to entering the 'severe' category, Delhi's air quality had been in the 'very poor ' range for 14 consecutive days.
It directed the authorities in Delhi-NCR to invoke curbs under stage III of the anti-pollution plan with immediate effect.
Curbs under Stage III include a ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
Under the Stage-IV restrictions of GRAP, all inter-state buses from NCR states 'except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buses' will be prohibited from entering Delhi, alongside a stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, consideration of shifting to online classes for students up to Class V and daily water sprinkling on major roads.
Meanwhile, out of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, a total of 27 stations recorded air quality in the 'severe' category, with readings above 400.
These stations include Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport, ITO, Jahangirpuri, Mandir Marg, Mundka, Najafgarh, Nehru Nagar, North Campus, Okhla Phase 2, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, RK Puram, Rohini, and several others.
The city recorded its lowest minimum temperature (night time temperature) of the season at 15.6 degree Celsius, 2.6 notches above normal, according to the weather department.
The night time temperature on Thursday was recorded at 16.1°C, the second highest of the season so far. A thick veil of fog blanketed the city, reducing visibility at Safdarjung to 400 meters at 7 am on Friday.
Humidity was recorded at 98 per cent at 8:30 am.
The weather department has forecast very dense fog for the day, with the maximum temperature expected to settle at 29 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, Delhi's air quality has been recorded as the worst in the country for the past two days.
