The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/rescuing-kathmandus-from-its-future-public-transport-and-traffic-challenges,1877">former Bogota mayor Enrique Peñalosa</a> who implemented a successful bus rapid transit system for his city once said: “Democracy can be measured by the width of a country’s sidewalks.” To this, we could add that the state of democracy in a country can also be measured by the quality of its public transport system. Going by that criteria, Nepal is not doing very well. “We forget that the first word in public transport is public,” says urban planner <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/guest-editorial/public-transport-is-equal-to-public-health,844">Bhushan Tuladhar</a>. “Public transport in Nepal needs a complete reform from route structuring and information management to building an ecosystem for electric mobility.” In Kathmandu the government does not support or subsidise public transport, which are run by over 55 private operators and the semi-government Sajha Yatayat. &nbsp; The government does regulate bus fares, and the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) issues driving licenses and route permits, but it is regarded as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute">a snake pit of corruption</a>. The Department of Roads is more interested in building roads than managing public transport.&nbsp; Since the 1990s there have been over 15 studies on public transport in Kathmandu Valley, but zero results. The proposals range from a fanciful underground metro, impractical overhead cable cars, or trams and light rail transit. But experts at a regional symposium on public transport this week organised by Sajha Yatayat point to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) modelled after Bogota’s transformative TransMilenio as the best mass mobility strategy for Kathmandu and other cities. A BRT uses high-capacity articulated buses on dedicated lanes and elevated subway-style stations with priority passage at intersections for uninterrupted commutes in traffic-clogged cities. The main advantage of BRT systems is that they are more reliable and convenient than current bus routes, they are cheaper than trains to build, and help reduce traffic and air pollution, especially if the buses are electric. Besides Bogota, BRT serves cities like Jakarta and Istanbul. According to former senior superintendent of Police Jagatman Shrestha there are 163 public transport routes in Kathmandu Valley while there are 495 big buses plying just on the 27.2km Ring Road.&nbsp; Of the 1.8 million registered vehicles in Kathmandu Valley, only 3% of them are public vehicles. Most of them are two-wheelers, and they are a major contributor to odourless and toxic gases like carbon monoxide and ozone. A high frequency and reliable rapid bus transit system in Kathmandu would encourage commuters to use public transport and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/cleaner-air-longer-lives-0z0okfeu?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1JZUEgX9b2uisUuzw6u9APT1Pq7E8zupyJA13VJuq01nKe3sWdFTkeL5M_aem_2Fz7QRnCnd8mOX3kADDC9Q">improve air quality and public health</a>. Tax incentives to convert diesel buses to electric would make public transport even cleaner and greener. The government has proven that it can be done with the tax rebates on smaller electric vehicles, and similar incentives could transform public transport in Kathmandu and other cities. ---  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250328090336_d21eb7c0325aa90b6c473393050bb21cb60ee3205055f5e46b5b51e84d5b2c5f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250328090336_d21eb7c0325aa90b6c473393050bb21cb60ee3205055f5e46b5b51e84d5b2c5f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1520" height="2500" loading="lazy" alt="energy and climate crisis"> <figcaption>HIGH TENSION: Transmission line in Tehrathum that will evacuate electricity from several new hydropower plants in the Arun basin in eastern Nepal. Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  Prominent signs along the BP Highway from Kathmandu to eastern Nepal announce electric vehicle fast-charging stations every few kilometres on some stretches. On routes like Kathmandu-Dharan, or Kathmandu-Bardibas, there were as many electric public vans as there were petrol ones. Every few private car was a battery-powered BYD or Nexon.&nbsp; Indeed, 75% of new car sales last year in Nepal were electric, and the country was only behind Norway where EVs now make up 90% of total sales. The encouraging part of this is that it is not just private cars that have gone electric, but also public vehicles like vans and three wheelers. But instead of building on this trend by announcing tax rebates for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/potholes-on-the-highway-to-nepal-s-ev-future">bigger battery-powered buses</a>, Nepal Rastra Bank last month increased the ‘Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio’ for electric vehicle financing to 40%, up from 20%. Insiders see this as a calculated move to appease the diesel and petrol vehicle lobby.&nbsp; The history of electric transportation in Nepal has often been one step forward and two steps back as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/1-step-forward-2-steps-back-in-nepal">governments have flip-flopped on incentives</a>. Nepal was making progress to achieve its own target of making 20% of all vehicles on the roads electric by this year, but heftier down payments on car loans is not going to help. The government works at cross purposes with itself, undermining its own authority and with no clear strategy to implement its own green transport goal of ensure that 90% of all private vehicles and 60% of public transport will be battery powered by 2030. “This is a regressive move which will have people reverting to diesel and petrol vehicles, it will especially hurt electric e-buses and e-vans,” says urban planner Bhushan Tuladhar of the Rastra Bank down payment policy revision. “Electric buses are already much more expensive than similar size diesel ones, but increased down payment means some private operators who were planning to bring electric buses are rethinking their decision.” Meanwhile, Thee Go SriBiT which is behind Nepal’s best-selling electric micro van ‘TheeGo’ has a rental solution for both passenger and cargo vehicles for short trips and long-term leases which can help potential businesses bypass Rastra Bank’s revised loan down payment ratio. It also provides vehicles under a leasehold model for low-income customers. The sale of private electric cars has soared in Nepal, and this has reduced <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/cleaner-air-with-greener-buses">air pollution</a> and petroleum imports to some extent, but there would be much bigger advantage to encouraging diesel bus operators to go electric while benefiting more people. Fewer people can afford electric cars, and their increase has added to traffic congestion in Kathmandu’s city core. &nbsp; Nepal’s installed capacity for electricity has now crossed 3,000MW, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/hydrocarbon-to-hydropower">although the generation is nearly a third of that at present</a> due to low water level in rivers. During the monsoon, however, there is surplus electricity even after exporting to India and some of the energy is wasted due to low domestic consumption. Energy experts have recommended increasing domestic demand, starting with more rapid electrification of public transport so that it reduces petroleum imports from India, and improve Nepal’s balance of trade. The added benefit would be better air quality that will increase the average lifespan of Kathmandu’s residents. One 42-seater bus can replace about 19 private cars or 35 motorcycles on the road. And if that bus is electric, the benefit is multiplied. There are operators running electric buses and vans on 16 routes: 40 buses, and 258 micro vans, with 355 more on the way. There are 10 EV inter-city routes in which 62 buses and vans are electric-powered. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250328090340_916c254bba5237f366bc5c9859298a6b5128752c06b1c2454c4aad151c804a7a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250328090340_916c254bba5237f366bc5c9859298a6b5128752c06b1c2454c4aad151c804a7a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1017" height="902" loading="lazy" alt="proposed bus routes for Kathmandu"> </figure>  Lack of state investment or subsidy is the main reason behind the limited growth of electric public transport. That makes it much cheaper to buy diesel buses. In China, all the city buses are already electric while India adopted the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) in 2015 and is now in its second phase.&nbsp; In 2024, there were 3,616 electric buses in India, with the government planning to add 50,000 more by 2027. “The initial cost of electric buses is very high, and not all governments have that kind of money,” said Alok Jain, international Nepali export on public transport (see profile, right). “But those that have done the transition know that the total cost of ownership of EV is actually cheaper, whatever you pay upfront you recover quickly and you make a profit because operating and maintenance costs are much lower.” Most young people in Kathmandu have no memory of the Chinese-donated <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/kathmandu-bhaktapur-trolley-bus">Kathmandu-Bhaktapur trolley bus service</a> which was way ahead of its time when it started in 1975. There were 22 electric buses covering the 13km distance one way, and carried up to 10,000 passengers daily. The line was operated by the Nepal Trolley Bus Service, a branch of the Nepal Transportation Corporation (NTC). However, government bureaucracy, overstaffing and cronyism led to deteriorating service. Private bus operators were rumoured to have a hand in wrecking the electric trolley bus service.&nbsp; NTC was dissolved in 2001, and the trolley bus operations were halted in 2009. The rusting hulks of the buses can still be seen at the trolley terminal in New Baneswar which is now occupied by a government agency. After Sajha Yatayat was revived, it started plying trunk routes in Kathmandu Valley and 40 buses in its fleet are battery powered. The company is planning to add 100 new electric buses with a government-to-government grant from China.&nbsp; The Chinese company CHTC KINWIN in Nanjing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-journey-to-electric-public-transport">supplied the first 40 buses during the pandemic</a>, and will also be bidding for the new lot. Since the manufacturers had not seen Kathmandu’s road conditions which are different from ones in China, the buses had low clearance and could not be used on certain routes.&nbsp; “Since the first buses were sent here two years ago, we now have a lot of experience with Kathmandu’s road conditions, and we have also seen that the EV market is booming in Nepal,” says Zhu Xiansong, Director of Overseas Sales at CHTC KINWIN. &nbsp;&nbsp; Zhu adds: “Nepal was the biggest buyer of electric vehicles from China last year, and this country is definitely a viable market for China. We plan to hire Nepali technicians to work for us so that they can further promote our business as well as bring back to Nepal technical know-how to maintain electric vehicles.”&nbsp; The public transport symposium also heard that even if long range buses convert to battery power, the condition of national highways at present is so poor and road travel is so dangerous that most travellers are forced to gamble with their lives.&nbsp; This week alone, at least 12 people have died on Nepal’s highways. There is a spike in fatalities during the monsoon due to landslides and floods. Three buses were buried by a mudslide in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/when-it-rains-it-pours-ksqprbu3">Dhading last year</a> during September floods killing at least 35 people. Two intercity buses were swept down to the Trisuli River at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/100-101-102-hh5uvzf9">Simaltal</a> killing at least 60 people. The buses were never found.&nbsp; Haphazard engineering on steep slopes combined with reckless driving and poor vehicle maintenance are to blame. Highway accidents are now the major cause of death of young Nepalis — more than natural disasters and other diseases. Brett R C Molesworth, Professor at the School of Aviation in the University of New South Wales Sydney says that air transport safety practices should be seen as an exemplar when improving road safety. He says: “Over the past decade Nepal has made strides to improve its air safety, it is near the world average, it is just that plane crashes get so much more news coverage than road accidents ever do.”

Sonia Awale

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The public in public transport

Transportation globally accounts for 7 billion metric tons of CO2 every year, and 75% of that comes from vehicles on the road. Replacing gas-guzzling vehicles is the shortcut to reducing a country’s carbon footprint. Nepal’s per capita petroleum consumption is so low that nothing we do is going to help much to save the planet. But reducing petrol, diesel and LPG use can save the country’s economy, since petroleum products make up nearly 25% of our imports. Nepal is hardly responsible for the buildup in atmospheric carbon leading to global warming, but is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate breakdown. In the past year, 14% of all vehicles sold around the world were battery-powered – up from only 4% four years ago. China is the biggest EV manufacturer, accounting for 60% of all EVs sold worldwide. One of the most remarkable shifts has actually happened here in Nepal. Of the nearly 18,000 vehicles imported in the past year, official records show that 12,000 were battery-powered. One big reason was the zero excise duty and only 10% custom duty in 2022, and last year the taxes were even less on EVs below 50kW. This was drastically lower than the 30-80% taxes on petrol and diesel cars. Taxes are higher on more powerful (and expensive) battery-powered SUVs. The Finance Ministry has always been ambivalent about EVs, fearing rising sales will eat into revenue from car and gas station taxes, forgetting that in the longterm battery vehicles will reduce petroleum imports. In a classic case of one step forward, two steps back, the budget by the previous government in June reinstated hefty taxes on EVs, despite a national commitment to make 20% of all vehicles electric by 2025. EVs use domestically-generated hydroelectricity of which there is a surplus, yet are punished. Despite the rapid rise in EV sales worldwide, growth has slowed. Mainly, this is because of range anxiety and long charging times, as well as the comparatively low resale value of battery-powered vehicles. A recent survey in the US and India of EV owners had more than half of them saying they were switching back to petrol. EVs use lithium ion batteries, and there are questions about the environmental cost of mining lithium, the difficulty in recycling and disposal of the cells, and the delays in using substitutes like sodium. Lithium is also seen as a stepping stone to solid state batteries, and green hydrogen fuel. <h2>HYBRID FUTURE</h2> This is where hybrids come in, as a compromise between fully battery-powered cars and those with internal combustion engines. Hybrid technology has been around much longer than modern EVs, and do not have the disadvantages mentioned above. Hybrids use a mixture of fossil fuels and electricity to power the vehicle, providing almost unlimited range. Hybrids have batteries to store regenerated energy and different hybrids obtain power in different ways. ‘Plug-in’ hybrids can be charged like an electric vehicle, while a conventional hybrid can use the vehicle’s kinetic energy while braking, or route unused engine power to charge the battery. Most hybrids sold in Nepal are conventional. Worldwide, hybrids make up about 10-12% of all cars sold. They are especially popular in Japan, with manufacturers like Toyota and Honda which pioneered the technology refusing to join the EV bandwagon 20 years ago. Toyota has a 1:6:90 study in which its engineers calculated that the raw materials and energy used to make one fully-electric vehicle could make six plug-in hybrids, or 90 conventional ones -- leading to drastically less emissions in the whole manufacturing and operational cycle. Despite the growth in EV sales, hybrid cars are rare in Nepal. Even Toyota’s popular Prius model never made inroads. Of the over 12,000 EVs Nepal imported last year, only 36 were petrol-electric or diesel-electric hybrids – despite the fact that hybrids are actually cheaper than full electric cars elsewhere. The main reason for this is that successive Nepali finance ministers in the past decade have put hybrids in the same tax bracket as petrol cars, slapping an 80% tariff on them. Price tags of hybrid SUVs available in Nepal are already high, and the tax pushes them into the high end of the market. The other reason is that the manufacturers themselves have in the past not trusted after-sales service for hybrids in Nepal, and not pushed them as much. The Chinese company BYD has the largest market share among EVs in Nepal. However, in China and globally, half the cars BYD makes are hybrids. We asked BYD Nepal’s Yamuna Shrestha why she is not promoting hybrids here. She answered simply: “Taxes.” <h2>SUBARU (Crosstrek)</h2> Subaru recently launched its Crosstrek Hybrid, and most of those who have bought it are doctors, businessmen, politicians, generals and traders who need to drive down to the border a lot. “We frequently hear from customers that they simply do not get tired driving our vehicles,” says Annie Gardner Vaidya of Vijay Motors, which sells the Subaru Crosstrek at its showroom in Gyaneswor. “Subaru has the highest customer retention rates of any car brand with owners getting their second or third Subaru, even couples buying them for their marrying kids.” The main selling point of all Subaru models are its safety features, which makes it the preferred family car. The hybrid Subarus come with features present in its petrol models – with All Wheel Drive and ‘EyeSight’ technology that uses radar and cameras to alert drivers of possible hazards and collisions. “Our customers do their research well, and know what they want,” adds Vaidya, who has tales of Subarus that have climbed inclines where even tractors fear to tread. Tarun Onta was one of the first customers of the Crosstrek and was at the launch event to receive his keys. He wanted an eco-friendly vehicle because he was not fully satisfied with EVs. He says, “My top priority is safety. I have been driving the Crosstrek and other than a faint jolt when switching between electric and fuel, it has been a top-class car so far.” Despite all this, Subarus are so rare in Nepal that when two of them pass on the road, drivers wave at each other. It only sells three models, only one of them hybrid, and is too expen sive for most first-car buyers. Subaru Crosstrek hybrid  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240823070856_7dd4af1d741b3d69cc3708ce93f68a90eac9f82199676681b2460761ab945cc1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240823070856_7dd4af1d741b3d69cc3708ce93f68a90eac9f82199676681b2460761ab945cc1" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="892" loading="lazy" alt="Subaru crosstrek NT"></figure>  Type of Hybrid : Conventional (not a plug-in) Mileage : 13.9km/L Fuel Tank : 63L Price : Rs14,000,000- Rs16,900,000 Other: All Wheel Drive system, Max speed 198 km/h, ground clearance: 220, Eyesight <h2>TOYOTA (Corolla, the Camry, the RAV4, and the Yaris)</h2> Toyota has been a pioneer in hybrid transmission, and decided early on not to bet on full-electric cars. In fact its Prius hybrid predated full-electric cars when it was launched back in 1997 as ‘a car for the 21st century’. In Nepal, Toyota sells four hybrid models: the Corolla, Camry, RAV4, and Yaris. Toyota Nepal’s Suryansh Vaidya is convinced that despite the surge in EV sales, Nepal is “not in a place financially and infrastructure wise where there would be mass market for EVs”. Essentially, it boils down to prices. If the taxes on hybrids were brought down, they could be competitive with full-electric vehicles, and definitely score over petrol cars. “Reducing the tax on hybrid cars would actually increase government revenue because hybrids would be more popular and more would be sold than presently,” Vaidya argues. Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Electric  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024082308080_487f61d5903bf874ee98ffe97f2b130e8ce223cf787fccdaf20d926739149a66.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024082308080_487f61d5903bf874ee98ffe97f2b130e8ce223cf787fccdaf20d926739149a66" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="883" loading="lazy" alt="Toyota Corolla NT"></figure>  Type of hybrid: Conventional Mileage:15-20km/L Fuel Tank Capacity: 36L Price: Rs18,100,000 Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024082308080_9c481570468cb9b71e88f902f4f0100e2f34071f66192b9170495df7f76dbcbd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2024082308080_9c481570468cb9b71e88f902f4f0100e2f34071f66192b9170495df7f76dbcbd" data-rendition-name="original" width="2416" height="1100" loading="lazy" alt="Toyota Camry"></figure>  Type of hybrid: Conventional Mileage: 15-19km/L Fuel Tank Capacity: 50L Price: Approx Rs20,000,000 Toyota RAV4  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024082308080_21ef534c2bb4422fb41418483669562e9aa01798ea6e39be86967a8176dfe0d7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024082308080_21ef534c2bb4422fb41418483669562e9aa01798ea6e39be86967a8176dfe0d7" data-rendition-name="original" width="2250" height="1178" loading="lazy" alt="Toyota RAV4"></figure>  Type of hybrid: Conventional Mileage: 15-19km/L Fuel Tank Capacity: 55L Price: Rs19,500,000 Yaris Cross Hybrid  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024082308080_811968606c4931e5a543674f5c2b8e714ea870cba353fb9edbbc587bdceb5cc1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2024082308080_811968606c4931e5a543674f5c2b8e714ea870cba353fb9edbbc587bdceb5cc1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1391" height="699" loading="lazy" alt="Toyota Yaris"></figure>  Type of hybrid: Conventional Mileage: 20-25km/L Fuel Tank Capacity: 36L Price: Rs12,500,000

Vishad Raj Onta

Rev your car (and charge it, too)

Nepal has had an impressive growth in hydropower development over the past decade from 734MW in 2014 to a combined capacity of 2,625MW from solar and hydropower stations, with 95% of households connected to the grid. Investment to the tune of $5 billion, predominantly in domestic NPR, is estimated to have gone into new generation projects in this time to complete construction and invest in some 8,000MW of new power plants that are at various stages of design and construction. It is certainly reassuring to a population still suffering PTSD from years of brutal load-shedding to realise that Nepal is headed for long term power surplus, with prospects in 2024 for the first time to export more power than import from India, if the monsoon cooperates. One important question in a lot of people’s minds, however, is how Nepal’s generation of clean energy compares with the fossil fuel Nepal continues to import at an annual cost of almost $3 billion, and growing. Are we anywhere close to generating the hydropower and solar energy needed to replace the petroleum fuel that Nepal imports? At first glance it looks like the gap is discouragingly large. NEA sold just over 10 billion kWh or 10 TWh of electricity in 2023. In the same year, all the petroleum-based fuels the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) imported had a total energy content of 40TWh. It would seem that NEA and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) would need to complete construction of the full pipeline of 8,000MW on top of what they are already generating to match even the petroleum fuel we use today. Fortunately, electricity can be used more efficiently than fossil fuels. An LPG stove has a thermal efficiency of around 50%, reflecting the percentage of heat from burning the mix of propane and butane that is transferred to the pot. The rest goes into heating the burner, the counter-top, and the rest of the kitchen. An induction cooker on the other hand is able to transfer around 90% of the energy directly to the pot since the cooking surface does not even get hot itself. So, cooking with electricity can be accomplished with 45% less energy compared to LPG with the use of an efficient appliance.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240802120856_d0349977d5fb14944e7897b9bd8bad605348f6d9351fcc70a2e6cc7a178bc8dc.webp" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240802120856_d0349977d5fb14944e7897b9bd8bad605348f6d9351fcc70a2e6cc7a178bc8dc" data-rendition-name="original" width="992" height="1245" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal turns on the electric switch NT"> <figcaption>INDUCTION STOVES: 90% of the energy in induction stoves is transferred directly to the pot, so cooking with electricity uses 45% less energy compared to LPG. PHOTO: CLIMATE AND CLEAN AIR COALITION</figcaption> </figure>  The end-use efficiency advantage is even more impressive when it comes to transportation. A petrol burning internal combustion engine converts only 20% of the energy the fuel produces into motion. The remaining 80% of the energy content of the petrol is lost as heat in the engine, requiring a radiator to keep the engine from overheating. An electric vehicle on the other hand uses high efficiency motors that have conversion efficiencies in the range of 80-85%. Even with the 20% ‘round trip’ losses in charging and discharging the battery, an EV uses less than a third of the energy to drive a kilometre than an equivalent petroleum fuel vehicle does. Since close to 95% of the petroleum fuel imported into Nepal is used to meet either road transportation or cooking needs, it is very encouraging that appliances already exist in the market for Nepal to transition away from petroleum fuel. Similar efficiencies exist for switching away from diesel irrigation to electric pumps and for a range of industrial processes to switch from using different fossil fuels to electricity. For the consumer to switch over to electric cooking and electricity-fueled transportation, the relative prices of each energy type are important, along with the improved efficiency. Here too the news is promising: NEA’s applicable domestic electricity tariff for users wanting to cook with electricity for cooking or charging EVs at home is a maximum of Rs11 per kWh. This compares with Rs18.5 per kWh of petrol and Rs9.83 per kWh of LPG. Once the thermal efficiency is taken into account, however, the effective price of petrol and LPG go up to Rs55.50 and Rs17.87 respectively for driving the same distance or cooking the same volume of food as one kWh of electricity. Two final barriers must be removed before consumers will be able to make the switch to efficient electric vehicles and cooking appliances. First: NEA must invest in strengthening transmission and distribution networks. It is not enough for there to be sufficient hydropower and solar energy generated if the power lines and transformers are not sufficiently sized to distribute the additional electricity needed for switching to electricity. Second: end-users must be able to afford EVs and cooking appliances. The government and banks have an important role to play in making this transition happen. The government needs to appreciate the tradeoff: provide tax incentives for people to purchase EVs and high efficiency electric appliances that can replace petroleum. Banks need to provide financing for users to be able to purchase EVs and appliances and pay for them from the savings in fuel. The good news is Nepal is very close to generating enough electricity to replace petroleum imports. Making up for 40TWh of petroleum fuel will likely require less than 20TWh of electricity. Extrapolating from the rate of growth of hydropower and solar generation over the past decade, Nepal could have sufficient clean energy projects online to be generating 30TWh as early as 2028. &nbsp; Bikash Pandey is Director of Clean Energy and Circular Economy at Winrock International. People Power is his new regular column in Nepali Times on global energy issues relevant to Nepal.

Bikash Pandey

Nepal turns on the electric switch

Nepalis looking to splurge on a new car for the new year might want to think about electric or hybrid options. Gone are the days of small, claustrophobic EVs, there are now battery-powered cars that are as green as they are cool.&nbsp; If you have been out on Kathmandu’s roads these days, and with the air quality being what it is this week we understand if you have not, there seems to be a lot more battery-operated vehicles on the streets. As range improves, there are a lot more EVs even on the highways, negotiating the mud and dust.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_ff293ae4da0a697a030334ccb1f9d723ef20b4d902a5153e9f95c8252d95afa5.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240412120436_ff293ae4da0a697a030334ccb1f9d723ef20b4d902a5153e9f95c8252d95afa5" data-rendition-name="original" width="956" height="726" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  The numbers back this up. By March, nearly 6,500 electric vehicles had been imported into Nepal in the six months of the fiscal year. During the same period last year, this number was only 2,198.&nbsp; The battery-powered cars in Nepal are imported from China, India, Indonesia, the United States, South Korea, and now from Germany. Import numbers of electric three-wheel taxis also show an increase of 54% from 5,380 to 8,303.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_de4ba3e82f7af336a34d5c590b28a109eef625441b88b164c8a0a09ec46e3ee7.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240412120436_de4ba3e82f7af336a34d5c590b28a109eef625441b88b164c8a0a09ec46e3ee7" data-rendition-name="original" width="857" height="551" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  This means the contribution of vehicular emissions to air pollution levels in Kathmandu Valley is going down, although the other sources (wildfire smoke, roadside dust, and transboundary pollution) are getting worse. The bigger change can be in Nepal’s petroleum import bill, which makes up nearly a quarter of total imports. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) reports that petrol and diesel demand has gone down slightly, but there will have to be a lot more electric public transport and private cars to make a dent on the trade deficit.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_d9b2c5e2ad232d224065605813ea6c1558dcaac5c1ed7513493f4ed0f6270080.png" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240412120436_d9b2c5e2ad232d224065605813ea6c1558dcaac5c1ed7513493f4ed0f6270080" data-rendition-name="original" width="833" height="654" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  Besides fully battery-powered cars, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are also available, although the numbers so far are tiny. Only 17 hybrids were imported in February-March, and 21 in March-April.&nbsp; Hybrids tend to be more expensive than fully electric cars, and they also need more specialised maintenance backup since they have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_0d7f8b2559c78646a518c09a1faa7231216d502fb988e91a8b27ba40ee4e04cf.png" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240412120436_0d7f8b2559c78646a518c09a1faa7231216d502fb988e91a8b27ba40ee4e04cf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1282" height="675" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_057a1a2ba625c116b47cfca4e50fbb18dcd985b29763cc62dcd8492d786e071b.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240412120432_057a1a2ba625c116b47cfca4e50fbb18dcd985b29763cc62dcd8492d786e071b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1012" height="782" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  The difference between regular hybrids and the plug-in hybrids is in how the battery is charged to power the electric motor. Regular hybrids charge their batteries while driving, and there is regenerative braking which means the motor turns into a generator to charge the battery. Also, when the petrol engine is producing more power than the car needs, the car’s computer routes the extra energy to the battery.&nbsp; Plug-in hybrids have these capabilities as well, but can also be plugged in to wall sockets for charging. While the electric motors in regular hybrids only assist the gasoline engine, plug-in hybrids can run entirely on the charged battery just like in EVs, and switch to gas when it runs out.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_4230544724483b7898da0d610247ecb439e199c116fcbdab4c876654823e7593.png" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240412120436_4230544724483b7898da0d610247ecb439e199c116fcbdab4c876654823e7593" data-rendition-name="original" width="1099" height="829" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_8d674ca57678d7f707970a8c900883e60a811a0c86b78f4e58c52eb8c3cf405e.png" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240412120436_8d674ca57678d7f707970a8c900883e60a811a0c86b78f4e58c52eb8c3cf405e" data-rendition-name="original" width="852" height="751" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  Regular hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles all save fuel and are better for the ecology and economy than petrol or diesel cars. There are, however, trade offs in choosing any one kind. &nbsp; A fully electric vehicle will use no fossil fuels at all, so it is the best in reducing emissions. But they can be expensive up front, and are limited by range because of the lack of charging infrastructure. Charging is slow, which is not ideal during long trips.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240415090428_d7345578eb15e0834e03f0fa50a14ad7256a1f23c60a82fd8f7b9f6afb279703.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240415090428_d7345578eb15e0834e03f0fa50a14ad7256a1f23c60a82fd8f7b9f6afb279703" data-rendition-name="original" width="674" height="356" loading="lazy" alt="Audi electric"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_539206ecb44998657426ef1b0cdc54774c5c6e1a61cd6053a1da4c731e3a275c.png" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240412120432_539206ecb44998657426ef1b0cdc54774c5c6e1a61cd6053a1da4c731e3a275c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1049" height="857" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  Electric cars have not been around as long as regular ones, so maintenance experts and replacement parts are harder to come by. &nbsp; A regular hybrid does not need to be plugged in at all, so there is no range anxiety. However, it is going to use more fuel, leading to a higher running cost and some emissions. There are more components, so there are more things that can go wrong.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_4efd199719ebc37050c7b4d8ccc6711d64fe8cd0c508e6bee8e30f48a416f9e3.png" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240412120432_4efd199719ebc37050c7b4d8ccc6711d64fe8cd0c508e6bee8e30f48a416f9e3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1093" height="554" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240415090428_f650e2834b231ec2550e3862dd3804791367fad4e6f6133e1fcd093e1e24bd62.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20240415090428_f650e2834b231ec2550e3862dd3804791367fad4e6f6133e1fcd093e1e24bd62" data-rendition-name="original" width="640" height="507" loading="lazy" alt="Tata Nexon"> </figure>  A plug-in hybrid offers the most flexibility as it can run on either electricity or fuel. However, the battery capacity is limited and fuel is the option on longer drives. The price tags of these cars are much higher. &nbsp; There is some debate about battery-powered cars not being as climate friendly as claimed because of the lithium, cadmium and other raw materials needed for batteries and electrodes have to be extracted through energy-intensive methods.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240415090428_8cefbd01237b1e3803588125c79412233460b3056290610a6a9a157ce0f50b32.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20240415090428_8cefbd01237b1e3803588125c79412233460b3056290610a6a9a157ce0f50b32" data-rendition-name="original" width="701" height="503" loading="lazy" alt="Subaru hybrid"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_c6fedf87a122a94bce272b1f5d98165a945851171ff060d30e00800d9ece334e.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20240412120432_c6fedf87a122a94bce272b1f5d98165a945851171ff060d30e00800d9ece334e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1036" height="840" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  A lot more lithium and other resources goes into making fully electric cars simply because they need higher capacity batteries. The same lithium could be used to make many more gas-electric hybrids or plug-ins, leading to a lower carbon footprint over the lifetime of the cars. A Toyota document states that 90 hybrids can be made with the resources to make one fully electric vehicle, reducing carbon emission by 37 times over their lifetime, compared to the electric car.&nbsp; Whatever you choose to buy, there is a range of choices of models and propulsion systems. BYD, Tata, Hyundai, Tesla, and Audi all offer fully electric vehicles. Toyota and Subaru have popular hybrid options.

EVs, Hybrids, and Plug-ins

On World Health Day on 7 April this week, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Kathmandu exceeded 300 – one of the dirtiest in any city in the world. Breathing was literally <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-is-hazardous-to-health">lethal</a>.
Although the main source of pollution this week was smoke from brushfires raging across the country, emissions from diesel and petrol vehicles are a bigger year-round source of hazardous suspended particles and toxic gases.&nbsp;
The good news is that the sale of electric four-wheelers is growing rapidly, and battery-powered vehicles now account for one-third of Nepal’s total car imports. Outside Kathmandu, vans, microbuses and three-wheelers are switching to electric as never before
All this has happened even though there is still a hefty <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/1-step-forward-2-steps-back-in-nepal">tax on battery-powered vehicles</a>. In last year’s budget ex-Finance Minister Prakash Mahat increased the tax on smaller EVs and electric vans while inexplicably reducing the tax on luxury SUVs.
This year, all eyes are on the new Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun, who is under pressure to raise government revenue that has fallen drastically due to a slowdown in imports. Instead of lowering taxes and even announcing subsidies on electric cars and appliances, he may actually increase them. He could also do it selectively to favour certain EV brands imported by cronies.
“The government should be more careful in how it taxes electric vehicles,” says air pollution activist Bhushan Tuladhar who is also the director of Sajha Yatayat, the public transport company that is operating 40 electric buses. “It should be consistent, predictable and guided by science, it can’t be a kneejerk reaction with no real planning.”
One large electric bus can replace at least 10 cars, easing road congestion, improving air pollution and reducing petroleum imports. But existing excise and import taxes make battery-powered buses up to five times more expensive than a diesel bus of similar capacity.&nbsp;
On Tuesday, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/sajha-s-green-buses-go-greener">Sajha Yatayat inaugurated Nepal’s largest charging station</a> with 24 charging points where it will charge its 40 e-buses. Speaking at the event, Kulman Ghising of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) acknowledged that Nepal was undergoing a “massive transport transition”.&nbsp;
“We will soon have surplus power even in winter, and private EVs can only use so much of our electricity, what we really need is to electrify our mass transport,” he said. “On one hand, by increasing our consumption of electricity, it will reduce our petroleum imports and subsequently our trade deficit. It will also help us meet our net zero target. This is also very feasible as a business model.”
Petroleum imports account for one-fourth of Nepal’s total imports and is more than all of our exports combined. Reducing petroleum consumption by just 10% would save the country over Rs30 billion whereas even exporting all of our current power generation of 3,000MW would earn us just half that amount.
It is simple maths: prioritising <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/missing-pieces-of-the-hydropower-jigsaw">domestic electricity consumption</a> is a win-win-win for the country. Electrification of industries, tourism and agriculture would also mean tens of thousands of new green jobs and help stem the mass exodus of youth.&nbsp;
A policy decision is also urgently needed for electric taxis. Bagmati Province does not register new battery-powered cabs, but they are still being imported as private cars which then buy number plates of the older taxis. This means the electric taxis have to pay higher road taxes, keeping their fares high.
A battery-powered taxi can be fully charged for just Rs106, and will have a range of 180km. A petrol taxi would need Rs3,500 worth of petrol to cover that distance.&nbsp;
Climate expert Manjeet Dhakal says that budget fluctuations make people and investors lose confidence, and this is especially important ahead of the Nepal Investment Summit later this month.
“At a time when the whole world is moving towards clean energy, Nepal’s contradictory policy regarding EV sends out the wrong message to the business community,” he adds. “But at the next &nbsp;budget, we must incentivise electric buses. Even within the EV bracket, this is the segment we have to hit had if we are to make a real difference.”
Without state subsidy and support, the private sector is unlikely to expand on electric facilities. Pollution tax can very well come in handy here if there is a political will.
Even then EVs are just a part of an ecosystem, we need charging infrastructure, skilled human resources for the new technology, and policies that promote them.
Similarly, two-wheelers make up nearly 80% of total vehicles in Nepal. But there are electric bikes and scooters, government and the private sector have much to do to increase consumer and market confidence in them.
Consecutive governments have been flip-flopping tax rates on electric vehicles in recent years. In 2020, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-reduces-tax-on-electric-cars">the government reduced the taxes on battery-powered vehicles</a>. A year later, it re-imposed tax for electric SUVs while cheaper vehicles were still taxed less. Last year, the tax on smaller EVs and electric vans was increased while that on luxury SUVs was slashed.
Not long ago a former finance minister was caught questioning how the government would earn its revenue if it didn’t tax electric vehicles. Such is our policymaking that we rely on imports to generate income for the government when in fact revenue should be based on local industries and goods.
“Financial policy is based on politics and that is the sad reality, more so now with coalition governments,” says Tuladhar. “But even then, taxation should not be a long-term policy. But unfortunately, people who are making policies aren't riding buses &nbsp;so they have no interest in public transport or don’t even know what to do with it.”

EV year २०८१

If there is one thing Nepal’s annual budget is consistent about, it is being inconsistent. In 2020, the government reduced the taxes on electric vehicles, the next one re-imposed it for electric SUVs while cheaper vehicles were still taxed less, this year Finance Minister Prakash Mahat increased the tax on smaller EVs and electric vans while inexplicably reducing the tax on luxury SUVs. &nbsp; By increasing the tax on entry-level battery-powered vehicles, the government has effectively discouraged the public from switching to clean energy at a time when Nepal is all set to have year-round electricity surplus. The decision also undermines the government’s own decarbonisation goals. &nbsp; Continued proliferation of diesel and petrol vehicles will also keep worsening air pollution in the cities, affecting public health. &nbsp; Customs and excise tax on electric cars between 50-100KW has increased by 5% and 10%, meaning they now have to pay 15% customs tax and 10% excise duty, the latter of which was not applicable before. Vehicles in this bracket include electric public utility vans, battery-operated microbuses and smaller e-cars which were gaining popularity across Nepal. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-electric-shock-to-nepals-energy-future/">An electric shock to Nepal’s energy future</a>, Ramesh Kumar “This is a blatant disregard for the country’s environment policies because the government has significantly increased the tax on more affordable EV options,” says environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar. “To add insult to injury, they have slashed the tax on bigger vehicles. This is suspicious, especially as it does nothing for government revenue even if that was the reasoning. It’s not just EVs, even the taxes for higher-end 350cc motorcycles have also been lowered.”&nbsp; Indeed, mid-range and high-end EVs enjoy reduced tax rates or a very minimal increase. Customs and excise for 100-200KW EVs is down from 30% to 20%. Similarly, customs duty for 200-300KW EVs has gone down from 45% to 40% while excise remains the same at 45%. Customs for EVs in the 300KW or above bracket is set at 60-80% against 60% previously with excise maintained at 60%. EVs with 100KW motors will now be at least 20% more expensive.&nbsp; ‘It is deliberate sabotage,’ wrote Atmospheric Scientist Arnico Panday who is also a central committee member of the RSP, the fourth largest party in Parliament on Twitter. ‘The present leadership does not care about clean air, health, people, domestic energy, new technology or the country's future, &amp; probably got bribed by dealers of polluting vehicles in segments with popular EVs.’ The government has changed the tax rates for EVs five times in two years, disrupting the market and raising suspicions that the rates are adjusted based on political patronage of power lobbies among car importers. Especially egregious is the increase in the tax of electric micro-buses which had started becoming a popular form of public transport, and fingers are pointing to diesel microbus importers. &nbsp; “The tax hike is also unfair from a social justice aspect as we are essentially denying those who could otherwise afford entry-level EVs,” says climate activist Shilshila Acharya. “Our EV landscape is being shaped by vested interest groups.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/potholes-on-the-highway-to-nepal-s-ev-future">Potholes on the highway to Nepal’s EV future</a>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230609020628_e4164e59b5982f63d1246eaebbbb6c118a33f051112cdf9885d2c430fd64d862.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20230609020628_e4164e59b5982f63d1246eaebbbb6c118a33f051112cdf9885d2c430fd64d862" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="ELectric bus NT"> <figcaption>Photo: GOPEN RAI</figcaption> </figure>  By 2024 Nepal’s peak power generation capacity is expected to reach 4,500MW while domestic demand will only grow to 2,000MW at current rates of consumption. Much of this surplus therefore risks being spilled. And as of now, Nepal is not allowed to export more than 420MW to India which has rejected any and all Chinese involvement in Nepal’s hydropower projects. Tax incentives for electric public transport would reduce Nepal’s growing petroleum import bill, and improve air quality. Air pollution was the direct cause of over 42,000 deaths in Nepal in 2019.&nbsp; “Our policies contradict our climate targets, but more importantly they make no sense even from an economic point of view,” adds Acharya who is with the Avni Centre for Sustainability. She adds: “We want to reduce our trade deficit and increase the consumption of hydropower. Electric vehicles would have been the best strategy going forward and yet we keep changing our mind about taxing them.” At COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow, Nepal’s prime minister committed to achieving net zero by 2045 and increasing the sales of private electric vehicles to 25% by 2025 and 90% by 2030. Electric public transport would be 20% by 2025 and 60% by 2030. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/news/e-2-wheelers">e-2 wheelers</a> Another sign of contradictory policies was the signing of two petroleum pipeline deals during Prime Minister Dahal’s visit to New Delhi last week. Both India and China have publicly announced that they would stop manufacturing petrol cars by 2030. By that time, Nepal will not be able to import fossil fuel-powered vehicles even if it wanted to. But perhaps the biggest letdown is the disincentives on switching to electric buses. The budget provides no concessions to electric public transport. India subsidies electric buses, but in Nepal government ministries have been putting up obstacles on charging station to run 40 electric buses by Sajha Yatayat.&nbsp; Within the electric vehicle bracket, it is the electric buses that benefit any country the most. Reliable public transport is accessible to most people, discourages consumerism and reduces traffic. “Things we could do immediately to correct our course of action is reduce the tax on electric micros, the market will boom benefiting small time entrepreneurs and help finance electric buses to rapidly shift to cleaner energy,” says Tuladhar who is also the director of Sajha Yatayat. He adds: “We could use the Rs4 billion already collected as pollution tax, just 5 million will buy 200 electric buses. If you must tax something, increase the pollution tax which is less than 1% of all the taxes we pay, and then divert the fund for clean alternatives.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply">Nepal goes electric, but conditions apply</a>, Ramesh Kumar Corrigendum: Corrected some new car prices from print edition.

1 step forward, 2 steps back in Nepal

Nothing could be more symbolic of Nepal’s goal of being net-zero in energy by 2045 than the sight on new year’s day on Thursday as three new Chinese electric buses drove past a hydro-electric plant and a solar panel array on the Bhote Kosi River.The three buses are the first of 40 battery-powered buses ordered by the Sajha Yatayat cooperative public transport service from China. They will be running on renewable energy generated by power-plants like the 45MW <a href="https://www.bhotekoshi.com.np/index.php" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bhotekoshi.com.np/index.php&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650092562397000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3sGdzihFRmy8Okph2swkt6">Upper Bhote Kosi</a> hydroelectric project along the Arniko Highway to the Chinese border.The three buses arrived at the Tatopani customs on Saturday, and will be brought to Kathmandu on flatbed trucks, since the highway is rough in places for the low-clearance buses. And after undergoing gradient, roadworthiness and range tests in Kathmandu, the other 37 buses will arrive later this year.  <figure><img width="4032" height="2268" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721cf79c7e80680e0bd4c0jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>New Chinese-made electric buses drive past the 45MW Bhote Kosi hydroelectric project and its solar power array on Thursday after entering Nepal. Photos and Video: BHUSHAN TULADHAR</figcaption></figure><img width="640" height="360" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721cfb9c7e80680e0bd4c1jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="360" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721cfe9c7e80680e0bd4c2jpeg.jpg" alt="">One of the three buses that Sajha Yatayat imported from China drive past the Upper Bhote Kosi hydroelectric project on Thursday. Thirty-seven more buses are on order. The $3.7 million deal with China’s CHTC company also includes the supply of 20 chargers of 90kW each, which can top up the batteries in two buses simultaneously in four hours.  “This is the future for transportation energy in Nepal,” says Sajha Yatayat board member and clean energy activist Bhusan Tuladhar. “We have to transition to electric public transport not just to reduce our carbon footprint and petroleum import bill, but also to reduce air pollution from diesel vehicles.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-backs-evs-to-boost-hydro-electricity-uptake/">Nepal backs EVs to boost hydro-electricity uptake</a>Tuladhar talks about how the buses will address Nepal’s 3E’s: energy management, environment management and economic management. “Electric buses are a win-win-win for us,” he adds. “Although the capital cost is high, with diesel prices being what they are, our operation costs will come down to make them feasible in the long-run.”Even before the current fuel price hike, 40% of Sajha Yatayat’s operational cost was fuel, spare parts and maintenance. With the diesel price hike, operating costs will have gone up to 50%, and the additional benefit is that battery-powered vehicles have lower maintenance cost.      <img width="1079" height="1119" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d029c7e80680e0bd4c3jpeg.jpg" alt="">Besides the 40 Chinese electric buses, Sajha is also negotiating with an Indian company for four smaller buses to be operated within Lalitpur, with more buses to be added later.       Later, Sajha will also expand to add 12m electric buses for inter-province long-distance connections. Earlier, the private Sundar Yatayat (pictured) had also brought in four electric buses which it is using on its Ring Road routes, and Guna Airlines uses a fleet of electric ramp buses at Kathmandu’s domestic airport.Nepal imported nearly 2,000 electric vehicles in the last fiscal year, with 800 being imported through Rasuwa border in just this year from China. The switch to private electric vehicles is a direct result of the government’s policy to reduce petroleum consumption, but electric bus prices are still high because of taxes and retailer margins are still high.Nepal’s plan is to electrify 25% of private cars and 20% of buses by 2025, but while private electric SUVs get a tax rebate and diesel buses that are subsidised, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2TlinPRZGnwOkQHeoCE13l">electric buses cost five times more</a> because of high customs duty and other taxes. <img width="517" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d049c7e80680e0bd4c4jpeg.jpg" alt="">Nepal’s installed generation capacity from hydropower plants increased by over 700MW in the past year, taking total generation to 2,150MW. However, most of these are from run-of-the river plants which means generation falls in dry months, and there is a surplus during the monsoon. Currently, Nepal is importing up to 400MW from India because of the domestic shortfall, but can export to India during the rainy season.At the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/blueprint-for-a-net-zero-nepal/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/blueprint-for-a-net-zero-nepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1JwQGIXUDq1U1I9u7zcZeb">COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow</a> last year, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba committed that Nepal would be on a path of “cumulatively net zero carbon’ from 2022 and by carbon negative after that by reducing fossil fuel consumption and increasing forest cover to 45% by 2030.   <img width="3242" height="1773" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d069c7e80680e0bd4c5jpeg.jpg" alt="">Nepal spent <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepals-chance-to-green-its-budget/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepals-chance-to-green-its-budget/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0P0L83rnW_hRhFKyWH2rh_">Rs217 billion last fiscal year</a> in importing petroleum, and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-climate-and-nepal/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-climate-and-nepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2z387Ff-kqIN6_dq2k1XsE">Rs180 billion just in the past six months</a>. With the global price hike of crude oil this amount is expected to be much higher in the current fiscal year. Petroleum products make up <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-crisis-hits-nepal-economy-hard/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-crisis-hits-nepal-economy-hard/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2M_RQvCJDmvWo1x6_GCmge">13% of Nepal’s total imports.</a>Petrol and diesel prices at the filling stations have been hiked four times in the past six months, and the cost of petrol is now Rs160/l – nearly double what it was last year. In fact, the government is planning to announce a five day work-week to reduce petroleum use by 20%.    <img width="881" height="537" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d099c7e80680e0bd4c6jpeg.jpg" alt="">The state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) says it <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-crisis-hits-nepal-economy-hard/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-crisis-hits-nepal-economy-hard/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2M_RQvCJDmvWo1x6_GCmge">loses Rs16 for every litre of petrol</a> and Rs12 for diesel it sells, raking up losses of Rs5 billion every month, which means further price hikes are a certainty. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/sky-high-fuel-price-hits-nepals-tourism-airlines/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/sky-high-fuel-price-hits-nepals-tourism-airlines/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1650088883049000&amp;usg=AOvVaw16AqXJhNWrbZmVnALocFGq">NOC says it has run out of cash</a> to pay for future fuel imports from India.Although the sight of electric buses driving past hydroelectric and solar plants on their way from the Chinese border to Kathmandu was a welcome sight, the poor condition of the Arniko Highway was also an indication of the dilapidated state of Nepal’s transport infrastructure. In fact, the buses cannot negotiate the bumpy road on their own and have to be loaded onto the backs of flatbed trucks to be ferried to Kathmandu.The highway as well as the Kodari checkpoint between Nepal and China has remained closed after damage in the 2015 earthquake. Built in 1996, the Upper Bhote Kosi power plant was also hit by twin disasters of the earthquake and a glacial lake outburst flood in 2015, and resumed operation only three years ago after repairs.Read more: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply/">Nepal goes electric, but conditions apply</a>, Ramesh Kumar

Nepal’s journey to electric public transport

Indra Maya Shrestha was raised in a village in Kavre by a sick mother and a father who could not afford to send her to school. She was always fascinated seeing people driving cars in the movies, and came to Kathmandu aged 17 with a dream of driving a car herself.But city life was not what she imagined, jobs were hard to come by, and getting a license was not so easy twenty years ago. One day, she rode a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/12-full-opinion/how-to-get-things-done-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Safa Tempo electric three wheeler</a> and was surprised to see a woman driving it.“That is when I thought, if those women can do it, so can I,” Shrestha recalls.It took her a year to get a driving license and become a Safa operator. Today, she owns her own three-wheeler and runs a charging station in Mahankal which can charge 35 battery-powered vehicles at one go.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101140/63720cfc9c7e80680e0b789cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="126" height="150"/><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101140/63720cfe9c7e80680e0b789djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="960"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Shrestha drives along four routes in the Sankhamul-Chabahil-Boudha-Kapan area with fellow female tempo operators Sunshang Ghising and Saraswoti Moktan. There were at most 20 <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10936#.Yies6S8w3u1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">female Safa Tempo drivers</a> 20 years ago. Today there are 500.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101140/63720d029c7e80680e0b789ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="519" height="500"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Saraswati Moktan came to Kathmandu from Hetauda as a newly married woman in 2002. Her husband took a job as a tempo operator, and when she found out that women drove the tempos too, she learned to drive as well.“My husband taught me to drive but when it was time to get a license, he stopped me,” recalls Moktan, who spent the next few years raising her son. “But in 2011, I put my foot down, this time he didn’t stop me.”Sunshang Ghising grew up in a family of five siblings in Dolakha. “My family had to wait for Dasain to wear nice clothes. How could my parents have afforded to send five kids to school?” she says.Ghising came to Kathmandu as a young mother 10 years ago, and initially worked as a seamstress. After the 2015 earthquake, she bought a Safa Tempo, at first not intending to drive it herself but after meeting other operators, changed her mind. She failed the licence test a few times, but got one eventually.For Shrestha, Ghising and Moktan, operating electric three-wheelers has been a path to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/vibrant-mithila-art-thrives-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">financial independence, supporting their families</a>, and putting children through school.“We are self-sufficient business operators,” says Ghising proudly.Adds Moktan, “We did not get the chance to be educated, and that is always a regret. But we have worked hard to educate our children.”Shrestha points to the jewellery Ghising is wearing, and laughs, “She bought that driving a Safa Tempo.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-backs-evs-to-boost-hydro-electricity-uptake/">Nepal backs EVs to boost hydro-electrivity uptake</a>,  Nepali Times<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101140/63720d049c7e80680e0b789fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Other women <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/women-standing-above-the-ground" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Safa Tempo drivers have moved on</a>. Chanmaya Tamang drove three-wheelers in Kathmandu for ten years, and now owns a car in which she gives driving lessons for women.It has not been easy for the women drivers. Women drivers are frequently harassed by traffic police and face constant discrimination.“Imagine, the police still ask us why we are out on the roads instead of at home cooking,” says Tamang. “If we attempt to talk back, they issue a fine on the spot.”Shrestha says she has been<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/theytoo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> sexually harassed</a> as well. Policemen often pull her over and initiate unwanted conversation. “They ask for our phone numbers, and if we refuse they give us tickets. Some women have actually quit driving because of this.”Meanwhile, the response from the passengers is markedly different, many are still surprised to find women behind the wheels. Some express their respect and appreciation when they get off at their stops, others do not ask for change or even pay five times the fare amount.“We know we have worked very hard, and we don’t need validation,” says Moktan. “But it still feels good to get such responses every once in a while.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101140/63720d079c7e80680e0b78a0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Because they operate electric vehicles, these female entrepreneurs are also helping Nepal reduce fossil fuel use and meet its <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/net-zero-is-not-zero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">goal of net-zero emissions</a>.Sonika Manandhar’s fin-tech company Aloi has been helping Safa Tempo entrepreneurs get affordable financing since 2018, and says the 700 electric three-wheelers are an important component of Kathmandu Valley’s public transport network, and have contributed to reducing Nepal’s climate impact in the past 30 years.“I call them climate ninjas,” Manandhar says.Safa Tempos started out in 1993 as a USAID project to convert polluting diesel Vikram three-wheelers into battery powered ones.Safa’s lithium-ion batteries need to be replaced every five years, while the lead-acid batteries are replaced every six months. At present, there are more than 700 Safa Tempos in Kathmandu Valley.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101140/63720d0a9c7e80680e0b78a1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-must-scrap-old-diesel-vehicles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">government’s ban</a> on 20-year old vehicles extends to the Safa tempos too. Even though operators successfully lobbied to extend it to 30 years, they have to constantly convince bureaucrats about the utility of these vehicles.Safe Tempos have also dissuaded many Nepali women from migrating overseas for work by providing a well-paying alternative job at home.“We earn as much here comfortably, and double that if we own our own vehicle,” says Shrestha.The chat with this reporter is over, and the women get out of the office into the sun and talk business for a while.Then Saraswati Moktan gets into Chanmaya Tamang’s Maruti. They say goodbye and leave, Tamang’s toddler seated in Moktan’s lap. Indra Maya Shrestha and Sunshang Ghising make their way to a teashop on their Shivaratri off day.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply/">Nepal goes electric, but conditions apply</a>, Ramesh Kumar

Shristi Karki

Women in the driving seat

<figure><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26344495@N05/50981261653/in/photostream/"></a></figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372051f9c7e80680e0b289cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1363"/><figcaption>Photo: IVAN RADIC/FLICKR</figcaption>Nepalis with battery-operated vehicles can now install a separate household meter to charge their vehicles as part of a drive by the state-owned utility to boost consumption of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/power-politics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">surplus hydro-electricity</a> from the country’s new plants.Electric vehicle (EV) owners can also opt for a larger capacity meter if the approved load for domestic use is insufficient, and the regulator is also increasing the load limit for industries, and offering additional meters for tenants on multi-storey apartments.A Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) board of directors meeting last week decided on a slew of measures to increase consumption of electricity. Nepal is now generating 500MW more than domestic demand, and this surplus is expected to grow during the monsoon.However, due to an <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-precious-electricity-going-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">imbalance in distribution</a> the country has to import power from India for certain areas of the country, while it sells electricity to India from other parts.“We must increase the consumption of domestically produced electricity at home to reduce spillover and wastage. That is why we are taking steps to make sure Nepalis have better access to reliable and quality power,” says Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) chief Kulman Ghising.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205229c7e80680e0b289djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1061"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>With the increase in popularity of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/fully-charged-and-ready-to-go/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">electric vehicles</a> NEA is encouraging private companies to set up charging stations in parking lots and open spaces with the new electric meter offer. Local governments will work with the NEA to facilitate the necessary paperwork.Despite a pledge to be fully electric in its transportation sector by 2031, Nepal had yet to take a significant step or invest accordingly, even though last year it <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-reduces-tax-on-electric-cars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">re-introduced a tax rebate</a> for battery-powered vehicles.After complaints that house-owners were overcharging tenants for power consumption, NEA has warned landlords that their mains will be cut if they do so. Further, it is now allowing tenants to set up their own electric meters. Those living in apartment blocks, multi-storey residential buildings and housing colonies will also be allowed to have their own meters.“Occupants of apartments can get electricity directly from the NEA with a separate meter, that way the tariff will be cheaper and the consumption will also increase,” explains Ghising, adding that factories within the same industrial complex will also be allowed separate meters.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205269c7e80680e0b289ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3242" height="1773"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The new regulation has also streamlined the mechanism for consumers to settle their electricity bills. They can pay in installments, through mobile apps and even customers who have been blacklisted because of their dues can arrange to pay it back in up to 12 instalments.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-electricity-demand-soars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The NEA</a> is also providing power feeds to refrigerated storage for dairy products, cooperatives-run cold storages and drinking water and irrigation projects operated by the government or communities.The new regulation has also increased the load limit for companies from 50kV to 100kV for which the NEA will supply power via its transformers. If the companies pass the mark, they need to buy the transformer themselves.

Nepal backs EVs to boost hydro-electricity uptake

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637202fc9c7e80680e0b27e3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"/><figcaption>Vehicles are one of the biggest emitters of PM2.5 and other pollutants in Kathmandu. Photos: AMIT MACHAMASI</figcaption></figure>It is that time of the year again when smog makes <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/air-pollution-is-more-dangerous-than-smoking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kathmandu’s air hazardous to health</a>. Hospitals are swamped not with Covid, but COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).Once more, there is a flurry of media headlines about the dangerous concentration of suspended particles smaller than 2.5 microns from diesel exhaust.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/happy-new-air/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Happy New Air</a>, Sonia AwalePublic awareness about air pollution is at an all-time high, the average life expectancy of Kathmandu’s residents is reduced by at least four years. Yet, nothing happens. Why?“The awareness and knowledge have not translated into corrective action,” explains environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar. “We know about vehicle emission tests but we ignore it, open burning is bad but we don’t stop, we have the opportunity to reduce air pollution with electric mass transport but we don’t invest in it.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203009c7e80680e0b27e4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Air pollution was directly linked to at least 42,100 deaths in Nepal in 2019. Almost half of that was due to breathing in particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter which can cross the air blood barrier in the lung capillaries. Most of those particles come from <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/green-sticker-green-light-to-pollute/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vehicle emission</a>.From 1990 to 2015, the number of vehicless in Nepal grew by 1,995,404 — most of them in Kathmandu Valley. In five years, that figure doubled to 3,987,267.This figure doesn’t include the exploding demand for cars and motorcycles after the end of the Covid second wave in mid-2021. Nepal spent Rs543 billion in importing vehicles, transport equipment and spare parts in four months from mid-July to mid-October, against Rs357 billion and Rs418 billion for the same periods in 2020 and 2019.“There has been an unexpectedly high demand for private vehicles in Nepal after the pandemic, especially two wheelers given the public’s hesitancy to use buses due to coronavirus fears,” says Dhruba Thapa of the National Automotive Dealers Association.<iframe style="border: none;" title="Total vehicles in Nepal" src="https://e.infogram.com/e0cdbfd0-0b3c-4f57-851e-7aced6e69116?src=embed" width="700" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com/e0cdbfd0-0b3c-4f57-851e-7aced6e69116" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Total vehicles in Nepal</a><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Infogram</a>Raju Chettri, CEO of the MAW Enterprises that imports Yamaha bikes in Nepal has a similar observation. He saw a decline in the annual sales of two wheelers from about 250,000 units to 190,000 right after the pandemic. But this year, the sales went up to 350,000 units.“There are two reasons behind this: pent-up demand and reduced use of public transport because of Covid fears,” Chettri says.There are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/poisoning-the-air-we-breathe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than 3.1 million two-wheeers in Nepal</a>, over one million of them in Kathmandu. They are adding to the capital’s foul air, as they are up to 10 times more polluting per passenger kilometre than buses and cars.<iframe style="border: none;" title="Total Motorbikes in Nepal" src="https://e.infogram.com/ea449cd7-2598-4cd4-8ae2-cd91858f9553?src=embed" width="700" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com/ea449cd7-2598-4cd4-8ae2-cd91858f9553" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Total Motorbikes in Nepal</a><a style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" href="https://infogram.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Infogram</a>Two-wheelers also emit invisible toxic gases like carbon monoxide, benzene and nitrous oxides, and increase the concentration of street-level ozone. Motorcycle exhaust may not be as visible as diesel exhaust, but they are highly poisonous — especially when there are so many of them. Besides exacerbating respiratory diseases, the gases are carcinogenic, causing cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer’s.The solution is to shift rapidly to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-electric-transport-future-is-here/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cleaner electric vehicles</a>, not just for healthier air but also to meet Nepal’s net-zero pledge in Glasgow and to reduce the country’s burgeoning petroleum import bill.“The priority has to be on electric public transport and supporting infrastructure,” says environmentalist Tuladhar. “Electric buses are more expensive than diesel ones, so the government has to help with capital, and better manage Kathmandu’s public transport.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203039c7e80680e0b27e5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="480"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This week, Nepal opened its first electric charging station powered by solar panels for the Lumbini Development Trust. Similar charging stations can be set up for public and private vehicles in existing bus parks across Nepal and along highways. Sajha Yatayat which is procuring 40 electric buses is also trying to turn the former trolley bus terminal into a charging station.Shilshila Acharya of the Avni Center for Sustainability agrees that the priority should be on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/from-a-fossil-past-to-an-electric-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">electrifying public transport</a> and encouraging bicycle lanes. She says, “Replacing cars with more cars even if electric only promotes consumerism. We have to give people reliable alternatives.”Kathmandu Valley Air Quality Management Action Plan held its first implementation committee meeting this week, during which it discussed lunching of a USAID-funded project for air pollution and a forecasting system with technical support from ICIMOD.“The problem of air pollution will take some time to be solved but we have started our homework,” says Indu Joshi of the Department of Environment. “At the moment, our biggest challenge is controlling open burning.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203069c7e80680e0b27e6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="2625"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Apart from transport, garbage burning and biomass fuel for household heating and cooking are also contributors to Kathmandu’s dirty air. The problem is made worse in winter due to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/how-weather-elevates-air-pollution-in-kathmandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Valley’s topography that traps surface pollution</a> in an inversion layer.Improper <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/a-load-of-rubbish-kathmandus-garbage-problem,4039" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">solid waste management in Kathmandu</a> means locals burn garbage by the riverbanks near residential areas — while, as studies show, segregation of waste at homes can reduce the city’s garbage volume by up to 80%.There is no other problem that is so directly linked with the health and economy of the country as urban air pollution. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-lockdown-proves-air-quality-can-be-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19 lockdown in 2020</a> is proof that Kathmandu can be cleaned up, it just needs <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dirty-politics-dirty-air/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the right leadership and the political will</a> to back it up.Says Shilashila Acharya: “Our policies on mobility and air pollution have to be people- and culture-centric, instead of focusing only on technology. We must build public pressure to force the politicians into action.”A public opinion poll in this paper just before the 2017 elections showed that a majority of Nepalis were concerned about the health impact of pollution. Since 2022 will be dominated by campaigning for the next election, this could be turned into the main criteria for candidates to win votes.

Breathing can kill you

Nepal’s former king Gyanendra was greeted by flag-waving supporters as he arrived at Kathmandu Airport on Sunday afternoon from Pokhara after attending pro-monarchy rallies in various parts of the country. Gyanendra and his family were escorted from the airport by supporters to his residence at Nirmal Niwas, where his family has been living since 2008 when the Constituent Assembly abolished the monarchy. The 2015 Constitution then turned Nepal into a federal democratic republic. The deposed monarch had been on a two-month long tour of religious sites and local communities across western Nepal, ending in a two-week stay in Pokhara. After staying out of controversy, Gyanendra made a statement on Nepal’s Democracy Day last month in which he said he was willing to play a role in “saving the country”. There has been a surge of pro-monarchy posts and videos on social media, where the country’s previous kings have been glorified as being nationalists who were respected by the international community.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_07b324fee8d082ed3f8566544e24d45fcd600bbb122374fc39c7a94ce3d044f2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20250309120340_07b324fee8d082ed3f8566544e24d45fcd600bbb122374fc39c7a94ce3d044f2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1914" height="1276" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_769f688f3a5eb3602f4c24c350ba1caa6965a171c079d783e28db0f746b810d0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250309120340_769f688f3a5eb3602f4c24c350ba1caa6965a171c079d783e28db0f746b810d0" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>  Nepal’s monarchists, which include Gyanendra’s backers, several pro-monarchist parties and other anti-government figures, think <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/new-year-same-difference">public disillusionment </a>with the country’s ageing and ineffective leaders and institutions is at breaking point.&nbsp; There is also disappointment with elected leaders and technocrats from new parties like the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), with its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/rabi-s-detention-churns-nepali-politics">leader Rabi Lamichhane under investigation</a> for his alleged involvement in a scandal involving diverting funds from cooperatives. One of the staunchest backers of Gyanendra’s comeback as king is former BBC journalist Rabindra Mishra, who has been active on social media platforms posting videos and text extolling the monarchy. He has referenced recent street uprisings in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Syria, cautioning Nepal’s mainstream leaders not to dismiss support for the monarchy. ‘Support for a return to monarchy is increasing even though the mainstream parties may dismiss it,’ wrote Mishra. ‘Like the leaders of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, they should not try to suppress the voices on the streets.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_d8758f6b7474c9f3aea3661ccd60955d8553971cb0d799039bbfd232aa1a0691.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250309120340_d8758f6b7474c9f3aea3661ccd60955d8553971cb0d799039bbfd232aa1a0691" data-rendition-name="original" width="1890" height="1260" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_63613759744c0fac33ff3eabc298079c3e525063882f4b3760954bbc0833b5cd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20250309120340_63613759744c0fac33ff3eabc298079c3e525063882f4b3760954bbc0833b5cd" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>  But for all their bluster, Nepal’s mainstream politicians who have rotated leadership of the country between themselves, seem worried about the crowds on the streets in support of the monarchy. The TikTok ban last year, which the government said was to ‘maintain social harmony’ was put into effect to prevent pro-monarchy groups from organising on the platform. The ban on TikTok has now been lifted, and supporters of the monarchy have mobilised platforms to fan nostalgia of the golden age of royalty, and to brand former kings Mahendra and Birendra as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/a-past-foretold">nationalists who upheld Nepal’s sovereignty during the Cold War</a> and commanded respect worldwide. Archival video clips of Mahendra being received by President Eisenhower in 1960 and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/if-birendra-was-alive-nepal-could-still-be-a-monarchy">Birendra </a>by President Reagan in 1983 have been liked by thousands. Comments contrast this to the incompetence and poor standing of Nepal’s current prime ministers.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_7dab05f5703e17a82da73277f0b39bf178c1005e0758aa50077ffe1a037f4af6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250309120340_7dab05f5703e17a82da73277f0b39bf178c1005e0758aa50077ffe1a037f4af6" data-rendition-name="original" width="1810" height="1206" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_1ab38cdccfd076babd78579fa345520a7b2fa9c838322226a259540c8c290437.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250309120340_1ab38cdccfd076babd78579fa345520a7b2fa9c838322226a259540c8c290437" data-rendition-name="original" width="1812" height="1206" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>  While most of the people present at the demonstration included the older demographic, younger people have especially used social media to express their support for the monarchy. Young Nepalis, disillusioned with leaders who have been prime minister multiple times since the mid-1990s, are attracted to the idea of reinstating the monarchy as a form of anti-incumbent protest, but also because they have little to no memory of living under an authoritarian absolute monarchy. ‘Those who say the monarchy is paramount today are the ones who did not live through it in the past, and are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs,’ wrote Guna Raj Luitel, Chief Editor of Nagarik Daily, in an op-ed in the newspaper on Sunday.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_720d0059207b9918def39e983d9b5c114b6afb4e7ac0ed1dadd2cba2f20f9aa6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250309120340_720d0059207b9918def39e983d9b5c114b6afb4e7ac0ed1dadd2cba2f20f9aa6" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_bfe50ebd413d1b177ebd02df5f837038d8a04c9d343afe39be1ebcde36db893a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20250309120340_bfe50ebd413d1b177ebd02df5f837038d8a04c9d343afe39be1ebcde36db893a" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>  He added: ‘For those of us who have spent parts of our lives under the rule of the king… we have not yet forgotten those days, when the institution was unable to do any useful work, a disheartening period characterised by Nepalis being unable to speak freely.’ Commentators have especially been pointing to Gyanendra’s military coup in 2005 when he dissolved parliament, and tried to take the country back to the time of absolute monarchy, just like his father Mahendra did in 1960. Gyanendra became king after his brother and most of his family were killed in the royal palace massacre in 2001. Many Nepalis still seem to believe that Gyanendra was responsible, and some of this is reflected in comments on monarchist social media posts. As the monarchist rallies spread, Prime Minister K P Oli said last week that if Gyanendra really wanted power, he should form a political party and run in the next elections in 2027. Other leaders have urged the former king to honour the 2008 Constitutional Assembly decision to abolish the monarchy, as well as Nepal’s 2015 Constitution.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_978ef979c7774312ac00d3192803d974ea57ec45d704f89663b301f4f0cc9704.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250309120340_978ef979c7774312ac00d3192803d974ea57ec45d704f89663b301f4f0cc9704" data-rendition-name="original" width="1832" height="1221" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250309120340_d11276de0161d258f135e8fba4d3eb37d0a9e579b06a4819c6609b4ecdbbe51e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="20250309120340_d11276de0161d258f135e8fba4d3eb37d0a9e579b06a4819c6609b4ecdbbe51e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal NT"> </figure>  &nbsp;In response, royalist leaders including Kamal Thapa, Rajendra Lingden, and Rabindra Mishra have responded that the monarchy is above the electoral system, calling for the reinstatement of a constitutional monarchy in which Gyanendra would be a figurehead. “There is no question of the king contesting an election, that is our job,” said RPP-Nepal chair Kamal Thapa in a tv interview. “The monarchy is a custodian of the nation, it is an institution above electoral politics.” However, there does seem to be a disagreement between hardline royalists who want a return to absolute monarchy in which Gyanendra would actually hold executive powers, and those who favour a ceremonial one. Gyanendra recently visited Bhutan, where he was given a royal welcome, and has made several trips to India where there is some support for reinstating Nepal as the world’s only Hindu kingdom.

The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal

Kathmandu was once a lake inhabited by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/snakes-on-plains">serpents</a>, until Manjushree visiting from present-day China saw a fluorescent lotus in the water. To reach it, the sage used his flaming sword to cut a gorge <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/dry-port-at-chobhar-faces-resistance">at Chobhar</a>, draining the lake and turning it into a fertile valley. The Manjushree Trail Race (MTR) is inspired by this legend. There are five categories along a near-circular route around the rim of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/bringing-silicon-valley-to-kathmandu-valley">Kathmandu Valley</a>: 10k, 30k, 50k, 100k, and one that is 100 miles that is 157.7km (map, right). The 100 miles category starts at 8AM on 14 March, and runners have 52 hours until noon on 16 March to complete it. Arjun Kulung Rai’s 26:52:56 is the current record, set in 2024. “<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17327">The Manjushree legend</a> and the perfect loop make the race very meaningful, and I wanted to do it,” says participant Dong Sheng from the northern Chinese city of Harbin who started running in 2016 with 5k until he accomplished a 100 miler in 2022. “<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/first-edition-ultra-trail-kathmandu,1050">Running </a>is spiritual, as you are always trying to overcome what you could previously do.” Sheng is one of 131 international runners who have signed up for the Manjushree race, where there are a total of 502 participants this year, 94 of them women. The first edition of the race only had 7 runners total. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-trail-running-champions">Nepali trail running champions</a>, Preeti Khattri “A reason this race is popular is because it is a good mix of rural and accessible,” says Jimmy Oostrom, a Dutch runner. “Often, 100-milers are way out of the way. Here, the start is only a short drive after landing in Kathmandu.”&nbsp; The 100 mile and 50km are now qualifier races for the Asia Trail Masters, an international series of trail races based in Hong Kong. Last year, a Nepali team competed and won in the Asia Trail Master Championship series in Borneo. The 100-mile category starts and finishes at Single Tree on Nagarjun, other distances have different start and end points. On the winning team was Rashila Tamang, who is part of Trailmandu that implements logistics for the race, such as recruiting and training volunteers, and marking the route. “Nepal has great <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=9938">geography</a> for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/mira-rai-racing-to-help-other-runners">trail running</a>, but it is still very hard to make it your career,” says Tamang.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025031219034_98b83aa3d42c7d5e8a2ef2f80dc03512374413e31eb55441234cd075bea7e113.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="2025031219034_98b83aa3d42c7d5e8a2ef2f80dc03512374413e31eb55441234cd075bea7e113" data-rendition-name="original" width="1244" height="598" loading="lazy" alt="Manjushree Trail map "> </figure>  The MTR has a guidebook detailing the categories, route, checkpoints, rules and what is available at each stop.&nbsp; “If we say we’re going to start at 8, we’re going to start at 8,” says Narayan Acharya, the man behind naming the race ‘Manjushree’. “People tried to sign up after the deadline, we had to tell them no.” Acharya who builds <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/foundations-for-sustainable-buildings-in-nepal">traditional rammed earth houses</a> through his company Sustainable Future Nepal, has been long involved with promoting trail running in Nepal, and hailing from Jumla himself, mentored <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/run-sunmaya-run">Sunmaya Budha</a> also from Jumla, now a trail running star in and outside Nepal. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/sunmaya-budha-stays-in-the-running">Sunmaya Budha stays in the running</a>, Vishad Raj Onta&nbsp; The organisers are sponsoring up to 50 runners from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/portrait-of-a-photographer-in-rural-nepal">rural Nepal</a> who may not afford the Rs6,000 entry fee to participate. “It is hard to get sponsors to give us money because Nepal is still a pretty small market,” says Oostrom, currently on crutches due to an ACL injury. “We also have to take the necessary precautions to make sure we can quickly help a runner in trouble.” The logistics of an ultra trail race are more complicated than a <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=1223">marathon</a>. Marking and maintaining the trail requires careful work, especially as signs often get lost. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-steadfastness-of-a-long-distance-runner">long distances </a>also require runners to run through the night.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025031219030_19111e03939541b8980007437c89966dc7a8fd6246b8407440694503bf7890a3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="2025031219030_19111e03939541b8980007437c89966dc7a8fd6246b8407440694503bf7890a3" data-rendition-name="original" width="2250" height="1501" loading="lazy" alt="Manjushree Trail "> </figure>  A <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/business/buddha-air-gets-state-of-the-art-flight-tracking-system">live tracking system </a>would ensure a runner’s safety as well as prevent cheating, but for now organisers are relying on vigilant volunteers and fellow runners to find runners needing help. There are strict rules for the race, and breaking them can result in significant time penalties or even disqualification. Get food or drink assistance outside of the checkpoints and you get a penalty of 15 minutes. Miss any pieces of mandatory gear and an hour is added to your time. Take some sort of shortcut or cheat using a vehicle, and you are disqualified. There are dangers like cliffs <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/cantilever-trail-nepal">along the trail</a>, lightning on exposed ridges, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/disasters-in-nepal-come-in-waves">landslides caused by earthquakes</a>, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/trekking-to-save-nepals-snow-leopards">leopards</a>, and hornet swarms. Ultra running takes a massive toll on the body. The brain may shut off certain areas to be able to keep going, so volunteers watch runners carefully.&nbsp; “After mile 50, your body starts digesting itself,” says Oostrom.&nbsp; Alongside Acharya and Oostrom, the organising crew is made up of race director Ashish Mishra, and Jeevan Lama and Rashila Tamang from Trailmandu. “We can execute this race well because we are all passionate runners ourselves,” says Acharya. The team has taken measures to make the race safe and comfortable for female participants. ‘Run freely, speak openly, and wear what makes you feel comfortable in our races,’ says the guidebook. Prize money is the same for male and female winners, across categories.&nbsp; Lately, Nepal has been steadily building itself as a destination for<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/taking-the-high-line"> adventure sports </a>such as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-pushes-mountain-bike-tourism">mountain biking</a> and trail running. And with the Manjushree race, enthusiasts have hopes to set the standard for other trail races in the country. Sheng has been part of big races in China. “The better the economy, and more money people have, the more they can get involved in such pursuits,” he says. “But I have to say, for the scale of this race, everything has been done very professionally.”&nbsp;

Around Kathmandu in 100 miles

Generative <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/artificial-censorship">AI models</a> such as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/chatgpt-news-about-nepal">ChatGPT</a> and Sonnet are trained on massive amounts of data that have over time enabled them to answer general questions. But they do not perform as well on narrower domains, even hallucinating or making things up.
Now here comes <a href="https://www.anthromind.com/">Anthromind</a>, a startup developed by a 28-year-old Nepali engineer Pratik Karki in the tech-womb at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-in-the-decade-of-ai">Silicon Valley</a>, which develops datasets to improve the performance of AI models in specific areas.
Large<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-bhasa-on-google-translate"> language models </a>are ‘distilled’ by running them on smaller, higher-quality data. AI is first used to assist with labelling or generating data. After that, human experts look at the responses and explain how they are wrong, helping tune the model just right.
Karki got the idea while working at Google, where he saw that while companies were trying to create their own models, they failed because the data was of low quality. In 2024, he left his lucrative job and took a risk by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-can-create-a-business-friendly-environment?fb_comment_id=2995148037177314_6370548419637242">setting up a business </a>that could make real impact.
It has not been easy. At Google he was one of over 100,000 employees, but after launching Anthromind, Karki has had to do sales, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4323">marketing</a>, and recruiting, as well as leading a whole new team.
“At some point in your career, everything turns into sales,” Karki told us by phone. “You need to sell <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/why-invest-in-nepal">potential investors</a> on your vision, and you get a million no’s before a yes.” The connections he made at Google helped, and he even managed to poach a few and others became <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-has-to-curb-corruption-before-wooing-investors">investors</a>.
Karki studied in Biratnagar before moving to Kathmandu to do his A-levels where he did business courses. He remembers those formative years and credits his teachers in Nepal for encouraging him to put himself out there and to speak up when needed.
He then went to Grinnell College in Iowa where he studied computer science and statistics, and realised that he liked to code: “I especially got a high debugging a program until it worked.”&nbsp;
He went on to pursue a Master’s in Computer Science and describes the course as a pure program with some very difficult machine learning courses.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/tech-and-transition-in-nepal">Tech and transition in Nepal</a>, Ashutosh Mani Dixit
Karki was recruited to Google from a highly selective early career program and got to work closely with the companies that were then building the generative Large Language Models that have since taken the world by storm. He worked on essential training infrastructure, including data warehousing and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=9825">computing </a>needs.
“Internally, we all knew about this<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/makeshift/addressing-nepals-digital-divide"> technology </a>and how disruptive they would be,” says Karki. “But I also saw its limitations.”
Karki took a calculated risk in setting up his own company, knowing fully well that for Anthromind to succeed he would need a very obsessive and disciplined mindset.&nbsp;
“Every Friday evening I look at weekly data, and what worked and what didn’t, especially in terms of getting customers,” he says. “I had to be very deliberate with everything I did.”
Karki attributes this discipline and frugality to growing up in Nepal, which he misses dearly, especially his family and the community. His best friends in California are Nepalis, they meet often and have already made plans to celebrate the approaching <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/new-year-same-difference">Nepali New Year</a> with home-made <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/adventures-of-a-little-dumpling-named-momo-and-other-books">momos</a>.&nbsp;
Karki sees a lot more potential in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/it-is-it">IT industry in Nepal</a>, at the moment saturated with service-based companies when ideally new businesses should focus on products.&nbsp;
He explains how companies that provide offshore <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/tech-away/nepal-s-health-tech-industry-is-here-to-stay">tech services </a>operate in a ‘default:alive’ state, where they can carry on even if they only have one client.
The alternative is a company whose success depends entirely on the quality of the product it puts out, a ‘default:dead’ state. This forces programmers to adopt an urgent, disciplined mindset. While a lot harder and riskier, it also has higher returns.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/people-power/nepal-as-an-ai-power-bank">Nepal as an AI power bank</a>, Bikash Pandey
Karki is in a cohort of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/12-full-opinion/let-s-listen-to-nepal-s-young-changemakers">young Nepalis</a> in the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/it-is-all-about-it-in-nepal,3887">IT industry</a> who have proven that serious tech innovation can come out of Nepal. Pukar Hamal of SecurityPal was recently featured in Forbes, while Sameer Maskey’s FuseMachines has been listed on NASDAQ.
Financially independent since 18, Karki says <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/1-in-5-nepal-families-lack-food">Nepali families</a> should encourage their children to make such moves. Nepal’s education system should reward curiosity, instead of quelling it, to promote <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/business/kesha-kumari-damini-awarded-by-norwegian-business-for-peace-foundation,1356">entrepreneurship</a>.&nbsp;
He says, “Students should be rewarded for thinking individually and speaking out, like I was.”

Kathmandu Valley to Silicon Valley

Throughout human history, civilisations have been named after the rivers along which they flourished: Indus Valley, Nile, Tigris-Euphrates. Many of these cultures later collapsed, partly because they could not manage their water needs properly. Three recent books about Himalayan rivers look at their history and geography, and how they nourished civilisations downstream. The rivers gave birth to the world’s major religions, their waters and the mountains from which they sprang were revered. Mythology and geology converge in High Asia. Mt Kailash is holy to the Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Bon faiths as the centre of the world and the abode of the gods. Indeed, from its vicinity emerge Asia’s great rivers: the Indus and Sutlej, Ganga and the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) and Karnali (Mapcha Tsangpo).&nbsp; Legend has it that Kathmandu Valley was once a primordial lake drained by Manjushree who cut a mountain with his flaming sword. There is scientific evidence that the paleo lake was indeed emptied in stages starting 40,000 years ago after a tsunami unleashed by a major earthquake epicentred in Langtang. The Bon faith describes the Tibetan Plateau being pushed up from a roiling primeval sea, confirming current evidence about the orogenesis of the Himalaya. In local lore, supernatural lha (animal deities) and lu (serpents, naga) moved from sea to land, just as the theory of evolution explains the emergence of early amphibians and land creatures. In <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Rivers-of-the-Asian-Highlands-From-Deep-Time-to-the-Climate-Crisis/Gamble-Tan-Xu-Beavis-Maurer-Pittock-Powers-Wasson/p/book/9781032490595?srsltid=AfmBOopjkpgcN1_7t1jTI_Z1_27yRthBTbdHA15OWcE9Ge3S409jhUX3">Rivers of the Asian Highlands: From Deep Time to the Climate Crisis</a>, Himalayan historian <a href="https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/rgamble">Ruth Gamble</a> and co-authors begin by tracing the genesis of the Himalaya, citing evidence that the Tibetan Plateau pre-dated the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates 50 million years ago. Asia’s main rivers co-emerged with the mountains, their waters cutting canyons through rocks as they were uplifted. The gigantic pileup acted as a moisture trap for the proto-monsoon, the rain and ice sculpting peaks as they rose. But so strong were tectonic forces that the uplift outpaced erosion on the Tibetan Plateau. These dynamic processes are still at work, but in many places across High Asia there is a new factor at play: modern infrastructure (like haphazard road-building in Nepal) is increasing erosion faster than the uplift rate.&nbsp; ‘This is an example of human action overcoming tectonics,’ write the authors in Rivers of the Asian Highlands, in which the chapters look at Himalayan rivers from a planetary scale, their socio-cultural histories, to present-day engineering to regulate them. An ongoing dam-building spree and anthropogenic climate breakdown combine to bring about the most rapid change the Himalaya and their rivers have seen for millions of years. One example is the Medog Hydropower Station being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo at a bend on the Brahmaputra before it enters India. The river drops 2,000m within a 50km stretch, the gradient allowing it to generate 60,000MW — the biggest single hydroelectric plant in the world. Gamble and the authors of Rivers of the Asian Highlands highlight the Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE) of the Himalaya that allows falling water to be converted into electricity. But GPE also unleashes landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and Landslide Lake Outburst Floods (LLOFs), the risks posed by them magnified by climate change and seismicity. <blockquote>The Asian Highlands’ abundance of Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE) can support the region’s energy transition, but it needs to be produced in much less hazardous and less environmentally and socially impactful ways. The best means of doing this is through off-river, pumped-storage hydropower stations that back up solar and wind energy generators. Smaller projects such as this would also involve less risky tunneling and displacement.</blockquote> Rivers of the Asian Highlands: From Deep Time to the Climate Crisis by Ruth Gamble, et al. There is geological evidence that megafloods on Himalayan rivers are more responsible than mass wasting in weathering down the mountains. One big LLOF, for example, could ‘move 1,000 times more sediment than would otherwise be transported over millions of years’. Permafrost melting in the Tibetan Plateau and inside moraines caused recent back-to-back GLOFs in Chamoli in the Indian Himalaya, Melamchi in Nepal, and the South Lhonak in Sikkim — all deadly disasters that together destroyed billions of dollars worth of infrastructure downstream. Rivers of the Asian Highlands travels from deep time to the present climate crisis, taking readers through neatly divided chapters titled Mountain Rivers, Climatic Rivers, Frozen Rivers, Living Rivers, Human Rivers, Territorializing Rivers, Agricultural and Pastoral Rivers, even NGOs and Rivers.&nbsp; Although the book’s title is about the ‘Asian highlands’, it <a href="https://www.himalmag.com/comment/eastern-himalaya-cradle-ethnogenesis">focuses mainly on the Dri Chu (Yangtse)</a> and Yarlung Tso (Brahmaputra). Readers looking for references to Nepal’s rivers will be disappointed, although there is quite a bit about Bhutan. This is surprising because 70% of the annual flow in the Ganga is from tributaries in Nepal, some of them rivers like Karnali, Arun or Bhote Kosi that traverse the Tibetan rimlands. As demand for water and energy grows in the large and increasingly affluent population of north India, and climate breakdown melts Himalayan glaciers, storing monsoon runoff on reservoirs in Nepal is going to be the geopolitical issue of the next decades.&nbsp; The chapter on NGOs and Rivers also fails to cite the work of Nepal’s civil society groups like the Alliance for Energy that built international solidarity in 1995 against the Arun III project on a river that starts in Tibet and flows into Nepal. Ultimately, the World Bank pulled out of the project and the Nepal government invested in smaller decentralised plants. Today, a cascade of power plants are being built by Indian companies on the Arun which do not seem to have taken into account the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads2659">2023 Sikkim GLOF</a> that swept away the $1 billion dollar Teesta III and destroyed other infrastructure. The World Bank itself is back with the Upper Arun project located directly below expanding glacial lakes in Tibet.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250222020256_f2b33e60e6b386308bdf59b58b59e116e90e2e4466a06200faf76fd851f53505.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250222020256_f2b33e60e6b386308bdf59b58b59e116e90e2e4466a06200faf76fd851f53505" data-rendition-name="original" width="5712" height="3213" loading="lazy" alt="Teesta"> <figcaption>The Super Trisuli project in Nepal has ruined the most scenic and ecologically sensitive part of the river to generate just 100MW of power. Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  Despite geographical gaps, Rivers of the Asian Highlands reads like an encyclopedia of Himalayan rivers. The authors look at them not in isolation but as interconnected systems which need a multidisciplinary approach to study the geological, religio-cultural, infrastructure, climate and ecosystem services aspects of catchments.&nbsp; Mt Kailash (Kang Rinpoche) is a case in point. It is fascinating to think that it was part of a mountain range even before the collision of the continents that formed the Himalaya, and was probably buried in ice 3km thick till 15,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025022203020_23c02ec4671f5c3c561fa6b450c1f209720a25794e067b9bb5db0f4649b1b6dc.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2025022203020_23c02ec4671f5c3c561fa6b450c1f209720a25794e067b9bb5db0f4649b1b6dc" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Mt Kailash"> <figcaption>Mt Kailash. Photo: NABIN BARAL</figcaption> </figure>  Lake Mansarovar and Mt Kailash are also the subject of the new Nepali language book छालबाटो (Road by the Waves) by environmental journalist <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-and-china-to-study-trans-himalayan-railway">Ramesh Bhushal</a> in which he walked, rafted and drove from the source of the Karnali in Tibet, right through 500km of western Nepal, and on to India <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/dancing-with-the-river">where the river meets the Ganga</a>. In his entourage is activist, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Comment/rivers-fighting-back,993">Megh Ale</a>, who is on a campaign to stop dams and infrastructure on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/dams-and-dreams-a-journey-down-the-karnali">Nepal’s longest and only free-flowing river</a>. The book profiles his lonely upstream struggle to conserve the country’s rivers. “We worship rivers, but we don’t love them,” laments Ale. Bhushal’s book is as much about the landscape of this transboundary river as it is about the people he meets along the way, and their relationship with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-denial-in-the-himalaya">a river that most regard as a curse </a>keeping them poor because they believe it flows out of Rakshas Tal (Lagngar Tso) in Tibet, regarded as a lake of demons, unlike the sacred Mansarovar nearby. The expedition is out to prove that the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/a-karnali-portrait">Karnali River</a> actually starts in the mountains 50km southwest of the Mansarovar (Mapamyu Tso) at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ9Za5QDkvY">Peacock Falls (Mapchu Khambap)</a>. The Indus is called Sengge (Lion), Sutlej is Langchen (elephant) and the Brahmaputra is Tamchok (horse), all starting within 60km of Mansarovar but flowing out in different directions. <blockquote>“I have visited hundreds of rivers around the world, but for some reason I have never seen a river as beautiful as the Karnali. One day I would like to visit its source.”</blockquote> River conservation activist Megh Ale quoted in छालबाटो by Ramesh Bhusal. But all this reverence for the mountains and rivers may not be enough to save the region from the impact of climate breakdown. Heat stress in the Subcontinent will coincide with a shortage of water in the coming decades.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/opinion/himalayas-mountains-dams.html">Sunil Amrith</a> in his 2019 book, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-monsoon-and-nature-s-arithmetic">Unruly Waters: How Mountain Rivers and Monsoons Have Shaped South Asia’s History</a> takes a broader look at how geotectonics, geopolitics, colonialism and nationalism have determined the relations between human beings and rivers. The Himalayan water cycle starts from monsoon moisture that precipitates with orographic uplift along the mountains, atmospheric rivers unleash cloudbursts, ground water emerges from springs that join up to flow down to rivers and the ocean. The Third Pole is the biggest repository of fresh water stored as ice after the polar regions. But it is a hotspot both because of the climate crisis and geopolitical tensions, which impacts on river basin cooperation, early warning data sharing, and ultimately in mitigation of greenhouse gas emission and planning for new risks faced by infrastructure. After independence, India adopted the colonial extraction model for rivers. Inaugurating the Bhakra-Nangal Dam in 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru called it “a temple of &nbsp;modern India … worthy of worship’. Gamble also alludes to this in her book about the European attitude about rivers as a resource to be ‘enclosed, extracted, scrutinised, commodified’. <a href="https://dialogue.earth/en/water/review-unrully-waters/" target="_blank">Amrith</a> profiles the work of Sir Arthur Cotton who was building canals linking rivers in British India at about the same time his contemporaries like botanist <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/republic-of-nepal-s-animal-kingdom" target="_blank">Joseph Dalton-Hooker </a>were exploring the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kangchenjunga" target="_blank">Teesta and other rivers</a> in the Himalaya to catalogue new plant species. India's current National River Linking Project that would join 37 rivers with 9,000km of canals builds on Cotton’s early work. <blockquote>If there is one consistent lesson in Unruly Waters, it is that water management never has been, and can never be, a purely technical or a scientific question; neither can it be addressed on a purely national scale … the battle continues to understand the monsoons and mountain rivers that shape Asia.</blockquote> Unruly Waters: How Mountain Rivers and Monsoons Have Shaped South Asia’s History by Sunil Amrith And in Nepal, hydropower has become the holy grail as the government unveiled an Energy Development Roadmap to generate 28,500MW by 2035 at a cumulative cost of nearly $50billion. This means no river in Nepal will be left free-flowing. The Trisuli along the Prithvi Highway is being dammed for only 100MW of power, destroying the most scenic part of a river that has rapids famous internationally for white water rafters. Even before it was completed, the dam site suffered Rs200 million in damage in last September’s flood.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025022203020_d9610a11bccb593d32bf4d214479caa17dfbdd6cdfe5e8c38fdcb8eb752fc0ec.jpg" data-media-id="editor_18" data-image-id="2025022203020_d9610a11bccb593d32bf4d214479caa17dfbdd6cdfe5e8c38fdcb8eb752fc0ec" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="2268" loading="lazy" alt="Trisuli"> <figcaption>Boulders and sediment 80m deep were brought down by the Teesta after a GLOF destroyed the $1 billion Teesta III plant in Sikkim in 2023. Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  In Sikkim, there is strong <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/political-stir-follows-expert-panels-approval-to-rebuild-teesta-dam-in-sikkim/">local opposition to rebuild Teesta III</a> but investors are looking at the huge economic windfall from the river as it drops from 5,000m below Kangchenjunga to 300m within 80km — one of the highest Gravitational Potential Energy of any river in the world. Besides Nepal and Bhutan, the ‘watersheds’ of the Himalaya are turning into ‘powersheds’ as India and China compete for hydro-hegemony. India is said to be planning to dam the Brahmaputra to offset the disruption caused by China’s Medog Dam upstream (see map, below).&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025022203024_37c60bd2a45a32cd23928c900615b6c7045b2e0265050c4761c3749361181999.png" data-media-id="editor_20" data-image-id="2025022203024_37c60bd2a45a32cd23928c900615b6c7045b2e0265050c4761c3749361181999" data-rendition-name="original" width="1918" height="668" loading="lazy" alt="Himalayan rivers map"> </figure>  The thread running through all three books is the need to recognise the ecosystem services that the inhabitants of High Asia provide by protecting our rivers. Not all rivers need to be monetised, conserving rivers and the cultures they retain protects a nation’s natural wealth into the future as the humans of High Asia try to survive climate breakdown. The highlands will be under even more pressure in the coming decades as people in the plains migrate en masse to higher latitudes or higher altitudes to escape deadly heat and ocean expansion.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025022203028_524a74bf65111db3826bfd246576329c45cd4bd0a48b15024b6a520582bbf05a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_21" data-image-id="2025022203028_524a74bf65111db3826bfd246576329c45cd4bd0a48b15024b6a520582bbf05a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="River of Asian Highlands cover"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025022203028_20c17a9b92b11c8bb33df5f2fc2781498464288533c310ccd61e1245e709d99c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_22" data-image-id="2025022203028_20c17a9b92b11c8bb33df5f2fc2781498464288533c310ccd61e1245e709d99c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Unruly waters cover"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250222030212_649cc2ba02e806da2b128fccaf5de2e5c830e10646ba0b43d56da39f65a70f9f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_23" data-image-id="20250222030212_649cc2ba02e806da2b128fccaf5de2e5c830e10646ba0b43d56da39f65a70f9f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Chaalbato cover"> </figure>

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