<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe379c7e80680e0a0c29jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1384" height="898"/><figcaption>MASKING THE TRUTH: Of the approximately 130 people in this photograph of the steps of the Nyatapola Temple during the Saparu festival on Monday, only 12 were not wearing masks properly. But experts warn that masks alone will not provide full protection from the delta variant, people must also avoid crowds like this. Photo: AMIT MACHAMASI / PHOTOSHOP BY KIRAN MAHARJAN</figcaption></figure>In January Nepal became the first country in South Asia to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-begins-covid-19-vaccination-drive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">start the Covid-19 vaccination drive</a>. Today, despite delays and a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/we-knew-the-tsunami-was-approaching/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">devastating second wave</a>, close to 15% of the population is fully inoculated.Recent surveys show that 97% of Nepalis would take the Covid vaccines if available. Used to pollution, mask wearing is also high among urban Nepalis.With minimal vaccine and mask resistance, Nepal should have by now had the pandemic under control. And although the spike in cases after the lockdown was partially lifted in July is flattening out, the daily <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-uneven-covid-19-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">death rate</a> is still high and the risk of a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/vaccines-variants-and-a-third-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new Covid-19 surge</a> is greater than before.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe3a9c7e80680e0a0c2ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2770" height="1348"><a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/global?view=cumulative-deaths&amp;tab=trend" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://covid19.healthdata.org/global?view%3Dcumulative-deaths%26tab%3Dtrend&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1630094210932000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvdeV1UA0KTyh-ILmgK3DYs64LZQ">Graph from IHME for Nepal</a> showing reported total fatalities from Covid-19 (orange line) and the estimated actual deaths counting excess fatalities including unreported cases (green line). For example, on 25 August, the reported total was 10,614, but the excess deaths from Covid-19 including unreported was projected at more than 37,000. If 90% of the population started wearing masks (green dotted line), nearly 6,000 Covid-19 deaths would be prevented by 31 December (red dotted line). Go to <a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/global?view=cumulative-deaths&amp;tab=trend" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://covid19.healthdata.org/global?view%3Dcumulative-deaths%26tab%3Dtrend&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1630094210932000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvdeV1UA0KTyh-ILmgK3DYs64LZQ">IHME</a><a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/global?view=cumulative-deaths&amp;tab=trend" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://covid19.healthdata.org/global?view%3Dcumulative-deaths%26tab%3Dtrend&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1630094210932000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvdeV1UA0KTyh-ILmgK3DYs64LZQ"> site for interactive Nepal graphs.</a>Source: The <a href="http://www.healthdata.org/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.healthdata.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1630094210932000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEWLI_7338oGit9sBT_Fq-Ut4iofA">Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)</a> an independent global health research center at the University of Washington.Experts say the vaccination drive appears to have created a false sense of security among those with jabs to believe that they are now fully immune to the coronavirus.Ironically, the government’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/no-vax-ask-for-mask/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promotion of masks</a> also may have been too successful – with many thinking it will protect them from the virus even if they crowd around. A case in point is the Saparu festival crowd in Bhaktapur earlier this week (pictured above).“If you are going to crowd in that way for an extended period there is no point in wearing a mask,” states epidemiologist Lhamo Yangchen Sherpa.“Many still don’t know that the virus transmission is through the airborne route, and we cannot be careless knowing how infectious the delta variant is and that the majority of the people are still unvaccinated, particularly children,” she adds.Masks and vaccines just reduce infections and serious symptoms, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/dying-to-get-vaccinated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">they are not foolproof</a>. And epidemiologists warn that available vaccines do not stop even those who are vaccinated from transmitting the virus.New studies have also shown that even the protection vaccines provide will be wearing off, so Nepalis with jabs will be needing third booster shots even before the eligible population is fully vaccinated.Covid-19 vaccines save lives by ensuring that infected people do not have serious symptoms, and do not require hospitalisation. But vaccinated people can be carriers at the same rate as those unvaccinated if they have been infected with a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/delta-variants-wake-up-call-for-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">delta variant</a>.“What I’m seeing now is a surge of overconfidence among younger people who are vaccinated, they are risking everyone else not yet vaccinated, especially as Dasain-Tihar nears,” says virologist Sher Bahadur Pun at Teku Hospital. “We are creating an ideal condition for the next surge or the third wave to take place.”Recent studies have shown that an individual infected with delta variant even if vaccinated can have a high viral load -- as high as that of an unvaccinated person. This means they can be carriers of the virus just like unvaccinated people.The real surge in Covid cases last year took place <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/this-years-dangerous-dasain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">after the festivals</a> when millions of Nepalis travelled from Kathmandu to their home villages and took the virus to the remotest corners of the country.This resulted in higher fatalities, especially in rural Nepal with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/rural-nepal-fights-back-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">limited health care facilities</a>.  A recent report found that despite fewer cases, Dolpa, Mugu and Humla districts had fatality rates of 7%, 6% and 5% respectively – compared to only 0.9% in Kathmandu.The delta variant and its higher transmissibility despite vaccinations have made the situation worse this time around. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/how-nepal-must-prepare-for-3rd-covid-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19 is here to stay</a>, and managing it requires behavioural change and taking safety measures such as hand washing, physical distancing and masking a necessary part of our lifestyle.Earlier this year, researchers at Yale and Stanford University ran a large-scale randomised controlled trial to identify a precise combination of strategies that are successful in changing mask-wearing habits.They found their <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/3-pronged-strategy-to-save-nepal-from-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NORM strategy</a> worked well. NORM stands for:- No cost masks distributed at scale- Offering information about mask-wearing- Reinforcement in public places by intercepting non-mask wearers- Modelling and endorsement by trusted leadersAfter a successful pilot trial in Lahore with 5 million people, NORM is being scaled up to cover the whole of Pakistan. The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) is aiming to reach 81 million people with NORM methods. In India, the program is being tried out in Gujarat and other states by the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/keep-wearing-masks-after-the-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mask-wearing</a> rates have tripled where NORM methods have been implemented, helping save thousands of lives. The campaign was launched earlier this month in Nepal in the densely populated urban centre of Thimi, Sunsari’s rural areas, and Melamchi which has been battered by earthquakes and floods.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe3d9c7e80680e0a0c2bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The plan is to distribute up to 450,000 masks through volunteers who go back to the community every 10 days to monitor progress in uptake. The pilot will be scaled up across the country with one million masks donated by Hanes, a US clothing brand arriving in Nepal shortly.The NORM pilot in South Asia is being funded by the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation and the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) has endorsed the campaign in Nepal.“We hope that the NORM mask-wearing approach will enable behaviour change throughout our nation and help to curb the negative effects of Covid-19,” says Brig Gen Arun Neupane, who heads the medical division of the CCMC.Preeti Adhikary of the NORMalizing Mask Project in Nepal says the campaign has been received well, with many more local governments willing to participate.She says: “Despite the vaccine rollout there is still a lot of uncertainty. So we must educate the public that even after vaccination we must follow safety protocols, which only comes with behavioural change which is what we are trying to do.”_________________<h2>How to get QR coded vaccine certificates</h2>Vaccine certificates are now the new passports for international travel, much like in the past when passengers from certain countries were required to present the WHO-approved yellow cards at airports.This month, there were <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-queueing-up-all-night-for-proof-of-jab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long queues of migrant workers </a>at Teku hospital waiting for rubber-stamped papers to certify vaccination before they flew off to destination countries. The letter did not have a digitally-registered QR code, and risked being invalid.This finally prompted the Health Ministry to set up an online application with photo, ID, vaccination card and a self-declaration form for a scannable <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepali-workers-queue-up-for-qr-codes/">digital vaccine certificate</a> accessible with encrypted link and QR code acceptable internationally.The QR code is linked to the officially-authorised database hosted and managed by the Health Ministry so the system is authenticated.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141136/636cfe409c7e80680e0a0c2cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="800">WHO Nepal has been helping the Health Ministry with technical support on the digitisation of vaccination records to ensure that no one is left behind from accessing the Covid-19 vaccination and facilitating the equitable allocation of Covid-19 vaccine.The WHO support includes training, design and development of the ministry’s software system and IT equipment, and electronic vaccination registration system in seven selected municipalities in seven provinces.Vaccination digitisation can be done in three ways: pre-registration, on-site registration and post digitisation. Pre and on-site registration are used for digitisation of new vaccination records whereas post digitisation will be used for the digitisation of people who are already vaccinated and have certificate cards.“Recordkeeping is important to ensure that there is no duplication but measures must be taken so that there is no crowding at the vaccination centres, turning them into breeding grounds for the virus,” says a virologist at Teku Hospital Sher Bahadur Pun. “We need more vaccination centres and safety protocols must be implemented strictly at every booth.”Public health experts say the digitisation can help control the pandemic in the long run if properly implemented, since the documentation will assist in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/once-nepal-gets-vaccines-they-need-to-be-fairly-distributed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vaccine equity</a> as the inoculation drive gains pace.Epidemiologist Lhamo Yangchen Sherpa says that online registration is important in reducing crowds at vaccination centres. But, she adds, “Since this is more applicable in areas with Internet access and for people with a smartphone, SMS with individual inoculation timing might be more effective.”To register for online vaccine certificate, visit the <a href="https://vaccine.mohp.gov.np/public-request-form">website</a>: https://vaccine.mohp.gov.np/public-request-form

Sonia Awale

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Behind the masks

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93ad9c7e80680e06f1bajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"/><figcaption>Photos: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>After nearly two months, the lockdown in Kathmandu Valley has been relaxed after the number of infections started to go down, but public health experts warn of a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/learning-to-live-with-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">surge</a> if precautions are not followed.In fact, the infection rate has not come down compared to the start of the lockdown on 29 April. At that time, only 10 people across the country had died of Covid-19, whereas on Monday 46 people did. The total active cases was more than 54,000 this week, whereas it was less than 30,000 two months ago.Despite this, keeping the economic impact of the lockdown in mind, the government loosened restrictions, allowing odd-even private vehicles on the roads, shops to open on alternate days. And although the government has now allowed limited regular international flights to and from Kathmandu, public transport and domestic flights have still not been allowed.“It is true things are not as bad as in April-May, but the danger is still there, the delta virus is still there and it is infecting and killing people,” says Anup Bastola, a physician treating Covid-19 patients. “I fear there is a danger that a lot more people are going to be infected.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93b19c7e80680e06f1bbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1398" height="712"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93b49c7e80680e06f1bcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1406" height="738"><figcaption>Source: www.worldometers.info</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/what-can-we-do-till-vaccines-arrive/">What can we do till vaccines arrive?</a> Mushfiq Mobarak, Maha Rehman, Satchit Balsari Bastola says what raises alarms is that most Covid-19 patients during the second wave have the delta variant, only 3% of the population has been fully vaccinated, and carelessness in following protocols could lead to a new surge.Till this week, 2.5 million people had got their first dose of Covishield or VeroCell vaccines, and only 731,653 had got both doses. There are doubts about when people are going to get their second doses, and complete uncertainty about when the remaining 20 million or so eligible population can get their jabs.A level of complacency appears to have set in among the public in Kathmandu, and a weariness with the prolonged shut down. A recent survey showed that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/half-of-nepalis-lost-jobs-in-past-month/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than half of employed people in Nepal had lost their jobs</a> during this lockdown, and there are fears of widespread hunger and poverty.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93b79c7e80680e06f1bdjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93ba9c7e80680e06f1bejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93be9c7e80680e06f1bfjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93c19c7e80680e06f1c0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93c49c7e80680e06f1c1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93c79c7e80680e06f1c2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364">“We had no choice, people have lost their livelihoods and life has become really difficult for people, that is why we had to relax the restriction,” says Kathmandu district chief Dhundi Niraula. “But we are hoping that everyone will take the virus seriously and adopt precautions.”This does not convince public health experts like Baburam Marasini, who says the official figures for infections and deaths are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-covid-19-impact-worse-than-official-figures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grossly underestimated</a>, and that the virus is still spreading in the community.“Maybe it is easier to get beds in hospitals and oxygen now, but this does not mean things are normal,” he says. “In fact, even if the lockdown has been relaxed, we have to keep on behaving as if we are in lockdown, and not venture out unless absolutely necessary, and when we do to mask up and maintain distance.”However, going by the crowds in Kathmandu markets and the increased traffic at major intersections on Tuesday, it did not look like people were taking the precautions very seriously. Most other districts except Khotang and Morang are loosening their restrictions, following Kathmandu’s example. But increased inter-district movement will make it easier for the virus to spread.Warns Bastola: “You have protected yourself for more than a year, why do you want to risk your life now?”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/keep-wearing-masks-after-the-lockdown/">After lockdown, we will need masks more than ever</a>, Tom Robertson

Kathmandu Covid-19 lockdown relaxed

<figure><img width="1050" height="626" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121144/636ce4109c7e80680e09668ajpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Nepalis crossing the border into the country last year through the Gauriphanta checkpost in Dhangadi, Far Western Nepal. Photos: DINESH KHABAR</figcaption></figure>India reported over 100,000 new cases on a single day for the first time on Monday, putting neighbouring Nepal on high alert. A repeat of what happened exactly a year ago seems likely, as imported cases from the southern neighbour led to rapid community spread.Nepal shares a 1,770km long porous border with India and migrant workers are returning home in large numbers, as some of the most affected Maharastra, Karnataka and New Delhi announce lockdowns and curfews. Experts say just like April 2020, it may not be long before Nepal will also see its second wave since what happens in India directly impacts Nepal. Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi told Parliament on Monday that Nepal could see a surge of new cases by May.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-india-connection-in-nepals-covid-19-status/">The India connection in Nepal’s COVID-19 status</a>, Nepali Times <figure><img width="1463" height="759" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121144/636ce4129c7e80680e09668bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Daily Covid-19 cases in India (above) and Nepal (below). Source: WORLDOMETERS.INFO</figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1411" height="754" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121144/636ce4159c7e80680e09668cjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>While Nepal is experiencing a déjà vu with a repeat of the situation, the major difference from last year is that there is no lockdown at the moment. People are out and about in the markets and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/oli-vs-dahal-1-upmanship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">holding political rallies</a>, while many have stopped wearing masks, or even keeping safe distance. This time, it does not seem to be the state that is uncaring, but the people. “Nepalis have a short-term memory and have already forgotten what we went through a year ago,” says epidemiologist Lhamo Yangchen Sherpa. “By this point, we should have learned our lessons, but unfortunately, people are back to crowding and are not even wearing masks.”Last week, Kathmandu’s youth were out in thousands at Basantapur Square to collectively celebrate Phagu Purnima as if there was no health crisis at all, even though India was already seeing a worrying rise. Adding to Nepal’s woes is a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/thick-haze-adds-to-nepal-covid-19-woes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shroud of smoke from wildfires</a> that have covered the country with hazardous levels of air pollution for the past two weeks. With no sign of rain in the forecast, there does not seem to be an end in sight to the bad air.For the past 48 hours Kathmandu has recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements above 300, aggravating the health of those with respiratory problems, including Covid-19 patients.Locals in Bhaktapur on Monday took to the streets to protest the cancellation of the Biska Jatra in Bhaktapur, saying they should be allowed to go ahead since political rallies and international football matches have been allowed to go ahead. <figure><img width="750" height="500" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121144/636ce4189c7e80680e09668djpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Locals in Bhaktapur protest against the District Administration Office’s decision to cancel this year’s Biska Jatra. Photo: AMIT MACHAMASI</figcaption></figure>To make matters worse, there are only about 3,000 PCR tests being done, and contact tracing has been all but abandoned. Nepal was pinning its hopes on its <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-fights-infodemic-to-push-vaccine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">early vaccination drive</a> but after 1.6 million people had been inoculated, there is uncertainty even for second doses because of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/despite-doubts-nepal-sticks-with-astrazeneca-jabs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian ban on export of Covishield</a>.Nepal has 500,000 doses of Covidshield in the stock, just sufficient to provide a second dose for individuals who inoculated in the first phase. Nepal Army has additional 100,000 doses <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-gift-of-the-jab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gifted</a> by the Indian Army.  There is another 800,000 doses of Sinopharm from the Chinese government.Says Sherpa: “We sound like a broken record now, but we have to keep reminding people to wear a mask, wash hands and maintain physical distance. Vaccinate if possible, continue contact tracing and testing, particularly at the border.”Public health experts agree that there have to be tests at the Indian border, and those testing positive or with symptoms should be quarantined. However, they also admit that the border is open and returnees could easily bypass the official border checkpoints, as was the case last year.“We saw how Nepalis desperate to get home swam across the border river to cross over from India, that is why local governments must monitor those who have returned from India and strictly enforce a 10-day quarantine on them, and allow them out only after PCR tests,” says epidemiologist Sher Bahadur Pun. “If local governments act now, we can control the second wave.”Sameer Mani Dixit of the Centre for Molecular Dynamics agrees, but says everyone coming form India should be tested and be under mandatory five-day monitored quarantine. “Since cases are rising rapidly in India, I see the possibility of a surge in the Tarai first, but as it is not possible to test everyone at the border, it should be the responsibility of local governments to keep returnees under observation for five days,” he says. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-relaxes-entry-for-tourists/">Nepal relaxes entry for tourists</a>, Nepali Times

Nepal braces for its 2nd Covid wave

<img width="944" height="629" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111152/636cd8a89c7e80680e092e54jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Next week marks one year since <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/24-march-24-august-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/24-march-24-august-2020/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFvLAfq3m19YW1604I7dz3U9jEOuw">Nepal was completely shut down</a> to stop the spread of Covid-19. On 24 March 2020, after only the second infection was detected in a traveller from Europe, the country ground to a halt.The first lockdown lasted till 21 July, and although the number of positive cases had exceeded 18,000 by then and there had been 40 fatalities, travel restrictions were eased. The pandemic was raging in India, and the virus spread mainly through <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-and-india-stop-nationals-in-each-others-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-and-india-stop-nationals-in-each-others-countries/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEaUFpNllqcDKbDzl7sR9nw95DD9g">returning workers </a>from the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-tarai-reels-under-covid-19-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-tarai-reels-under-covid-19-lockdown/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHaAVbMKzek5cNM9U6RhtnQ-QQoxg">Tarai cities </a>to the mountain districts, and then through <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/returnees-may-be-taking-coronavirus-to-rural-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/returnees-may-be-taking-coronavirus-to-rural-nepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGLuS6fMo2pCqtjN1B7wLvVN3ZUVw">community dissemination</a>.After that, there was another lockdown but it was lifted just before the festival season, leading to a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/this-years-dangerous-dasain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/this-years-dangerous-dasain/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEdgmYlztnbBK-ad75IbQInV8z_Kg">sharp spike in cases and fatalities in October</a>. The daily caseload peaked at 5,700, and the deaths every day hit a high of 40-45 in November. (see figures) <img width="1904" height="966" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111152/636cd8aa9c7e80680e092e55jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="1902" height="946" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111152/636cd8ad9c7e80680e092e56jpeg.jpg" alt="">Thereafter, the the positivity rate, patients in ICU, as well as the total daily fatalities declined steadily. Out of the 3,311 PCR tests done in a 24-hour period on 14-15 March, there were only 79 positives. There have been many days this month with no Covid-19 deaths reported. The number of active cases nationwide is now below 900.Looking around Kathmandu Valley today, and even more so in the outlying districts, it seems as if Nepalis think the pandemic is over. It could be due to desperation of people to return to their normal livelihoods, the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/next-up-for-vaccines-elderly-nepalis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/next-up-for-vaccines-elderly-nepalis/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFp9FPNA71QeI_bGRgu_WdbEH_gfw">prospect of vaccines</a>, and news of the decline in infections. Nepalis are letting their guard down.We should not. The aggressive resurgence of the coronavirus in parts of India in the past two weeks should be a warning that we are not out of the woods yet. India recorded nearly 27,000 new cases on Monday, the highest single-day spike since December. Daily deaths have also climbed steadily and are back to a daily average of 115.Most of the daily cases in India’s second wave have been in the western state of Maharastra, especially parts of Mumbai and cities like Nagpur where there are now lockdowns. In December, public health experts were puzzled by the sharp decline in caseloads in India and Nepal and were trying find an explanation for it. The two countries were bucking the global trend, and despite crowded living conditions, poor surveillance and a return to normal life, the daily cases and deaths kept going down.Epidemiologists zeroed in on the first signs of ‘herd immunity’ — the virus was not spreading as fast because a sizeable percentage of the population already carried antibodies from previous exposure to the virus. Because the virus spread so rapidly and rampantly across India in mid-2020, it seemed to have burned itself out. However, the new surge is worrying because it means the virus is fighting back perhaps with local variants, as well as exploiting the tendency for people once more to move about without precautions.Indeed, pandemic fatigue has driven people out of their homes, crowded suburban trains had resumed services in Mumbai, and with the arrival of vaccines people had started becoming careless again. Although surveys have shown that half the residents of crowded cities like Delhi and Mumbai may have antibodies, the other half that does not is vulnerable. The new variants from Brazil, Britain and South Africa have also been detected.All this should set <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-braces-for-new-wave-with-vaccine-drive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-braces-for-new-wave-with-vaccine-drive/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFiKgmdkKLbtrtvg8lPbAiDK3_4QA">alarm bells ringing in Nepal.</a> Something was protecting both Indians and Nepalis at the beginning of the pandemic in April-May last year, and there was a false sense of security that South Asians may be less susceptible. That was proven to be wrong. Now, once more, there is complacency that herd immunity will protect us. That may also be a wrong assumption.Epidemiologically, Nepal tracks India. So, health authorities here have to watch trends in India carefully, especially since there are so many Nepalis in the affected states who travel home regularly. We should also monitor the infection rates in bordering Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. So far, although the total cases have risen in India, there has not been an increase in the number of deaths. That is good news, and may mean the virus variant is weaker.But if it does spread, we could easily see a repeat of the virus penetrating the southern border that we saw last year. From Kakarbhitta in the east to Banbasa in the west this week, there are long lines of Nepalis waiting to enter India, but the flow of people into Nepal is unrestricted and unmonitored.The other reason to be wary is that whatever conditions led to the new surge of Covid-19 in India also exist in Nepal: people not adhering to physical distancing and mask wearing and moving about as if the crisis is over. There has been a slight uptick of active cases in Nepal: after dropping to 736 on 1 March, it has gone up to nearly 900 again.The government’s health communications should be moving in high gear: warning people that the virus is still around and is a threat, to continue mask-wearing and avoiding crowds, as well as to<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-fights-infodemic-to-push-vaccine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-fights-infodemic-to-push-vaccine/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1615957656000000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF1o4PEh1LSd213OT4_3n99xHs18Q"> encourage people to take the vaccine doses</a>. After all, it is always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

It’s not over yet

International Mountain Day on 11 December should inspire celebration, not cynicism. It follows &nbsp;a small but rare diplomatic win: the agreement at COP30 in Belém to hold a dedicated global dialogue on mountains in 2026, and to include mountain-specific indicators in the new climate adaptation framework.&nbsp;
A welcome shift, certainly. But the old narrative lingers — mountains are fragile, disaster-prone, eternally vulnerable. But the uncomfortable truth is that safe and environment-friendly development in the mountains is simply too expensive than anyone wants to admit.
To build a kilometre of two-lane highway in the Tarai costs Rs200 million. That same kilometre on a Himalayan slope with retaining walls, drainage, bioengineering, and landslide protection costs more than Rs1 billion. Add tunnels, viaducts or highways designed for minimum 80km/h speeds and that figure can easily triple.
This pattern repeats across all sectors. A 50MW run-of-river hydropower plant that costs $80 million in low-ling valleys costs four times more in the mountains. The headrace tunnels have to be longer, desanding basins must trap the silt, the access roads cost more than the entire project. And there is no way to prevent the scheme from being washed away by a glacial collapse flood.
Nepal's annual road budget is only Rs150 billion. It is scattered thinly across 753 municipalities, most of them perched on steep, unstable slopes. When resources are inadequate and political cycles are short, the incentives for corruption are predictable &nbsp;— shaving a mountain flank at 70 degrees instead of 45, taking a shortcut on drainage canals, skimping on asphalt thickness, or skipping the Gabion.
In high Nepal, the bulldozer is the engineer. We hang on the prayer that the monsoon will be merciful. July arrives, and reality returns. Mountains fall on roads, flash floods wash away swathes of expensive highways.
The entrance to the Siddhababa Tunnel in Palpa collapses yet again. The Nagdhunga Tunnel faces another landslide delay. The Melamchi headworks go under — again. Each failure costs more to repair than proper engineering would have cost when that infrastructure was built.
We are not just paying once. We the taxpayers are signing up for a subscription to disaster. The real fragility of Nepal’s mountains is of governance, not geology.
This is what the international climate conversation habitually misses. Mountain communities are repeatedly told to ‘respect nature’ and avoid linear infrastructure, often by the same countries proudly announcing new expressways and airports in their own countries.
Mountain people are not anti-development. They want what everyone else wants: electricity that does not flicker, roads that survive the monsoon, schools their children can reach in winter. What they lack is not aspiration, it is the budget required to build things safely that is not stolen by politicians and their crony contractors.
If the world truly wants to protect the Himalaya, Andes or Alps, and the billions who rely on them for water, the answer is not more romantic slogans about fragility of the mountains. It is concessional, patient financing that narrows the gap between cheap and dangerous versus expensive and resilient. And it is transparent government that spends that money wisely.
This means money for tunnels instead of unstable surface cuts. Money for bioengineered slopes instead of naked bulldozer scars. Money for hydropower built for 1-in-100-year floods, not 1-in-25-year budgets.&nbsp;
This is not charity. Mountain infrastructure safeguards global water, carbon, energy and biodiversity systems. It is a global public good, and should be financed as such.&nbsp;
In Syangja, small investments under the Climate Adaptive Equitable Water Management Practices have restored nine community ponds, protected recharge zones and increased dry-season spring flow by about a third. All of this for less than the cost of repairing a single kilometre of poorly built hillside road after the next landslide.
Our experience from the Subnational Governance Programme (SNGP) in some districts of mountains and plains show that when municipalities receive practical guidance backed by scientific research, they can scale these solutions with modest, targeted budgets. Local governments are not the problem — they are the missing link. &nbsp;
The tragedy is not technical incapacity; it is chronic under-financing of the most cost-intensive terrain on earth. Lets stop romanticising mountain poverty on 11 December, International Mountain Day. Let us retire the language of fragility that excuses inaction.
Mountains are not pleading for sympathy. They are demanding fairness: that the true cost of safe development in the world’s steepest geographies be acknowledged and shared. Until that bill is paid, the monsoon will continue to do the accounting, one landslide, one road, one abandoned promise at a time.
Ngamindra Dahal is a water and climate adaptation practitioner based at the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, Kathmandu.

The Himalaya is not fragile

This is the 76th episode of Diaspora Diaries, a Nepali Times series in collaboration with Migration Lab providing a platform to share experiences of living, working and studying abroad. We did not have a whole lot, but did not grow up in scarcity either. When I was in Grade 7, my father migrated to Malaysia but returned just after 18 days and was heavily in debt. It is the interest and not the principal from loan sharks that ruins borrowers. As we grew up, family expenses rose and my father migrated again to Qatar, determined to make it work this time. I used to watch him via IMO in buildings under construction eating rice out of plastic bags. There was no AC, no oven, no shade. Those images are etched into my memory.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251208081244_3f46ccdd1fab8f85ccce9fc8bec677cb7466a1b9556f36d0f92d19c6478369b6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20251208081244_3f46ccdd1fab8f85ccce9fc8bec677cb7466a1b9556f36d0f92d19c6478369b6" data-rendition-name="original" width="600" height="800" loading="lazy" alt="Diaspora Diaries 76"> <figcaption>Family picture from 2014 sent to Anil's father who was working in Qatar.</figcaption> </figure>  After Grade 10, I was encouraged to take up computers in +2 as I was a bright student. I did not have access to a computer, and the 30 minutes we got weekly at the computer lab was just not enough. My parents could not afford to buy a computer, but a friend had both a desktop and laptop at home.&nbsp; I did his homework in exchange for using his computer. When my father in Qatar, found out he bought me a laptop. Today, a decade later, I am still using it. Maybe I valued the computer more because it was bought with my father’s sweat. The laptop reminds me of how he toiled overseas.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251208081240_2b3dc0b903d0b01caf875b5f50c22053aa28097b405cf14f36c6324a93f5dfef.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20251208081240_2b3dc0b903d0b01caf875b5f50c22053aa28097b405cf14f36c6324a93f5dfef" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Diaspora Diaries 76"> <figcaption>Anil still uses the laptop his father bought him ten years ago.</figcaption> </figure>  The money he sent home did help with household expenses. My mother did tailoring, although the income was not stable. After my father returned from Qatar, we he bought a three-wheeler which he still uses in Makwanpur. After completing Grade 12, I came to college in Kathmandu to study IT. It cost Rs20,000 a month in tuition, rent and food just to survive. I could not complete my bachelor’s. Although my father kept saying, “Don’t worry, I am here,” he just did not have the money to pay for me. So, I took up a data entry job which helped cover living expenses. The pandemic meant my father could not earn money from his auto-rickshaw. We had no savings and had outstanding loans. Migration was the only way to get us out of the rut. I told my father that both of us should go abroad to earn some money. He could return earlier and I would stay on.&nbsp; My father agreed, and I visited recruiting agencies with both our passports. After reviewing our CVs, they said it was easy to find jobs for my father but not for me, given my educational background and my experience in software. “How can we send you for jobs as a cleaner or security guard?” they asked. I finally found a job in Romania, and decided to have my father stay back because going to Europe would have doubled the cost. My mother and sister came to see me off at Kathmandu airport. It felt just like my father leaving for Qatar many years ago. Perhaps some day, my brother would also leave in a similar manner, I thought.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251208081240_c1a00b70223f048e994e1cab7c0e6cd6944c4a2f3f7740b0a8e76921da9d23f0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20251208081240_c1a00b70223f048e994e1cab7c0e6cd6944c4a2f3f7740b0a8e76921da9d23f0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Diaspora Diaries 76"> <figcaption>Anil's sister hugging him at the airport before he left for Romania.</figcaption> </figure>  In Romania, I work in a factory making car seat belts. It is not physically demanding and it is indoors. Even though I did not share it with my family, the initial period was difficult as I had no experience standing and working for so many hours at a time. Once, when I was tired at work, I wondered how my father managed in Qatar in a much more physically taxing job. Here I was not carrying heavy loads, my work was not outdoors. I was so emotional, I wrote a ghazal in my head. The words “खाडीको तातो घाम” kept repeating in my head. After work, I jotted down the verse in my diary:&nbsp; बुवा, तपाई जस्तो बन्न म सक्दै सक्दिनँ Father, I cannot become like you कति गाह्रो छ, म भन्नै सक्दिनँ I cannot imagine how hard it is म मान्छे हेर्दा मात्रै ठूलो I only look like a grown man बानी अझै बच्चै छ But I am still childish किनकि जता त्यतै जान मन लाग्छ I feel like roaming around जे देख्यो त्यो खान मन लाग्छ Eat whatever I see. न पैसा बच्छ I cannot save. न खाएको कुरा सबै पच्छ The food doesn’t agree with me&nbsp; कहिले काहीँ त मलाई म्याकडोनाल्डको बर्गर पनि पच्दैन Not even a burger at McDonalds तर प्लास्टिकमा पोको परेको त्यो चिसो भात But how did my father eat that cold rice खाडीको त्यो तातो घाममा सेक्दै खाँदा मेरो बुवालाई कसरी पच्छ? Under the hot Gulf sun? मेरो पेटले यस्तो पचाउन सक्दै सक्दैन I would not be able to eat that. बुवा, तपाई जस्तो बन्न म सक्दै सक्दिनँ Father, I cannot be like you. कति गाह्रो छ, म भन्नै सक्दिनँ I cannot say how difficult it is.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251208081240_51eb68a130750f1c79ab1046406a5b940c780ebd87cfff5ff6861d3287bd69c0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20251208081240_51eb68a130750f1c79ab1046406a5b940c780ebd87cfff5ff6861d3287bd69c0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Diaspora Diaries 76"> <figcaption>Anil Gole's diary entry of his ghazal compares his migration with his father’s journey.</figcaption> </figure>  I posted it online, and it went viral. But more importantly, people found the words relatable and engaging. My sister first saw it on Tiktok and shared it with my mother. It moved them to tears while my father kept watching it on repeat, deep in thought. Even though my birth father decided to leave my mother when I was less than a year old, my step father never made me feel the absence of anything. My friend from Grade 6 in Makwanpur, Sharan, introduced me to ghazal. He was six years older because he had to pause his studies during the Maoist conflict. He worked in a brick factory in Kathmandu, saved money, and returned to school. He was very talented and we became friends through the school children’s club.&nbsp; Sharan and I spent most of our time together, sharing meals to save money and even skipping classes. One day, in Grade 9 when our teacher was absent, he wrote a ghazal on the spot and explained the form, the rhyme, the meter. I listened half-heartedly as it was not of interest. We left it at that. Shortly after, Sharan was diagnosed with leukemia and he could not finish exam. Because he was a sharp student, the teachers decided to not hold him back. He died just before Grade 10. I cried. I do not have any pictures of Sharan. He had small ears, and I used to tease him that people with small ears do not live long. That still haunts me. <div class="embed-block"><div style="max-width: 56vh;"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 177.7778%;"><iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2Fshorts%2FLpizGQWTbMs%3Ffeature%3Dshare&key=87ca3314a9fa775b5c3a7726100694b0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;"></iframe></div></div></div> At the school assembly at the start of the new year, we were asked to share a talent. I did not know what to do, but I wrote a ghazal just as Sharan had taught me and dedicated it to him. Halfway through, I started crying and the principal took me to his office and calmed me down.&nbsp; I do not write much poetry except a few posts on social media here and there. But a video of me reciting went viral on TikTok and that encouraged me to write more. That made me feel validated, and I began writing more about real life experiences. It has been three years in Romania. My brother will also be joining me soon. Things have improved for us financially, but we are not where we want to be. We will get there. When we do, I will resume my studies. I’m interested in programming, especially back-end development and working with databases. It is on hold right now.&nbsp; I do not have big dreams, I just want to make sure my parents get what they deserve. It is okay if I get delayed if my parents are able to access what they had scarified for us when they were of my age. For now, my family is my priority.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251208081240_9e8d3cad3b505d3ec5adcea94ed05b2ea9de1d2cd8507335eec86c2659a11b34.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20251208081240_9e8d3cad3b505d3ec5adcea94ed05b2ea9de1d2cd8507335eec86c2659a11b34" data-rendition-name="original" width="2016" height="1512" loading="lazy" alt="Diaspora Diaries 76"> <figcaption>Anil's family.</figcaption> </figure>

My father’s son

Nepal’s month-long cricket carnival ended on a sunny Saturday in Kathmandu with a final game in which the Lumbini Lions dominated the Sudurpaschim Royals with both bat and ball.&nbsp; The Royals were bowled out for an embarrassing 85, thanks to Namibian Ruben Trumplemann’s three wickets for three runs, and captain Rohit Paudel’s hat-trick in the eleventh over. Only opener Ishan Pandey’s 33 run-innings was of any note.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025121315120_ced9258f9503a03fe53760d5ff420136ea9cfbaf3001512399ec5cafeef25364.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2025121315120_ced9258f9503a03fe53760d5ff420136ea9cfbaf3001512399ec5cafeef25364" data-rendition-name="original" width="1366" height="909" loading="lazy" alt="NPL 2"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251213141232_0b712b438a97b49747029e4b3884b0eeba8ec0ff0bfbc5fd3d61cbb2002a16c2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20251213141232_0b712b438a97b49747029e4b3884b0eeba8ec0ff0bfbc5fd3d61cbb2002a16c2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1345" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="NPL 2"> </figure>  The Lions came out with virtually no pressure on them, and Dinesh Adhikari’s 42 off 13 including 27 off the first over bowled by Dipendra Singh Airee won the match. Rohit Paudel came in to finish the match calmly, with 11 overs to spare, scoring two stylish fours and a six before holing out with the Lions on 83.&nbsp; The Lions took comically long to get the final two runs to win the game, losing one more wicket. But it was merely a matter of time, and a single ended the Royal’s misery.&nbsp; As dusk fell, the big fluffy lion mascot was on the field dapping up the Lions as red fireworks went off and Lumbini fans leaped from their seats in the packed stands.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251213141232_ba4c4fde1865c583cf324d253563a0fc96002c31e8381ee85850f71c67515ea9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20251213141232_ba4c4fde1865c583cf324d253563a0fc96002c31e8381ee85850f71c67515ea9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="NPL 2"> </figure>  This capped off an incredible run from the Lions who had finished dead last in NPL Season 1, and had only one win and three losses after four games. They won the remaining three, finishing fourth, barely qualifying.&nbsp; This meant that they had to play an eliminator last week against the Kathmandu Gorkhas and then a qualifier against the popular Biratnagar Kings, whose squad included Sandeep Lamichhane, Faf du Plessis, and Martin Guptill. They won both in style. For the Royals, however, this was the second disappointing final in a row after being the best team in the group stage in both seasons of the NPL. National team batsman Binod Bhandari had had an excellent tournament for the Royals, but was in tears at having come this far again and fallen short.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251213141228_a90fd0afaeec366416efe314464d6b1152bd9cca011346b77914c2037b6b156e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20251213141228_a90fd0afaeec366416efe314464d6b1152bd9cca011346b77914c2037b6b156e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1366" loading="lazy" alt="NPL 2"> </figure>  Despite the final being disappointingly less action-packed for the neutral viewer, the final marked the second successful execution of the NPL. The addition of seats and floodlights at the TU Cricket Stadium overlooking Kathmandu made evening games possible and improved the experience for fans.&nbsp; The floodlights also made for some gorgeous photography as the sun set behind Chandragiri, illuminating the Himalaya to the north in gradually fading shades of orange.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251205041256_280bea0db1d097c88d478f5ba7197b5e2faa05623ebf9c0438af46d85bdb891e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20251205041256_280bea0db1d097c88d478f5ba7197b5e2faa05623ebf9c0438af46d85bdb891e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1366" height="911" loading="lazy" alt="Cricket carnival NT"> <figcaption>Photo: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption> </figure>  Adam Rossington’s 323 runs, including a century, and Sandeep Lamichhane’s 17 wickets were the standout individual performances across the tournament in the past month.&nbsp; The tournament brought out characters much loved by the vociferous crowd, including ‘Taklu’ Irish commentator Andrew Leonard who worked in a Dhaka Topi, British presenter Jess Crowe who donned a Sari for the final, and Chitwan Rhinos’ charismatic mascot Mr Gaida who entertained the crowd with enthusiastic nonstop dancing.&nbsp; The tournament was such a draw that the university grounds looked like a carnival with food and merchandise stalls. The capacity 10,000 stadium drew such a crowd that Kathmandu streets were relatively quiet on Saturday with people also watching the game live on tv at home.&nbsp; Kathmandu’s residents were genuinely delighted at being able to talk about <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/cricket-carnival">a Nepali cricket tournament</a>, and not about the Indian or English Premier Leagues. And while everyone appreciated the cricket no matter who was playing, fans showed up for their provinces in loud numbers.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251205041256_e96211da042ec3043940f2feca4cd59dd00351af41a4ca029169871f69f51957.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20251205041256_e96211da042ec3043940f2feca4cd59dd00351af41a4ca029169871f69f51957" data-rendition-name="original" width="1366" height="911" loading="lazy" alt="Cricket carnival NT"> <figcaption>Photo: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption> </figure>  The organisers having proven themselves, future NPLs may need more stadiums in other provinces, even better overseas players.&nbsp; Sambhav Sirohiya of the Kathmandu Media Group ambitiously tweeted that he believes that the league could already become the second most valuable franchise cricket league NEXT SEASON, especially if the government would loosen up its regulations of advertising, especially that of alcohol. Nepali cricketers and fans are now better prepared for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February, with the experience of playing in the NPL and with the access to world-class cricket talent and seeing how they go about excelling at the sport.&nbsp;

Lumbini gets the lion’s share

Singha Bahadur Lama worked for six years in Malaysia, but back home in Nepal he is now earning more than he ever did overseas. Here in his village 60km east of Kathmandu, Lama now harvests Buddhachitta seeds from sacred trees that grow in the mountains, and turns them into prayer bead necklaces revered in Tibetan Buddhism. The Buddhachitta tree (Ziziphus budhensis) is indigenous to Nepal and grows in the mountains of Kavre district, and demand boomed after the Dalai Lama proclaimed that the seeds found in Nepal were the best. People from Kavre had gone to Bodh Gaya 12 years ago and presented the Dalai Lama with Buddhachitta prayer beads. Not long after, while speaking in Taiwan the Dalai Lama told followers that the seeds from Nepal had special powers.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251209141220_dd1fddffc2f22652f57b0fdebe5d0612aa48c79c1e5c1a82da10b1d0a0af69b8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20251209141220_dd1fddffc2f22652f57b0fdebe5d0612aa48c79c1e5c1a82da10b1d0a0af69b8" data-rendition-name="original" width="737" height="536" loading="lazy" alt="Buddhachitta NT"> </figure>  Lama shows a visiting journalist different types of Buddhachitta seeds. Single-faced beads are the rarest and most valuable, as are the smallest 8mm beads. A prayer necklace made of 108 beads would easily cost Rs1.5 million (over $10,630). “We cannot say if our trees will give smaller beads or even how many faces or clear eyes, it’s all natural,” says Lama, who now works as a consultant, advising people all over Nepal about planting the tree, and has since spread it across the country. Four years ago, a Chinese middleman made 7mm plastic cups to cover the seeds, hoping the trees would produce smaller pods. It did not work, and the trees died. Such is the demand for high-quality Buddhachitta beads that a group of 20 men employed by a Chinese dealer cut down a tree along the Rosi River last year. The harvest from that tree had made $212,600 the year before. With that kind of price, the trees are in danger of being chopped down. &nbsp; Lama himself used to make Rs10 million ($70,880) from the seeds of each tree. With this money, he built new houses and sent his daughter to Japan, all with Buddhachitta income. But the market for the seeds is volatile.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251209141224_0fd29cdc36db0c3ad5f5add513b8b220d0101760e1c42d5c54266eac7c2dfe75.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20251209141224_0fd29cdc36db0c3ad5f5add513b8b220d0101760e1c42d5c54266eac7c2dfe75" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Buddhachitta NT"> </figure>  Lama invested Rs10 million when prices were high ten years ago, but he lost most of that when the prices collapsed for bigger seeds.&nbsp; He adds: “That year the demand was only for small seeds, and it has only been three years since the prices have risen again for seeds that make no sound when you shake them.”&nbsp; HISTORY Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche left seeds of Buddhachitta while meditating in the Temal region of Kavre district in the 8th century as a blessing. He is known in the Himalaya as the ‘Second Buddha’ whose birth was foretold by the Buddha himself, and spread Buddhism in Tibet. Now, almost every household from the Tamang community here has on average 50 trees. The tree thrives on gravel and sandy soil, needs to be protected from excess water, and can grow up to 10 meters high. It starts bearing fruit annually from its third year and one tree lives for 90 years. The fruits are handpicked every June and July, and then have to be processed by boiling the seeds to remove their hard outer skin. The seeds are then dried in the sun for a few days.&nbsp; “Our families have been growing Buddhachitta for generations, but it started becoming hugely profitable only about 12 years ago, it has become a cash crop and has even replaced staples like maize,” says Dev Lama, 55.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251209141224_7820e90f918489045c0668465190df37120167cc7d4401bb128adf931e156bc3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20251209141224_7820e90f918489045c0668465190df37120167cc7d4401bb128adf931e156bc3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Buddhachitta NT"> <figcaption>Dev Lama</figcaption> </figure>  What helps is that Buddhachitta is not a high-maintenance crop, it just needs some weeding, watering, and protection from hailstorms and pesticides. Once it matures, it does not need much care, and farmers intercrop it with other grain.&nbsp; “You don’t have to work on it every year like maize, which needs to be planted year after year,” explains Shova Shrestha, 33. “We also continue to grow other vegetables and spices, all of which help to preserve soil nutrients.” Generally, farmers do not sell directly to Chinese traders but deal with local middlemen who take a cut before they take it to the Chinese traders who lodge in Kathmandu during the harvest season. But the bulk of the profit is made by Chinese wholesalers across the border. &nbsp; And now with the proliferation of the plant, and with nearly every family growing several trees, farmers sometimes struggle to find buyers and are often severely short-changed, as was the case with Maiya Tamang’s family.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251209141220_2d82949a8a32b272216e4f288e976c5af68abf65f52500947ba366526a9b2a2c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20251209141220_2d82949a8a32b272216e4f288e976c5af68abf65f52500947ba366526a9b2a2c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Buddhachitta NT"> <figcaption>Maiya Tamang</figcaption> </figure>  “I wasn’t home that day two years ago, but my sons later told me that my husband sold an entire tree for just Rs1,500,” recalls Tamang, 60. “We asked him why he sold it for a price that wouldn’t even buy a sack of rice, and he just shrugged.” Tamang did make a profit two years ago, but last year’s crop was destroyed by a hailstorm. Despite this, the bead business has augmented the income of a family dependent on subsistence agriculture. &nbsp; A neighbour, Sonam Tamang, had a few Buddhachitta trees in his backyard and has bought saplings from a nursery to expand. Saplings cost Rs500, but it is double that for plants that give high value seeds. Says Sonam Tamang: “The middlemen sometimes cheat us by offering much less than the seeds are worth, and they don’t allow us to speak directly with the Chinese buyers. But even if we did, there would be a language barrier.” Meanwhile, Singha Bahadur Lama who started out as a Buddhachitta farmer now owns a nursery and is a dealer in saplings himself. Some Nepalis have tried to sell directly in China, but face added costs of travel and hotel while there. &nbsp; With contributions from Qian Sun, Global Voices.

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