Mohan Oli and his brother Raj have been identified as two of the recruiters who have been luring fellow Nepalis to be conscripted into the Russian Army by promising them huge salaries and citizenship in exchange for exorbitant fees. This investigation has identified some of the human traffickers with information from Nepalis who deserted the Russian military from the Ukrainian war zone to return to Kathmandu. One of the ex-soldiers who returned is Khagendra Khatri from Rolpa who was recruited by Mohan Oli and his accomplice Nim Bahadur Kunwar (alias Sushant) just after he had graduated in agriculture from a college in Dang. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-dying-in-someone-elses-war">Nepalis dying in someone else's war</a>, Sagar Budathoki Unable to find a job to pay back loans his father had taken for his education, he had begun language classes to migrate for work in Korea. Khagendra’s neighbours in Dang were two men from Salyan: Sushant and Mohan Oli. They, along with their companion Ganesh Neupane, convinced Khagendra that ensuring selection for Korean was not worth the hassle and money. They told him joining the Russian Army was a much better option with a monthly salary of Rs300,000 and Russian citizenship after a year. Sushant and Mohan had sent another Nepali, Abhishek Buda of Rolpa, to the Russian Army previously and got him to also persuade Khagendra. Abhishek, who had not yet been sent to the battlefront at the time, enthusiastically obliged, encouraging Khagendra to join as well.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024070211070_70b1bc2f49182e7331af915628d46538a1764272014843e946b489b3fc5b4338.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024070211070_70b1bc2f49182e7331af915628d46538a1764272014843e946b489b3fc5b4338" data-rendition-name="original" width="1100" height="800" loading="lazy" alt="Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified"> <figcaption>A receipt of money deposited in the account of Nim Bahadur Kunwar and Ganesh Neupane.</figcaption> </figure>  The recruiters also convinced Khagendra’s relative Dal Bahadur Oli of Rolpa to go to Russia with him. The two paid Mohan Oli Rs300,000 each in cash and deposited another Rs400,000 each in Sushant’s bank account. Their visas arrived surprisingly rapidly within ten days of the transaction, indicating some collusion of the recruiters with the Russian authorities. On 15 October last year, Khagendra and Dal Bahadur met five other recruits also flying to Russia. By the time they reached Dubai to board a flight to Moscow, the number of Nepalis had swelled to 52. Blissfully unaware of the intensity of the war, the Nepalis were in high spirits during the flight.&nbsp; In Moscow, a Russian agent took all the Nepalis to a military recruitment centre. But Khagendra was held back for two more days, as the agent wanted him to pay an additional Rs50,000. Once he did, he joined the rest at the recruitment centre, where there were another 150 Nepali conscripts. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-play-russian-roulette-in-distant-war">Nepalis play Russian roulette in a distant war</a>, Shankar Dhakal Khagendra was to join the ‘Group Seven Battalion’ and had to sign a contract written in Russian. He used Google Translate and found out that the recruits would not be paid Rs10 million in case of death or injury as he had been promised back in Nepal.&nbsp; Khagendra and his group were then taken to a training centre which was a day away by bus. But instead of receiving training for six months they were sent after two weeks of weapons and drone training to the trenches on the Ukrainian front. Khagendra had joined a WhatsApp chatroom of the Group Seven Battalion, and started seeing gruesome videos of Nepalis killed and wounded in battle.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024070211074_9ef81d64e7904e454ec78905cef5172460a3f4bde4d24e06cdcc6240e13b708b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024070211074_9ef81d64e7904e454ec78905cef5172460a3f4bde4d24e06cdcc6240e13b708b" data-rendition-name="original" width="4789" height="3199" loading="lazy" alt="Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified"> <figcaption>Khagendra Khatri from Rolpa bribed his Russian commander and walked through the forest under the cover of the night to get to Moscow before returning back home.</figcaption> </figure>  Khagendra bribed his commander with 17,000 rubles (Rs26,000) to let him go back to Nepal to attend to a sick relative, and snuck out of the barracks on 29 October with his relative Dal Bahadur. They walked through the forest under the cover of the night and eventually got a cab driver to take them to Moscow, 14 hours away. To his surprise, the cabbie did not want to be paid. In any case, Khagendra had run out of money by that time, but got in touch with folks back home to book him a flight back to Nepal. On 2 November, just two weeks after leaving Kathmandu he was back. He tracked down his recruiter Sushant (Nim Bahadur Kunwar) in Nepalganj pretending to send more of his friends to Russia.&nbsp; Khagendra demanded his money back, but the cheque Nim Bahadur wrote him bounced. The recruiter then fled and could not be contacted. He filed a human trafficking and banking offence complaint at the Nepal Police Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau. But he has not heard from them. Khagendra is heavily indebted, and wants his Rs700,000 back so he can try going to another country. Khagendra’s relative Dal Bahadur, has gone to India to find work. Meanwhile, the family of Tara Gharti of Salyan, one of the five Nepalis Khagendra and Dal Bahadur met at Kathmandu airport the day they flew to Dubai, were informed that he had been killed in action on the frontlines in Ukraine.&nbsp; Abhishek Buda, who initially encouraged Khagendra to join the Russian Army has also been killed.&nbsp; <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cgtppi0a8c4?si=Zs9TQoQD-ckCYYa1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> Statements from a dozen other Nepalis who deserted and returned from Russia reveal an international network of human traffickers who extort thousands of Nepalis and other nationals to send unemployed youth to join the Russian Army. All of the Nepali recruits said they paid traffickers between Rs700,000 to Rs1 million to go to Russia. From their testimonies, it is clear the Russians use the Nepalis as human shields and they only have a 5% chance of survival. Because there is no bilateral military agreement between Nepal and Russia, the wounded are not entitled for compensation, and the families of those killed are unable to arrange for the bodies to be brought home. Some 100 Nepalis have managed to desert like Khagendra Khatri, and again paid traffickers to bring them back home. Hundreds of others are out of touch with their families.&nbsp; One of them is Ram Kumar Pradhan of Makwanpur, who had previously been in the Nepal Army. After leaving, he could not find another job and when the 2015 earthquake destroyed his house he borrowed Rs800,000 to pay a trafficker to take him to Russia, little knowing what he was getting into. Ram Kumar’s brother Babu Kaji says that the two had talked on WhatsApp two days before he was sent to the frontlines in Ukraine. He had also sent a picture of himself in Russian military combat gear. “They are sending me to war on 16 October,” Ram Kumar had told his brother. “I have no idea what is going to happen. I will call you once I return.” He never called. Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department told Babu Kaji recently that he had been killed in Ukraine.&nbsp; “He trusted the traffickers to get him a high-paying job in Russia because he needed the money,” says Babu Kaji. “Now the government tells us he has been killed, but they have not provided us any evidence of his death.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024070211078_504bbd8d21a15435c90bd9ac927b6f892c10648483543d600178497fea022214.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2024070211078_504bbd8d21a15435c90bd9ac927b6f892c10648483543d600178497fea022214" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1170" loading="lazy" alt="Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified"> <figcaption>Babu Kaji Pradhan, brother of Ram Kumar who joined the Russian Army and has since been killed.</figcaption> </figure>  D B Gurung of Kathmandu had flown out together with Ram Kumar to join the Russian Army but was returned home by Qatar immigration. He tried again but was turned back this time by Russian immigration. But his family has not heard from him.&nbsp; Before he disappeared, Gurung told relatives he and Ram Kumar had been sent to Russia by a recruiter named Nabaraj KC and a manpower agency operator called Suraj Thapa. He had also paid them Rs800,000. Their air tickets were arranged by a travel agency called New Nepal Education World. Both Navaraj K C and Suraj Thapa have fled to India. Ram Kumar’s brother Babu Kaji contacted Navaraj KC on WhatsApp, but he told him he was only responsible for the ticket to Mosow. He then went to the recruitment agency pretending to be a client who wanted to go to Russia but Suraj Thapa was not there. “After that one conversation, he disappeared from WhatsApp,” says Babu Kaji.&nbsp; Tirtha Raj Pandey was also a Nepal Army veteran, and had been a bodyguard for former Education Minister Devendra Paudel before retiring. He had been living in Surkhet, and had come to Kathmandu last May after hearing word about a job opening up in the Dubai Royal Guard. Tirtha Raj was approached by a man named Kuber Karki from Dhading at Burger House in Gongabu. Kuber told him joining the Russian Army paid more than Dubai Royal Guard and promised a salary of Rs300,000 and eventual Russian citizenship.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024070211078_e8b44b9eeb1e90faeebe218d940c2744d412d2cba55a7b63fe34123337b16c88.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="2024070211078_e8b44b9eeb1e90faeebe218d940c2744d412d2cba55a7b63fe34123337b16c88" data-rendition-name="original" width="897" height="618" loading="lazy" alt="Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified"> <figcaption>Tirtha Raj Pandey refused to sign the contract and was let go by the Russian Army, fearing he would convince other recruits to similarly decline. </figcaption> </figure>  Desperate, Tirtha Raj borrowed Rs650,000 to pay Kuber’s accomplice: the same Raj Oli, the brother of Mohan Oli who recruited Khagendra Khatri. He flew from Kathmandu via Dubai on 30 September last year, and there at Moscow airport to pick him up was a Russian agent who identified himself as Alex. When he reached the military training facility on 3 October, Tirtha Raj was handed a 22-page contract in Russian, which when he translated had none of the terms Raj Oli in Nepal had mentioned. There were also Indian agents at the Moscow training centre, and when they saw Tirtha Raj hesitate, they warned him in Hindi that he will face a 15 year jail sentence if he refused to sign. “I told them I would rather go to jail than sign the agreement,” Tirtha Raj recalls telling the Indians. “Maybe they were worried I would convince the other recruits, so they let me go.” Tirtha Raj paid another Rs400,000 to a trafficker to get him back to Nepal. In Kathmandu, he confronted Raj Oli who promised to return him some of the fee but disappeared soon after. So far, 49 Nepalis in the Russian Army have been confirmed killed in action in Ukraine, and 41 others are probably also dead as per information from fellow-Nepali soldiers, but there is no official verification yet.&nbsp; The Campaign to Save the Lives of Nepali Citizens has so far collected details of 991 Nepali mercenaries in the Russian Army. Of these, 127 injured in action are being treated in hospitals in Russia while 272 have been out of contact with their families for the past eight months. The Nepal Embassy has made travel documents for 110 Nepalis who escaped the war zone so they could return.&nbsp; Returnees paint a gruesome picture of life in the trenches under constant attack from Ukrainian drones and artillery. But the Nepalis were also constantly beaten by Russian soldiers, many of whom are prisoners convicted of murder, rape, or armed robbery. The convicts have their sentences waived, and if they survive can return home as war heroes. The recruitment of Nepali citizens into a foreign military other than the Indian and British Armies, or for security duty in Singapore, Oman and Brunei is illegal. India has actually stopped recruitment of Nepali nationals into its army. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine two and a half years ago, President Vladimir Putin opened the way for foreign nationals to join the Russian Army and announced an attractive salary, Russian citizenship, passport and residential facilities, among others. This lured many Nepalis, including those studying in Russia and some already working as security guards in Dubai or Doha. During training, Russian officers encouraged them to post videos on TikTok of them in smart uniforms, posing with assault rifles, smiling and having a great time. From testimonies of returnees, it is clear the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">TikTok videos were more effective in convincing them to join the Russian Army</a>. “After leaving the Nepal Army, my husband was working as a cook in Dubai. There, he came in contact with a recruiter and he ended up in Russia,” says Deepa Singh Shahi, wife of Nabin Shahi of Jajarkot, one of the Nepalis killed in Ukraine.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240702110712_d81b6cda5b9a69254c41b15406cb350b3eaec093b0f0e372e7c241d6d405298c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240702110712_d81b6cda5b9a69254c41b15406cb350b3eaec093b0f0e372e7c241d6d405298c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1280" height="893" loading="lazy" alt="Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified"> <figcaption>Deepa Singh Shahi, wife of Nabin Shahi of Jajarkot was working as a cook in Dubai before he joined the Russian Army.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240702110716_ea9ee867130c728b47ae7ab25a2c8aa0288ee8b33d4d43cb24c8aa67a3479ccc.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240702110716_ea9ee867130c728b47ae7ab25a2c8aa0288ee8b33d4d43cb24c8aa67a3479ccc" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" alt="Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified"> <figcaption>Nabin Shahi was killed in the Ukranian front. Also pictured, his Russian military ID.</figcaption> </figure>  Krishna Bahadur of Dailekh has shrapnel wounds all over his body. Surgeons removed four bullets from his left arm and two from his right thigh. He escaped the Russian Army at a huge cost, economically, physically and mentally. “I paid Rs800,000 for the jobs and another 1.1 million to come back home,” says Krishna Bahadur, a former Nepal Army soldier. He was attracted to the job in Russia after watching videos of neighbours from his village who posted them on TikTok from their training centre. Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha spoke in March with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov asking him to stop the recruitment of Nepali mercenaries, to send those already there back, and to compensate the dead and wounded and also send bodies home. Foreign Ministry’s Amrit Bahadur Rai says Lavros raised the issue of modalities for implementation. “But there has been no progress since then,” he admitted. The government has not apprehended the human traffickers involved even though they have been identified. “Several recruiters have escaped and fled abroad, the authorities are not even interested in prosecuting those who are here,” says<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/531-nepalis-in-russian-army"> Kritu Bhandari of the Campaign to Save the Lives of Nepali Citizens</a>. Bhandari collected the names of 61 traffickers involved in recruiting Nepalis into the Russian Army and submitted them with evidence to Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane on 5 April. The police did arrest 22 labour recruiters, travel agents and some ex-servicemen. Some were told to refund the money, but most have been released. Twelve recruiters, including the owner of an educational consultancy, were arrested in December on charges of trafficking. Among them were Hari BK, a Nepali Army retiree, and two others, Sujata Dahal and Ishwar Adhikari. A case was filed against four of them in the Kathmandu District Court but they were acquitted for lack of evidence. Bhandari believes they had political connections.&nbsp; Superintendent of Police Gautam Mishra, Director of the Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police, says his agency is actively pursuing traffickers.&nbsp; He claimed: “We are on their tail, and will see results in a few days.”&nbsp; <a href="https://cijnepal.org.np/" target="_blank">Center for Investigative Journalism - Nepal&nbsp;</a>

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Recruiters of Nepalis into Russian Army identified

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Nepalis play Russian roulette in distant war

Families of Nepali who <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">enlisted in the Russian Army</a> after being promised huge salaries and citizenship now want to come home and their families are campaigning in Kathmandu to pressure both governments.&nbsp; Kritu Bhandari, who is leading the campaign, said she had counted at least 531 Nepalis in the Russian Army based on information given by family members. All are on the Ukraine front. More than 1,000 relatives have contacted the campaign to appeal for their return.&nbsp; “We have been reaching out to the families of the Nepalis who joined the Russian Army to get more details,” said Bhandari, adding that the campaign is lobbying the Nepali and Russian government to facilitate their return.&nbsp; Families of 127 of the Nepali soldiers on the Ukraine front have appealed for their return, and family members of 116 of those injured during combat have provided details of their state. However, says Bhandari, 272 Nepalis in the Russian military are out of touch.&nbsp; So far, 16 Nepali soldiers <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed">have died in combat</a>, including Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Bharat Bahadur Shah of Kailali, Devan Rai of Kaski, Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu, Sandip Thapaliya of Gorkha, Kundan Singh Nagal of Darchula, Sanjay KC of Banke, Sundar Moktan of Rasuwa, Jit Bahadur Pun of Dang, Pritam Karki and Hari Prasad Aryal of Syangja, Raj Kumar Giri and Purna Bahadur Gurung of Dhading, as well as Sajan Gurung and Santosh Gurung of Lamjung.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022512020_d994b8782b0e2c518d9779f5723418475090bac8f938188868c08c42e4bbb75b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2024022512020_d994b8782b0e2c518d9779f5723418475090bac8f938188868c08c42e4bbb75b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="531 Nepalis in Russia NT"> </figure>  The campaign has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal demanding he take diplomatic initiatives for the return of the remains of those killed, treatment of those injured in combat, as well as the rescue and repatriation of Nepalis who <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/from-frying-pan-into-fire-for-nepalis-in-russian-army">remain in the military</a>. They have also asked for compensation to the families of the dead and injured. Family members of the men killed also lit lamps at Bhasmeswor Ghat in Pashupati on Saturday evening to pray for the return of their loved ones. Nepali soldiers who have deserted the Russian military and come back to Nepal have spoken of poor treatment, lack of proper combat training, and not being paid the salary promised by recruiters in Nepal and the Gulf.&nbsp; They say that the number of Nepalis in active combat zones is much higher than the Nepal government’s estimates. This paper previously reported on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/10-nepalis-from-one-town-fighting-in-ukraine">10 young men from the same neighbourhood </a>of a town in Nepal who ended up in the Russian military who said there were 200 Nepalis in just one training camp.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240225110256_f3bed4c84b1604950633804e946dbc3da36577b63ea3d14c1ab23fca7cdaa95c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240225110256_f3bed4c84b1604950633804e946dbc3da36577b63ea3d14c1ab23fca7cdaa95c" data-rendition-name="original" width="800" height="511" loading="lazy" alt="531 Nepalis in Russia NT"> <figcaption>Family members of the men killed fighting for the Russian Army lit lamps at Bhasmeswor Ghat in Pashupati on Saturday.</figcaption> </figure>  Meanwhile, four Nepali soldiers in the Russian Army are known to have been c<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/6-nepali-kia-and-4-pows-in-ukraine">aptured and detained by Ukrainian forces</a>: Bibek Khatri from Bardia, Siddharth Dhakal from Kavre, Bikas Rai from Letang, and Pratik Magar from Rolpa. A few Nepalis are also fighting on the other side in the Ukrainian Army.&nbsp; The Nepal government has tried to control nationals going to Russia, and arrested recruiters said to be involved in supplying soldiers to the Russian Army. Recruiters are said to have lured young Nepalis to Russia with promises of six months of training during which they are paid Rs500,000 a month, as well as eventual Russian citizenship. More than anything else, Nepali recruitment in the Russian Army demonstrates the desperation of the youth in Nepal and the lengths they are willing to go to get well-paying jobs.&nbsp; Last week, the Indian government also officially asked Russia to facilitate the return of its nationals who are also fighting in Ukraine. India has called its nationals being involved in ‘army support jobs’, but most reports say they are seeing action on the Ukraine front. There are said to be hundreds of Indians in the Russian Army, and at least one has been reported killed in action.

531 Nepalis in Russian Army

Bikas Khambu, 33, from Letang Municipality was an ambitious young man with a strong desire to become a Gurkha soldier in the British Army. &nbsp;He enrolled at a centre training young aspirants for the selection process and was tested four times but not selected.&nbsp; Undeterred, Khambu remained steadfast in his pursuit until finally in August he got a tip from a childhood friend about the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine">Russian Army</a> opening recruitment to foreigners. “There is a three month training, and by that time the war will be over,” the friend from Letang told him over the phone. “More risk means more money, why not take the chance?" Convinced, Khambu deposited Rs 850,000 ($7,500) into his friend's account. He said goodbye to his wife Elisa Chemjong and flew out of Kathmandu on 4 October, the first day of the Dasain festival.&nbsp; He met up with Dal Bahadur Rai also from Letang, and flew on to Moscow. Rai had not told his family where he was going because they might dissuade him. Both were on Russian tourist visas. "We told him not to be tempted by the money, especially because it was Russia,” his sister Bhima Limbu said. “But he went anyway.” Khambu and Rai are not the only young men from Letang who have joined the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/6-nepali-kia-and-4-pows-in-ukraine">Russian Army</a>, there are ten families in just one neighbourhood in this town in the southeastern plains of Nepal to be enlisted to fight in Ukraine. Suraj Magrati was among others from Letang who were with Khambu on the flight to Dubai from Kathmandu on 4 October. There could be more than ten, but those individuals could not be verified as having gone to Russia. "I have heard about the young men joining the Russian Army, but no one has filed an application at the ward office for assistance or to search for these young men," said Ward Chair Ram Prasad Adhikari. &nbsp; Indeed, besides Letang, there are young men from other villages in this region of Nepal, which is the traditional recruitment area for Gurkha soldiers, to join the British and Indian Armies who have also joined the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed">Russian military</a>.&nbsp; "We've only heard about their departure for the Russian Army, however, there haven't been any official requests for rescue or search operations," says Letang mayor Bhupendra Kumar Lawati.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023122815120_6ca80187b16ded4d1f585fbfad873c831747f27ae163e560a40c48391ac039fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023122815120_6ca80187b16ded4d1f585fbfad873c831747f27ae163e560a40c48391ac039fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="800" height="419" loading="lazy" alt="Nepalis in Ukraine"> <figcaption>Nepali soldiers in the Russian Army. Photo: MANSER RAI</figcaption> </figure>  Two months after they left, the young men have sent little information about their whereabouts or condition. But an audio recording of a call confirmed &nbsp;Suraj Magrati was injured on the Ukraine frontlines. In the clip he has asked for emergency evacuation.&nbsp; Khambu has been out of contact for three weeks, says his wife Elisa who is very worried. Earlier, she had got information from other Nepalis that her husband had been taken prisoner by the Ukrainian Army. “He told me to wait for a year and he would return with a lot of savings to take care of the family,” Elisa said. Tika Gurung from Letang was stationed in the same camp, and has also been out of contact since 25 November — the same day that Elisa also got her last call from Khambu. Gurung’s brother Anesh says the Nepalis were taken to the frontlines that day.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Dal Bahadur Rai who also travelled to Moscow from Dubai with Khambu has reportedly been detained by the Russians for desertion. &nbsp;"We've been told that he was caught while trying to escape and has been locked up in a bunker near the frontlines,” said his sister Bhima.&nbsp; Most of the men from Letang paid human traffickers between Rs500,000 to Rs900,000 to join the Russian Army where they were <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">promised salaries of up to Rs500,000 a month, full military training and Russian citizenship</a>.&nbsp; Two Nepalis who recently returned to Nepal after fleeing the frontlines, Manser Rai, and Chhatra Magar, both aged 32 from Letang, have been recounting their experience and dissuaded others from being tempted to go to Russia. Manser wanted to join the Singapore Police, but was not selected and was convinced by recruiters that Russia was an attractive option. He flew to Moscow and signed the contract with the Russian Army on 16 November. He has a wife, two children, and elderly parents, and Manser felt he could take care of them with earnings in the Russian military. But although promised three months of training, he and other Nepalis were immediately taken to the frontlines after 15 days in a camp. Manser managed to escape and his journey back to Nepal took him via &nbsp;Moscow, Azerbaijan and Delhi. Manser also convinced several other &nbsp;villagers from Letang not to sign the contract and they returned to Nepal with him. They are now seeking refunds from the traffickers in Kathmandu.&nbsp; The families of other young men in Letang have heard these stories and want help from the government to repatriate them. "There are elderly parents at home, my brother is confined in a bunker there,” says Bhima, Dal Bahadur Rai’s sister. “He left impulsively, and now the Russians are torturing him.” <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uKxLKW80MoU?si=IFotaA7yd8WiAocX" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> So far, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/from-frying-pan-into-fire-for-nepalis-in-russian-army">seven Nepalis are officially confirmed to have been killed</a> in action while fighting on the Russian side against Ukraine. The deceased are Sandeep Thapalia from Gorkha, Gangaraj Moktan from Elam, Rajkumar Roka and Kusum Lama Roka from Dolakha, Pritam Karki from Syangja, Bharat Shah from Kailali, and Kundan Singh Nagal from Kanchanpur. Four Nepali soldiers in the Russian Army are Ukrainian prisoners of war: &nbsp;Bibek Khatri from Bardia, Siddharth Dhakal from Kavre, Bikas Rai from Letang, and Pratik Magar from Rolpa.&nbsp;

10 Nepalis from one town fighting in Ukraine

Several of the seven Nepalis who joined the Russian Army and were killed in the Ukraine war were retired from the Nepal police and military, or were former Maoist guerrillas. &nbsp;
On Wednesday, Nepal’s foreign ministry announced the death of the seventh known <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed" target="_blank">Nepali killed in action on the Ukraine front.</a> He is Kundan Nagal from one of Nepal’s remotest districts, Darchula.
Five years ago he had retired from Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF), a group that was formed in 2000 before the Nepal Army got involved in the insurgency to fight the Maoist rebels.
The Foreign Ministry did not reveal any details about Nagal, but Nepali Times has learnt that he had been in the APF for 14 years &nbsp;after the ceasefire. The APF mainly guards infrastructure and border areas of Nepal.
Nagal is said to have decided to quit the APF and also leave Nepal because he was worried about not being able to support his family with the salary he got in Nepal. He first migrated to Dubai and worked in the police for three years.
During the Covid pandemic, he left that job and returned to Nepal and moved his family to Mahendranagar in the plains of western Nepal. His wife and two children live there.
Nagal’s former colleagues in the APF remember him as an able trainer, who was lured by traffickers in Dubai in November to join the Russian Army and promised a big salary.
Because of his police background and familiarity with firearms he was immediately deployed on the Ukraine front, and had called his family on 7 November to say he had been sent to ‘Red Zone’ and would not have reliable mobile connections.&nbsp;
“He had no illusions that it was dangerous where he was going,” recalls Kundan’s brother Rabindra. “He told me he did not know whether he would come out of it alive.”
But the very next day on 8 November, a Nepali fellow-soldier somehow got word to Nepal that Kundan had been injured. But he had been out of contact since then, until the Foreign Ministry announced he had died on 20 December.
Meanwhile, Kundan’s wife Pratikshya was still waiting to hear that his injuries were being treated. Out of the blue, she found out through the media the Foreign Ministry’s press statement that her husband was dead.&nbsp;
The only other information the ministry divulged was his passport number, and it was on that basis that the family was sure it was him. Rabindra is convinced that his brother’s body is not going to come back.
Pratikshya is in shock and in no condition to speak to anyone. Her husband had been sending money regularly from Dubai, and the family’s new house is nearing completion. Kundan had not been able to send any more from Russia after he got there last month.
“The real worry is the children and how they will be raised,” says Bikram Kunwar, Pratikshya’s brother.&nbsp;
Two other ex-APF security guards in Dubai had also gone to Russia with Kundan. The two are also on the frontlines, and have told their families that they left Nepal because of low pay in the police force.
Another Nepali in the Russian Army, Bharat Shah, was killed on 20 November in Avdiivka but the family got the news from fellow Nepalis last week. Shah had also been wounded on the frontlines, and died because of delayed treatment.
Shah’s family carried out a ritual funeral for him on the banks of the Karnali last week. He had a wife, a son, and an infant daughter. The Russian Army has denied there are foreign mercenaries fighting in Ukraine.
There are said to be at least 700 Nepalis in the Russian Army who have been attracted by the promise of a much higher salary and Russian citizenship.
Among those killed are: Kundan Nagal and Bharat Shah, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Sandip Thapaliya, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam.
Four Nepalis in the Russian Army have been captured by the Ukrainians, and Nepal is working with the ICRC to bring them home. Pratik Pun of Dang, Siddharth Dhakal of Kavre, and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine" target="_blank">Bibek Khatri of Bardia</a> were all captured in Ukraine in the past three months.
The Nepal government announced that Nepalis going to Russia on tourist visas now need no objection certificates from the Consular Department. About 10 agents who were involved in sending the Nepalis to the Russian Army were arrested last week. But the traffickers simply moved to Dubai and are recruiting Nepalis there.&nbsp;
Among them was Ram Chandra Khadka from Rukum who saw action as a Maoist guerrilla in the battle of Khara in 2002. Khadka, 36, was approached by traffickers in October and sent to Bakhmut where he was injured, and is now being treated in a Moscow Hospital.&nbsp;
Several Nepalis have paid the same traffickers who took them to Russia to bring them back after deserting the Russian Army. &nbsp;They have spoken of poor treatment, not being paid the promised salary and dangerous conditions. They said the Russians were now trying to prevent desertions.

From frying pan into fire for Nepalis in Russian Army

During the Dasain festival last month, Sarala Thapa went to her parents' home in Kapilvastu district. It would be a celebration without her brother Rupak, who had gone to Russia. But the occasion turned tragic when three people showed up at the doorstep in Banganga Municipality to tell them that Rupak had been killed in action on the Ukraine front, 9,000km away.&nbsp; Since then, the family has been unable to process that Rupak is gone. The 24-year-old had gone to Russia two years ago on a student visa, and like dozens of Nepalis had joined the Russian Army, lured by the promise of a handsome salary and eventual Russian citizenship.&nbsp; “My brother called four months ago to say that we might not hear from him during his six-month training period and that he would call us once training was over,” says Sarala. “It has not been six months yet.” Ward Chair Sanju Saru Magar had received a phone call from Kathmandu about Rupak having been killed during the conflict in Ukraine. The caller asked them to convey the information to Rupak’s family but was unable to say if Rupak’s body could be brought back. Ward council member Rajkumar Tharu was among those who went to Rupak’s house in early November to notify his family of his death. It was their second attempt to deliver the news to the family. Ward member Tharu, who is also neighbours with the Karki family, says that Rupak's father Man Bahadur and mother Laxmi &nbsp;were unable to accept that their child had been killed. Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed"> 3 more Nepalis in Russian army killed</a>, Nepali Times  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120601124_b55402221065995b1711d8b3df3a8c6d78be93ccb80e5f8718a70d3e638c39b2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023120601124_b55402221065995b1711d8b3df3a8c6d78be93ccb80e5f8718a70d3e638c39b2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Nepalis in Russian Army NT"> <figcaption>Rupak Karki was killed on 30 June after joining the Russian Army to fight on the Ukraine front. A photo appearing to show is grave has been published on a memorial site</figcaption> </figure>  “They were still sure that their son would call them once he had finished training,” says Tharu. “They also found it difficult to believe because we could provide them with no other detail surrounding his death.”&nbsp; Ward president Magar says that the person who called to break the news identified themself as a Russian Embassy official, but upon checking on True Caller, they found the number to have been of a foreign employment company. Meanwhile, the unconfirmed news of Rupak’s death spread like wildfire in the district in Nepal that is the birthplace of the Buddha.&nbsp; "We tried multiple times to reach the number again, but we could not get back in touch,” says Magar. "We had to notify his family with what little information we had.”&nbsp; On Monday, Nepal's Foreign Ministry officially published the names of six Nepalis who had been killed while serving in the Russian Army. Rupak Karki’s name was second on the list.&nbsp; Others who have died include Sandip Thapaliya of Gorkha, Dewan Rai of Pokhara, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">Nepalis in the Russian Army want to quit</a>, Bhadra Sharma Following confirmation from the Foreign Ministry, Lumbini provincial assembly member Bishnu Panthi along with other elected officials as well as the local police reached Rupak Karki's house on Tuesday morning to officially notify his family of his passing.&nbsp; But the government officials were only able to tell the family that Rupak had been killed in action in the Russia-Ukraine war, not when or how he had died, says Rupak’s uncle Gautam Karki. “There is still a lot of shock and confusion here,” says Gautam. “Rupak’s parents are unable to believe that their only son has died without seeing his body.” Rupak’s father Man Bahadur rears chickens, while his mother Laxmi is an office assistant at a local microfinance company. The couple’s older daughter Sarala is married. Rupak himself had been learning Korean to try to find work in South Korea. But he along with his neighbour Yuvaraj Poudel decided to go to Russia in early 2022 after learning that it was easier to acquire a student visa and find work there. The two reached Russia through a Kathmandu-based foreign employment agency in May 2022.&nbsp; A year later, Rupak entered into a Special Military Operations (SMO) agreement with the Russian Ministry of Defense to serve in the Russian Army. Yuvaraj Poudel, who went to Russia with Rupak, was also recruited and is in regular contact with his family.&nbsp; The Russian website Book of Memories of Ivanovo, states that Rupak Karki was killed on 30 June on the Ukraine front while participating in the 'special military operation'. The website includes photographs of a grave with his name in Cyrillic and a photograph in the city of Novo-Talitsy in the Ivanovo Oblast, a Russian administrative region 324 km north-east of Moscow. The website describes its objective as ‘preserving the memory and organising information about Ivanovo warriors and their military comrades’. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine">Nepali soldier captured in Ukraine</a>, Nepali Times Another Russian news website Cursiv, citing a book of remembrance from the Ivanovo region, states that Sandip Thapaliya and another person whose nationality has not been disclosed were buried in the same region along with Rupak Karki. Sandip Thapaliya was said to have been killed in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in July, and his body was thought to have been buried near the frontline. According to the memorial, Sandip was killed on 28 June during a ‘combat mission’.&nbsp; Photographs appear to show names and dates of birth on the tombs of Rupak and Sandip, with wreaths placed atop their graves.&nbsp; An unnamed Nepali prisoner of war in Ukrainian military captivity has sent a tearful video to his family asking them to bring him home. In the video he has said there are “other” Nepali prisoners also in Ukraine. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry revealed last month that a Nepali recruit in the Russian Army, Bibek Khatri of Bardia was also a prisoner of war in Ukraine and that the government was using diplomatic channels to bring him back. On Tuesday, Nepal Police took 10 foreign employment recruiters into custody for allegedly sending Nepalis to Russia on visitor visas for recruitment into the Russian military. Reports said the agencies had sent at least 200 Nepalis to Russia promising huge salaries and Russian citizenship. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/recruitment-of-nepalis-into-indian-army-paused">Recruitment of Nepalis into Indian Army paused</a>, Jibraj Chalise and Durga Rana Magar

Graves of Nepali soldiers in Russia

Three more Nepalis who joined the Russian Army have died on the Ukraine front, bringing the total to four. Several others have been wounded, and one deserted the Russian military and returned to Nepal to tell harrowing tales of suffering.
The deaths of the three was contained in a letter sent to Department of Consular Services in Kathmandu by the Nepal Embassy in Moscow on 24 November, and was only revealed on Wednesday.&nbsp;
Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam were killed in action on 15 November possibly near the town of Avdiivka where a fierce battle has been raging for three months. Another Nepali serving in the Russian Army, Sandip Thapaliya from Gorkha, is also said to have been killed in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in July, and his body buried near the frontline.
Russian authorities confirmed the deaths, sending death certificates of the three Nepalis, said the embassy.&nbsp;
Relatives in Nepal say that there is little to no contact with loved ones in the Russian army, and Nepalis who had joined up described brutal battles during sparse phone calls from the battlefront.&nbsp;
There have been unconfirmed reports of deaths and injuries of other Nepalis since they began to join the Russian military. Officials in Nepal have said that there is little way to determine how many Nepalis left to join the Russian Army.&nbsp;
The Nepali Embassy’s letter to the Department of Consular Services also requested to establish communication with the families of the deceased youth. The families have sent letters to the Foreign Ministry to ask for details about their loved ones.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">Nepalis in the Russian Army want to quit</a>, Bhadra Sharma
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The Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm or officially address the deaths of the Nepalis. However, friends and families of those killed in the war were informed by Foreign Ministry officials that the process to identify and repatriate them will be lengthy, after which families have begun to perform the last rites of their loved ones without their bodies.
Hundreds of Nepalis based in Russia for study and employment joined the Russian Army since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Most Nepalis who joined the Russian military and were lured to fight by prospects of earning as much as Rs400,000 a month, and eventual Russian citizenship after Russia relaxed immigration and citizenship procedures to recruit foreigners into their military.
Some young people in Nepal as well as Nepali migrants based in the Gulf have also left for Russia on student and tourist visas, lured by the promise of high pay. Smaller numbers of Nepalis have also been serving in the Ukrainian Army. &nbsp;
Most young Nepali mercenaries have no prior combat prior training or experience. Families of Nepalis in Russia have said that they were sent to the frontlines with only a week’s worth of training, and were only getting one-fourth of the promised salary. Foreign recruits were told they would undergo a three-month training before being sent into combat.&nbsp;
Many of them have realised that the realities of war are much different, and want to return home, one of the returnees said in a video interview earier this year. Families in Nepal have met with officials of the Foreign Ministry multiple times to bring their loved ones back home from the frontlines in Ukraine.&nbsp;
In October, a Nepali mercenary fighting with the Russian Army was captured in the Avdiivka by Ukrainian forces.<a href="https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1714955395037278371"> A video posted on X</a> by Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, shows Bibek Khatri of Bardia stating that he joined the Russian military to make money and make his mother proud. There is no word about his present whereabouts.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine">Nepali soldier captured in Ukraine</a>, Nepali Times

3 more Nepalis in Russian army killed

Nepal’s only international aviation gateway, at Kathmandu airport, will cut night-time operation hours to allow construction of taxiways, and airlines have been told to curtail flights. This is expected to lead to more than normal chaos during the height of peak autumn and spring tourist seasons at an airport that is congested even at the best of times. The airport will close from 10PM to 8AM from 8 November-31 March 2025. The taxiways will now connect to the thresholds at both ends of the runway, making the airport more efficient in handling higher frequencies of landings and takeoffs. The parallel taxiway extension will allow international flights to land every 4 minutes instead of the current every 7 minutes. At present planes have to wait to land until a plane taking off backtracks along the runway.&nbsp; Kathmandu is Nepal’s only airport with international operations, and it has only one runway that is only one way in from the south over the mountains. With the taxiway improvement, the airport will be able to handle 42 aircraft landings and takeoffs per hour — double the current capacity.&nbsp; The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has been trying to entice international airlines to also start flying to and from the other two international airports at Pokhara and Bhairawa (Lumbini) by slashing landing and handling charges. But so far only Nepal Airlines operates a weekly flight to Bhairawa from Kuala Lumpur.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241018161016_046569e53d1d66cd445cc66c697c0ef724810aec9f54bdf827481e3cd6b80c32.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20241018161016_046569e53d1d66cd445cc66c697c0ef724810aec9f54bdf827481e3cd6b80c32" data-rendition-name="original" width="2356" height="1134" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu airport expansion"> <figcaption>Kathmandu Airport Expansion plan with extension of taxiways to the thresholds of runways 02 and 20 that will limit airport operations from 8 November 2024 - 31 March 2025. Areas in blue are existing structures, including the international terminal which in future will be the domestic airport, and the new international terminal near the north end of the runway,</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241018121028_6e17cc2ee87c1b02d78cb54905825b7aa15299b7a00f5eddb01a59579ab85c1a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241018121028_6e17cc2ee87c1b02d78cb54905825b7aa15299b7a00f5eddb01a59579ab85c1a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1353" height="1328" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu airport NT"> </figure>  CAAN has reportedly told international airlines to cut their flight frequency to Kathmandu citing the shorter operation hours and has told budget airlines to shift some of their flights to Pokhara or Bhairawa, or face cuts. Many airlines currently operate regular flights to and from Kathmandu between 10PM and 8AM: Air Arabia to Sharjah, Fly Dubai to Dubai, Jazeera Airways to Kuwait, Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong, Singapore Airlines, several Nepal Airlines flights, and one of four daily flights by Qatar Airways to Doha. Jazeera Airways, FlyDubai, and Thai AirAsia have applied and got permission from CAAN to begin regular flights to Bhairawa’s Gautam Buddha International Airport. Starting 9 November, FlyDubai will start making a stopover in Bhairawa before flying on to Kathmandu. Immigration, customs and security are all fully functional in Bhairawa. In Kathmandu, the next phase of the airport upgrade includes converting the current international terminal for domestic operations, the construction of a new international terminal where the domestic departure area is now, as well as moving the hangars and the Nepal Army Air Wing to the eastern side of the runway. The apron area will also double its parking space for widebody jets. This is part of a Airport Capacity Enhancement Project that was initially funded through a $80 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the entire masterplan is expected to cost $800 million. This project is the latest upgrade to Nepal’s only international airport since it saw its first flight in 1949. The current international and domestic terminals are too small to handle the current annual traffic volume of 8.5 million passengers a year that is growing at 20% a year.

Kathmandu airport to cut flight hours

As Kathmandu becomes more congested and polluted, and with remote online work becoming the norm, many professional Nepalis are planning to retire in Pokhara, or move there.&nbsp; With its stunning mountain panorama, balmy winters and proximity to a profusion of wilderness areas, builders are responding to this demand with new townhouses, housing development and apartments. One such block of flats is the 10-storey <a href="https://sungavaapartment.com/">Sungava Apartment</a> located at Phulbari above the Seti River, near the point where it flows into and under Pokhara. The imposing structure near Manipal Hospital is almost complete, and on a recent visit the site was strewn with huge boulders unearthed while digging the foundation.&nbsp; The Seti brought down these boulders during a gigantic flood that geologists estimate happened 800 years ago when a chunk of Annapurna IV broke off and ploughed into the glacier below. Today, Sungava (means ‘orchid’) sits safely on a high terrace, 100m above the blue-green Seti and commands a view of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machapuchre, Annapurna III and IV.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024102411104_5f8fc736c86ea3c08d7bef43bb727081d3cc1a2caa55ae2b441717e6044de7e9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024102411104_5f8fc736c86ea3c08d7bef43bb727081d3cc1a2caa55ae2b441717e6044de7e9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2016" height="1512" loading="lazy" alt="High living below the Himalaya NT"> </figure>  The soil here is conglomerate that has solidified like concrete, and the boulders were extracted by heavy earthmovers. It is intriguing to think that these metamorphic rocks as big as cars, rounded by glacial grinding, were once a part of a much higher Annapurna IV. Even for those with little interest in geology, Sungava is an ideal place to contemplate the tectonic forces that pushed these peaks into the sky to be sculpted into delicate shapes by wind, snow, earthquake and avalanche over millions of years. The view of the Himalayan panorama from Sungava’s many balconies are breathtaking when not obscured by clouds, or the haze that drifts in from across the southern border. On most days, just watching the towering pyramid of Machapuchre (Tamu name: कतासुँ क्लिको) play hide and seek with the clouds is mesmerising. There are rocks aplenty at Phulbari, and it is probably the flowers that grew along the flat terraces e that gave the place its flowery name. The boulders will hopefully be turned into a rock garden while landscaping. An nearby restaurant complex is making the best use of the stones in its design, using flat rocks as outdoor benches and tables. Sungava was designed by the husband-wife architect team of Deepak Sherchan and Jyoti Joshi of <a href="https://thedarkmermaidamarbshrestha.blogspot.com/2013/12/creative-builders-collaborative-cbc.html">Creative Builders Collaborative (CBC)</a>, which also built Heritage Plaza, Indreni Apartment and numerous other projects in Nepal. Sadbhavana retains CBC’s trademark Newari-style masonry and here it borrows from the orange brickwork of the old town of Pokhara, integrating it with modern design elements. A few of those heritage houses are still standing in Ganesh Tole and Ram Krishna Tole in Pokhara’s old quarter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024102411108_5eb64a4885961b6d30781cefeb1e8a313da313ac5227c7a66b60f0c7d48d6fab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024102411108_5eb64a4885961b6d30781cefeb1e8a313da313ac5227c7a66b60f0c7d48d6fab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1362" height="595" loading="lazy" alt="High living below the Himalaya NT"> </figure>  About 400m from the apartment past a bend on the river, and down below three tiers of terraces in the canyon is a suspension bridge. Below it, the Seti is still swollen with post-monsoon flow as it tumbles away in a hurry to head down south.&nbsp; Back at the apartment, it is quiet, far away from the hubbub of Lakeside a 15 minute drive away, and in the lap of greenery. There are 52 units at Sungava and it already has a close-knit prospective community of professionals, including doctors, publishers, engineers, and businesspeople from the renewable energy and IT sectors.&nbsp; Some residents say they opted for a second home in Pokhara to make it a ‘base camp’ to explore the Annapurnas with its many hiking trails made newly accessible with new roads. With the NRN citizenship law, overseas Nepalis can now also buy the flats. &nbsp; The floor plans include options for north and south-facing 3-bedroom apartments with verandas, and the facility has underground parking has EV charging, heated pool, sauna and gym. There are still some unsold apartments with panoramic views of the mountains and one can imagine oneself at the kitchen with its huge window, humming a ditty while preparing breakfast: “खाना पकाउँ हिमाल हेरेर...”

High living below the Himalaya

When the United Nations held its Summit of the Future at its headquarters in New York in September, many world leaders, including Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Oli, highlighted the effect of climate breakdown in increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. What did not get as much attention was the long term impact of the climate crisis on food production. In fact, heat stress, weather extremes and the consequences on rain-fed agriculture is already being felt worldwide, undermining the chances of the <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/">UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a> being met by 2030.&nbsp; The SDG’s 17 targets commit countries like Nepal to reduce poverty and inequality, end malnutrition, protect the natural environment, and ensure that citizens all enjoy health, justice and prosperity without leaving anyone behind.&nbsp; However, besides the impact of climate breakdown on agricultural production, in Nepal the area under cultivation is impacted by urban expansion, falling productivity and the need for expensive inputs like fertiliser and pesticides.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_626413c5baf4dae407ac9579231b41daeb51510aa636b75aeb7489d94cca6a62.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241019041052_626413c5baf4dae407ac9579231b41daeb51510aa636b75aeb7489d94cca6a62" data-rendition-name="original" width="999" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>Kathmandu's urban sprawl is eating into its fertile cultivable lands. Photo: TAYLOR MASON</figcaption> </figure>  Now, a new study led by Nepali researcher Prajal Pradhan at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands looks at how urban agriculture may offer a solution to falling food production and meeting SDG targets. The researchers evaluated 1,450 publications exploring the contributions of urban agriculture with both positive and negative effects, and published their findings in the journal Cells Report Sustainability. Urban agriculture can help achieve 17 SDGs, positively influencing 81 targets. However, it could also undermine 51 goals.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-vanishing-land">The vanishing land</a>, Taylor Mason “Urban agriculture offers immense potential for sustainable development, but realising this potential depends crucially on adopting practices that minimise its adverse effects while maximising its benefits,” Pradhan explains. Urban agriculture can substantially enhance urban food security, provide employment to the urban poor, serve as ground water recharge in built-up areas, and preserve open spaces that can serve as safe havens during disasters like earthquakes. However, it also presents problems like the potential health risks from contamination and the need for expensive inputs. &nbsp; “Urban agriculture plays a definitive role in advancing the SDGs, but achieving this requires tailored, context-specific solutions that address the unique challenges of different regions,” says Yuanchao Hu of Wuhan University in China and who is a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “But it needs equitable access and rigorous management of environmental risks.”&nbsp; Rapid urbanisation is eating into Nepal’s most fertile agricultural land, which means farming in remaining open spaces inside cities can be a viable alternative, especially as food prices rise.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_7b7c9413086226fbdc630d45acf772cfa1ced77a8970b9056ec5ec7e5226fdf8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241019041052_7b7c9413086226fbdc630d45acf772cfa1ced77a8970b9056ec5ec7e5226fdf8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="999" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>A vegetable patch in between new houses in Thimi. Photo: TAYLOR MASON</figcaption> </figure>  “The conversion of Nepal’s most fertile land into cities is a severe problem,” Pradhan told Nepali Times. “Crop cultivation, horticulture, agroforestry, beekeeping, livestock rearing, or aquaculture can all be farming activities within and around cities.”&nbsp; The study makes recommendations for sustainable practices that build on the positive aspects of urban agriculture while mitigating the downsides, thereby promoting more resilient cities in future. Research shows that urban agriculture has been helping many countries attain SDG targets by enhancing food security and biodiversity while helping education and preservation of open spaces.&nbsp; Indeed, many farmers from the hinterland who have settled in Kathmandu Valley or other urban areas of the country have been practicing urban agriculture, leasing neighbourhood patches or cultivating roof gardens both out of necessity because of inflation and falling income to grow their own food, and also as a fulfilling hobby. Saurav Dhakal, a sustainability advocate with Story Cycle and now research fellow at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, says there are socio-economic and environmental benefits of urban agriculture. “It provides benefits to all urban dwellers, regardless of their income status,” says Dhakal, “families get fresh food, and there are many other benefits like water retention, heat regulation and biodiversity. These are all public goods, so special government incentives may be needed.” It is not unusual to see vegetable patches and even paddy fields within inner city Kathmandu where an older generation of farmers are using available fertile land and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/rooftop-gardens-kathmandu,1415">roof gardens to produce fresh, nutritious food </a>to reduce their dependence on food items that have to be bought after being trucked in from large distances.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024101905100_1291ce98dbbb8caed8702ac4b1d469b3e13016d7ecaaf3bfd5f91c974d3c0c77.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2024101905100_1291ce98dbbb8caed8702ac4b1d469b3e13016d7ecaaf3bfd5f91c974d3c0c77" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="999" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>An older generation of farmers are using any available fertile land to continue farming but it is getting more and more difficult. Photo: TAYLOR MASON </figcaption> </figure>  Nepal’s urban population grew rapidly from only 3.6% in 1991 to 25% today. There is large outmigration from the mountains to peri-urban areas of the Tarai, to Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara, with many young men then moving abroad for work. Kathmandu Valley’s population has swelled to nearly 3 million, and is growing at 6.5% a year. Dilip Shrestha, 71, used to work for Nepal Food Corporation, so he knew firsthand about inflation, shortages and vegetables with pesticide residue. So, when he designed his new house in Kathmandu, he built a spacious roof where he grows cucumber, ginger, garlic, coriander, onions, tomatoes, chili, beans, okra, pumpkin and lettuce. His family eats healthier, and he has reduced dependence on the market.&nbsp; The co-author of the Cell Reports Sustainability journal article, Daya Raj Subedi who is a PhD candidate at Beijing Forestry University, says urban agriculture also promotes inclusion and psycho-social wellbeing.&nbsp; He says, “A crucial finding of the study is the identification of opportunities and challenges associated with urban agriculture, it can promote sustainable transformation of society.” In Banepa, 55-year-old Bijaya Manandhar in her lifetime has watched the fertile farms of her neighbourhood that used to supply vegetables to Kathmandu, now completely built up with no open space left. The pandemic lockdown prompted her to turn to the family’s <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/rooftop-agriculture-on-the-roof-of-the-world">ancestral livelihood by growing food</a> not on terrace farms, but on the roof terrace. Manandhar is now a part of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/rooftop-agriculture-on-the-roof-of-the-world%5C%5C">कौसी खेती र करेसाबारी क्रान्ती</a> (Rooftop Farming and Garden Revolution) which has an online membership of 52,000, and awards annual prizes to women who excel in urban agriculture.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_7257f5def8f823f35a799fa6f6825e153f2ffa406ac11325d4fe74049b79e96d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20241019041052_7257f5def8f823f35a799fa6f6825e153f2ffa406ac11325d4fe74049b79e96d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="736" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>Rooftop farming is gaining popularity as a form of urban agriculture. </figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_beff1a4494ce896dd8fd383ee1f518e5448bcf7ea8bb138255391c7bcb9769ed.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20241019041052_beff1a4494ce896dd8fd383ee1f518e5448bcf7ea8bb138255391c7bcb9769ed" data-rendition-name="original" width="4000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> </figure>  Pradhan says the challenge now is to upscale such examples of successful urban agricultural practices so they support Neal’s efforts to meet SDG targets. He adds, “Crop cultivation around cities can be protected by land use plans and regulations. Promoting community-based agriculture, including rooftop gardens, requires community engagement and public-private partnerships across the food value chain.”&nbsp; Such support would accelerate the popularity of existing rooftop farming and community gardens in Kathmandu Valley, or kitchen garden initiatives in Pokhara, and building on traditional farming practices that are preserved and integrated into urban settings like in Bhaktapur and Banepa. In Lalitpur, the Women Entrepreneurship Facilitation Center promotes urban farming enhancing both sustainability and empowerment.&nbsp; Another co-author of the report, Yuanchao Hu from China says followup research of the team will aim to identify good practices in local urban agriculture practices. He adds, “There are examples of urban agriculture that optimise sustainability, ensuring that it remains a viable solution for cities globally while countries try to meet SDG targets.” Prajal Pradhan, Daya Raj Subedi, Kshitij Dahal, Yuanchao Hu, Prakriti Gurung, Sijal Pokharel, Sagar Kafle, Biplav Khatri, Sudeeksha Basyal, Monika Gurung, and Aruna Joshi. Urban Agriculture matters for sustainable development. Cell Reports Sustainability, 1:100217, 2024. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crsus.2024.100217] Prajal Pradhan (<a href="mailto:p.pradhan@rug.nl">p.pradhan@rug.nl</a>) This article is brought to you by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/" target="_blank">Nepali Times</a>, in collaboration with <a href="https://inpsjapan.com/en/" target="_blank">INPS Japan</a> and <a href="https://sgi-peace.org/" target="_blank">Soka Gakkai International</a>, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240630110640_30c3782f9c09219bf1c249b51483a3cfb7a53a06d117d2aebd23ca7080d12758.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20240630110640_30c3782f9c09219bf1c249b51483a3cfb7a53a06d117d2aebd23ca7080d12758" data-rendition-name="original" width="680" height="103" loading="lazy" alt="SDG logo"> </figure>

Back to the land in the cities

The 700-year-old Lakshmi Narasingha temple in Bhaktapur houses a rare half-lion and half-human incarnation of Lord Vishnu carrying the Goddess Lakshmi. The temple was destroyed in the 1934 mega earthquake that killed 10,000 people and destroyed many monuments in Kathmandu Valley. It was rebuilt by a German project in the 1980s, but as a single-storey structure instead of its original two-tier pagoda design.&nbsp; With new findings from in-depth research, Bhaktapur municipality began re-restoring the temple in 2021, preserving its original architecture.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_2fae38cce543ad7b1f6de632feb3e212e08ed1acedd747830e949d7b8e878f18.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20241017131016_2fae38cce543ad7b1f6de632feb3e212e08ed1acedd747830e949d7b8e878f18" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  “Our temples and heritage sites hold deep meaning. It is disheartening to witness how often they lose their original elements, whether by design or accident,” explains Kumar Chawal of the Consumer Committee of Bhaktapur. “There is a need to preserve our architecture and protect its historical value for future generations. Otherwise, we risk losing a vital part of our identity.” The Laksmi Narsingha restoration is similar to the Bhai Dega temple in Patan Darbar Square which also collapsed in 1934, but was rebuilt with a Moghul-style dome by the Rana government at the time. Only two months before the 2015 earthquake, heritage conservationists had started to rebuild Bhai Dega as the original three-tier based on early photographs. But priorities shifted when four other temples in the square were brought down by the 7.8M earthquake on 25 April 2015.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_697ea707d9ad163be5de5f2efbf5b70d3cab771adcc22f0fae6bf937c6cb0130.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241017131016_697ea707d9ad163be5de5f2efbf5b70d3cab771adcc22f0fae6bf937c6cb0130" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  This showed how damage to monuments in Kathmandu Valley spanned from one earthquake to the next. Bhai Dega restoration remains half-complete to this day because money for its restoration ran out.&nbsp; Whereas Bhai Dega restoration was done by the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust with grants from western embassies and international foundations, in Bhaktapur it is the municipality itself that allocated the Rs30.7 million needed to restore the Lakshmi Narasingha temple. The expected date of completion is early 2025. The municipality and local communities are focusing on two main aspects: preserving the past and promoting localisation. The restoration team has designed a blueprint for the temple by using historical photographs and insights from older generations.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_182882fdc393c99e70d1d0490319e415229563666c4934e3a582426ebf00ca30.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241017131016_182882fdc393c99e70d1d0490319e415229563666c4934e3a582426ebf00ca30" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="560" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  “At first, the Lakshmi Narasingha temple had only one entrance, but during the demolition process, we uncovered the foundations of four doors. Now, we are restoring all of them. This is an example of how our ancient structures have changed over time, often without our knowledge,” says Chawal. “Constructing temples is not like building houses. They carry historical and spiritual values, which is why they hold a special place in our hearts,” he adds. By replicating ancient design elements and rebuilding the temple as accurately as possible to its original form, the team has stayed true to Bhaktapur’s soul. But the restoration also revived ancient techniques that were in danger of being forgotten, generating employment for woodcarvers, masons, and contractors. The community of Bhaktapur’s Gahiti neighbourhood near the famous Nyatapola Temple has also set aside specific days for locals to volunteer in the reconstruction work. This has encouraged young people to take pride in ownership of their heritage. Families have also supported the effort by donating funds for bells, the temple pinnacle, and other structural features to the temple.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_db850ec0c084cdbe54f65bee92dad2ad8122d20fd60ec87ec086fbb9d2f72bd6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241017131016_db850ec0c084cdbe54f65bee92dad2ad8122d20fd60ec87ec086fbb9d2f72bd6" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  “I feel at peace knowing I have contributed my sweat to restoring this temple,” said one volunteer. “It is our duty to preserve our temples and heritage. The Nyatapola area will look magical once this temple is completed.” Community mobilisation is a long-standing tradition in Bhaktapur. In the past, locals have actively participated in the restoration of other temples in the city, such as Bhairav and Nyatapola fostering a strong sense of ownership. This collective engagement has not only been crucial in preserving the city's historical monuments but also in strengthening the bond between local communities and their heritage, says officials at the municipality. While securing funding is essential, and the municipality showed it values heritage conservation, the Lakshmi Narasingha restoration is proof that active involvement and sense of responsibility of the local community is as important, if not more. Local involvement also means that the monuments will be cared for into the future, When locals take ownership of these efforts, the restored monuments are not only protected in the present but are also cared for in the future.

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