<figure><img width="1482" height="947" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914118/636ba6af9c7e80680e07373ajpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: RSS</figcaption></figure>The confusion and chaos that followed the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/chaos-as-nepal-bans-repatriation-flights/">sudden cancellation of repatriation flights</a> on 16 August was just the latest proof that the Covid-19 Crisis Management Committee (CCMC) and the government are working at cross-purposes, thus deepening the misery of Nepalis already burdened with the pandemic and its economic fallout.The CCMC had already cleared the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to issue a schedule of repatriation flights till 31 August. Embassies abroad had drawn up the passenger manifest based on their priority lists. But it abruptly cancelled the permission, giving the lack of quarantine hotels as an excuse.Tens of thousands of Nepali workers who had been waiting for over five months to fly home, and families trying for flights out of Kathmandu were affected. In one glaring case, the ban came into effect while a Nepal Airlines Airbus was en route to Dubai to pick up passengers, and had to return empty on Tuesday. The 266 returnees who had already got expensive PCR negative tests and had been issued boarding passes, had to return to their dorms in the UAE.The CCMC is led by powerful Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel, who is a close confidante of Prime Minister Oli. Sources in the CCMC said Pokhrel took the decision to ban flights on his own without discussing it in a Cabinet meeting earlier on Monday. <figure><img width="960" height="452" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914118/636ba6b29c7e80680e07373bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai was livid, and there was reportedly a heated exchange at a CCMC meeting on 18 August between Bhattarai and Pokhrel. The lack of coordination between the committee and line ministries has gotten so bad that critics have accused the CCMC of running a parallel government – even though the committee itself is made up of the prime minister, health minister, home minister, defence minister, supplies minister and the Nepal Army.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-grapples-with-bringing-workers-home/">Nepal grapples with bringing workers home</a>, Upasana KhadkaCritics say the CCMC is actually a government within the government that makes ad hoc decisions without consultations with public health and other experts. There have also been questions about transparency even since the committee in its previous avatar in April ordered the wrong test kits at inflated prices from middlemen alleged to be political cronies.As Defence Minister, Pokhrel then ordered the Nepal Army to manage the transport of arriving returnees from Kathmandu airport to holding centres and to their districts.He also got the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepals-accidental-leaders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Army involved in procurement of test kits and medical equipment</a> from China, but forced it to go through the same tainted middlemen. At a meeting last month, Army Chief Purna Chandra Thapa testily accused Pokhrel of tarnishing the military’s image by blaming it for delays.The CCMC has also been accused of bungling on enforcing and lifting lockdowns, not giving clear guidelines about what is allowed and what is not, issuing contradictory protocols for arriving air passengers, and not doing enough to control the movement of people from India.On the other hand, line ministries have gotten used to passing the buck to the CCMC on everything from permissions for international charters, the reopening of domestic flights, allowing long-distance buses, issuing no-objection letters for students going abroad, allowing private PCR tests, or making private hospitals treat Covid-19 patients. The Ministry of Health, which should be making the critical decisions on control measures, has been sidelined.“This is the time when the health ministry should be at the forefront, banging the table by lobbying for their suggestions to be implemented, it is unfortunate to see that it is taking the back seat,” says Gagan Thapa of the opposition Nepali Congress.Thapa puts the blame on the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-virus-vortex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spike in Covid-19 cases in the country </a>  squarely on the CCMC because it never had a concrete pro-active plan on solving problems like having better and adequate quarantine facilities, increasing the numbers of tests, and now making sure there are enough isolation and ICU wards for treatment of seriously ill patients.“Who is accountable for these lapses?” asks Thapa, who says that giving so much power without responsibility to the CCMC leaves it open to abuse of authority, and prone to making disastrous mistakes.  <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepal-is-too-big-for-ad-hocism/">Nepal is too big for ad hocism</a>, Anil ChitrakarNepal’s social media is also bristling with outrage against the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) for being preoccupied with its <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=011870630917993763279:opm7uqsat-4&amp;q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-ruling-party-pulls-back-from-split-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">internal power struggle</a> and not giving enough attention to lessening the impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable Nepalis like returnees from India and stranded workers overseas.“Our prime minister has all the time in the world for internal politics in Baluwatar, and he cannot even lead an effective Covid-19 response. It proves where his true interest lies, and the result of the negligence is here for all to see,” says Thapa.Anil Pokhrel, CEO of the National Risk Reduction Authority who is also an external adviser at the CCMC agrees that public trust on the agency has eroded largely because of the lack of coordination with implementation agencies. But he adds, “I am not inside in the meetings, but under the circumstances, the government is trying its best to respond to the pandemic the best it can.”  The National Risk Reduction Authority’s predecessor is the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) which was entrusted with reconstruction and rehabilitation after the 2015 earthquake. The NRA had the same problem of coordination.Because of frequent changes in government after the quake, the head of the NRA was changed three times in one year. There was political interference in its day-to-day operation, and it also functioned as a parallel government. <img width="1050" height="588" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914118/636ba6b39c7e80680e07373cjpeg.jpg" alt="">The only difference between the NRA and the CCMC is that while the NRA was a constitutionally mandated body, the CCMS is an ad hoc committee with unspecified powers. Also, line ministries did not cooperate with the NRA in implementing reconstruction plans because of turf battles, while the CCMC has emerged as an all-power super ministry headed by Ishwar Pokhrel, who it seems is in the habit of taking decisions without consulting experts.After the feud between Pokhrel and the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Bhattarai spilled out into the open this week, and faced with widespread criticism, the CCMC is said to be reconsidering the resumption of repatriation flights this week.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/at-midpoint-nepal-pm-struggles-to-deliver/">At midpoint, Nepal PM struggles to deliver</a>, Ramesh Kumar

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Who is in charge in Nepal?

<figure><img width="960" height="452" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914118/636ba67c9c7e80680e073724jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Nepali workers in Dubai after learning of the last minute cancellation of their flight to Kathmandu early Tuesday morning. Photo: NRNA UAE</figcaption></figure>Nepal’s sudden decision on 17 August to cancel all repatriation flights in and out of Kathmandu has left in the lurch tens of thousands of Nepalis abroad waiting to return home, as well as families and students who had already bought tickets to fly out.The government’s Covid-19 Crisis Management Committee (CCMC) which is chaired by Defence Minister Ishwor Pokhrel abruptly announced the cancellation on Monday night, the day airlines had started a new phase of repatriation flights till 31 August. This extended the uncertainty for many Nepali workers in the Gulf, Malaysia, Korea and Japan who had registered with embassies to come home. In addition, students and families who had confirmed bookings have been told outbound flights have been cancelled indefinitely.The CCMC’s Mahendra Guragain said the reason was that hotels that had been set aside for quarantine were not yet ready. However, many have pointed out that this is not logical because the number of arriving passengers had been reduced to 500 per day from this phase of repatriation flights – half the number arriving till last week.Over at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, deputy secretary Buddha Sagar Lamichhane had a different reason about why the scheduled charter flights were cancelled: “It is because the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is rising and there are neighbourhoods going into lockdown.”So, is it the lack of hotels or the rise in number of cases? When we put that question to the CCMC, they referred us to the government, even though the committee is made up of government ministers. The authorities at Kathmandu airport said they had no idea why the pre-scheduled flights had to be cancelled, and told us to ask the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism said it was the CCMC’s decision. <figure><img width="590" height="753" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914118/636ba67e9c7e80680e073725jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Letter from the CCMC abruptly announcing the cancellation abruptly on Monday night.</figcaption></figure>Amidst this confusion, there is growing anger – especially among Nepali workers overseas who have been waiting for nearly six months for flights to Nepal and have run out of money and patience. Many had to turn back from airports in Dubai, Doha and Kuala Lumpur, and had already spent $50 carrying out mandatory PCR tests 72 hours before boarding. A Nepal Airlines Airbus 330 that had flown to Dubai to pick up passengers returned empty because of the government decision while it was en route.Nepali workers have been pouring outrage and scorn at the government for its mishandling and confusion. Many are threatening to start a campaign not to send money home via official government channels anymore to be taxed, and instead use unofficial hundi channels. Wrote one angry Facebook user in the Gulf: ‘We are not anymore going to let our remittance go to officials who will squander our hard-earned money.’Many <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-grapples-with-bringing-workers-home/">stranded workers</a> say they have got no information at all from the government, the airline or the embassies about why the flights were announced and suddenly cancelled. They are even angrier about the mixed messages: is it because of the lack of quarantine hotels in Kathmandu, or because of government agencies working at cross purposes?“How can there not be enough hotels when the numbers flying in every day is going to be half of what it was last week?” asked one harried family member of a student booked on a flight later this week.Some flights, like Turkish Airlines, were allowed to land on Tuesday because passengers in North America and Europe had already boarded when the government made the announcement.“The government should just come out and tell the truth, that it is because case numbers in Kathmandu are rising,” said one airline source. ‘Why all this confusion? Also, if there are not enough quarantine hotels, why stop outbound passengers? Why stop people who want to leave?” <figure><img width="733" height="881" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914118/636ba6809c7e80680e073726jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Nepal Embassy in the UAE listing repatriation flights for Nepali workers which were later cancelled.</figcaption></figure>At a time when Kathmandu’s hotels are reeling from the collapse of the tourism industry, the government could have easily designated different categories of hotels for quarantine and set a room tariff for each. For international airlines, what is most frustrating is that the CCMC this time has not set a date on when charter, or regular flights can resume. International airlines are all in wait-and-watch mode, and have had to cancel up to 5,000 passengers who had been booked on outbound flights from Kathmandu in the coming weeks. Domestic airlines which were set to resume operations on 17 August have also been told to postpone the restart indefinitely. But the operators, whose planes have been <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/all-nepal-flights-cancelled-22-31-march/">grounded for five months</a>, say they cannot do so any longer and have threatened action if flights are not allowed to resume on 31 August. The government says the spread of Covid-19 has put Tarai cities under lockdown, so there will be no passengers anyway.  “The government should just allow flights, and let us worry about passengers. We have done our rehearsals with safety protocols and can operate safely,” says Birendra Basnet of Buddha Air, Nepal’s largest domestic airline.  Nepal Airlines which had 17 repatriation flights and Himalaya Airlines with 14 flights from the Gulf and Malaysia have cancelled charter flights scheduled for the next two weeks, leaving thousands of Nepali workers stranded. This phase of repatriation flights would have been from 17-31 August and would have brought in 7,000 passengers. More than 51,000 Nepalis have returned on repatriation flights since they started on 15 June, but there are still another 250,000 who have registered with various embassies to return home. Previous passengers all needed coronavirus negative certificates, and were tested again on arrival and allowed to go home to self-isolate if they were negative. Public health sources say the real danger of virus influx is from those coming unregulated across the land border, and not so much those who fly in because of the strict rules on having PCR negative tests 72 hours prior to departure.

Chaos as Nepal bans repatriation flights

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636bae289c7e80680e077fd8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="724"/><figcaption>Only one-tenth of estimated 300,000 Nepali workers stranded overseas who want to return home have come back in the past six weeks because of limits on the number of flights at Kathmandu airport.</figcaption></figure>Even though Nepal has decided to pay for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-kathmandu-airlift/">repatriation flights</a> for some of its workers stranded overseas due to the COVID-19 crisis, there are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-kathmandu-airlift-begins/">just not enough flights</a> to bring back the estimated 300,000 workers in the Gulf and Malaysia who want to come home.Only 30,000 Nepali workers have flown back in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/after-10-weeks-first-overseas-nepalis-repatriated/">repatriation flights since 15 June</a>, and even employers willing to pay for charter flights to send laid-off employees home are not getting permission from the airport authority in Kathmandu.For example, 3,100 stranded <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/uae-threat-to-send-back-workers-including-nepalis/">Nepali security guards in the UAE</a> have been unemployed for four months. While their employer, Transguard Group, is willing to charter flights to send them home, it has not received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to do so.“So far, only 300 employees from the company have been repatriated in government arranged repatriation flights with support from our employer,” said one worker <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepalis-quarantined-in-qatar/">still stranded</a> in UAE. “There are just not enough flights for all of us who want to return.”The government has a cap on the number of daily repatriation flights because of the limited capacity to test, quarantine and transport workers on arrival at Kathmandu airport. On Tuesday, the Cabinet decided to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-ends-covid-19-lockdown/">gradually lift lockdown rules</a>, with regular international flights allowed with limited frequency and destinations from 17 August.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636bae2b9c7e80680e077fd9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="661"><figcaption>A blunt notice by the UAE company Transguard Group to laid off workers that limited flights to home countries is delaying their repatriation.</figcaption></figure>Last week, Nepal issued a directive to pay for flying home some categories of Nepali workers stuck overseas <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/brokers-going-for-broke/">using the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund</a>. Even if this directive is implemented, it is not clear how workers will get home if there are not enough flights.The ‘Repatriation of Stranded Nepali Workers in the Course of Foreign Employment due to COVID-19, 2020’directive was prepared in response to the Supreme Court’s interim order earlier this month to judiciously use the Fund that now has over Rs5.7 billion in the kitty made up of contributions from all Nepalis going overseas for work.Nepalis with no means of returning to Nepal on their own, and without support from other stakeholders, deportation detainees, and amnesty beneficiaries will be eligible to return with support from the government (see box).<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636bae2d9c7e80680e077fdajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="648" height="553"><figcaption>The Nepal government’s directive ‘Repatriation of Stranded Nepali Workers in the Course of Foreign Employment due to COVID-19, 2020’.</figcaption></figure>“We have set aside Rs750 million to fund repatriation of stranded workers, and we will add to it if necessary,” said Rajan Shrestha of the Foreign Employment Board (FEB), adding that it would not just cover international airfare costs but also domestic transport to home districts.The directive recognises that displaced workers in their first year of contract are some of the most vulnerable given that they are still struggling to pay recruitment costs associated with their employment, often borrowed informally at back-breaking interest rates.It tries to hold recruiters and employers who profit from foreign employment accountable. Shrestha explained: “For workers with valid contracts, employers have the primary responsibility towards workers including buying return tickets. The recruiter is also jointly liable. We have to exhaust these options and ensure everyone is playing their part.”Employers who breach contracts by not assuming responsibility for repatriation of  workersor clearing their salaries and other dues will be barred by the FEB from hiring Nepali workers for the next five years. It is not clear how migrant workers who were charged exorbitant recruitment fees but had to return prematurely will be handled.As with very thing else in Nepal, the challenge now lies in implementing the directive. It requires <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/preparing-for-nepals-returnees/">embassies and recruitment agencies</a> to be particularly responsive and proactive to help migrants who meet the criteria for repatriation support.Sujit Shrestha of the Nepal Association of Foreign Agencies (NAFEA) said: "We have a comprehensive Foreign Employment Act that holds all players responsible but a weakness is the lack of clarity when employers go into situations of force majeure invoking a situation like COVID-19.”He said the directive can be followed if the employer is still operating but has reduced workforce size, but it is not clear what happens when employers use the ‘circumstances beyond their control’ clause.“The Nepal government also needs to play a more proactive role via diplomatic efforts, especially with countries with which we have signed bilateral labour agreements,” Shrestha added.A downside is that workers who do not have valid labour approvals, and are some of the most vulnerable during this crisis, will not be able to benefit from this contributory fund. This includes domestic workers who traveled through irregular channels because of the ban, for whom an alternative like the Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Fund could be used.But there are also others could step in to set up a fund, like Nepal’s development partners and the private sector. Also, recruiters recently contributed Rs3.5 million to the Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Fund which could have been channeled for migrant-specific need if such a basket fund existed.The directive, if properly implemented, could serve as an example for other migrant-sending countries also facing challenges in repatriating vulnerable workers and have similar Welfare Funds. The pandemic has laid bare Nepal’s gross unpreparedness for emergency support to migrants.Previous attempts to set up a Rapid Rescue Team in the Ministry of Labour failed while lessons from earlier large-scale repatriations such as from Libya in 2011 are poorly documented and did not serve to inform the repatriation strategy during this pandemic.Like the Philippines, Nepal also needs a contingency plan for overseas workers and rapid response teams that activate during such periods for evacuation and welfare. The directive could be an important starting point.

Too many stranded Nepalis, not enough flights

<figure><img width="595" height="842" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141136/636bad509c7e80680e077f88jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Illustration: SAMBHRANT BISTA</figcaption></figure>Nepal’s post-2017 federal structure was supposed to decentralise governance of the country’s migration sector because local units have closer proximity to workers aspiring to go abroad, returnees and their families. On paper, local governments have an elaborate foreign employment related mandate including data collection of migrants, including those in India, information dissemination on safe migration procedures, skilling and returnee reintegration. However, it took the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented reverse migration of the past few months to make local governments spring into action to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-grapples-with-bringing-workers-home/">manage returnee inflows</a>, especially the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepalis-stranded-at-india-border-return/">unexpected influx from India</a>. “The volume of returnees, especially from India, has significantly dropped and is more manageable now,” says <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-long-journey-to-nepal/">Uma Thapa Magar, Deputy Mayor of Nepalganj</a>. She says the chaos of the initial weeks has subsided but the longer term challenge of ensuring the reintegration of the returnees remains. Fortunately, the groundwork for multiple employment and entrepreneurship programs at local levels have been laid in the past few years. Coordinators under the Prime Minister’s Employment Program (PMEP) have been appointed in all 753 municipalities and placed in Employment Service Centers (ESCs). Admittedly, the PMEP has a checkered reputation because of allegations of wasteful spending, unproductive work and improper targeting of the unemployed. One employment coordinator told us: “The main issue is the lack of ownership by the local governments as it is still largely seen as a federal program. Employment is not usually a priority for local governments.”  This year’s budget doubled the PMEP allocation to Rs11.60 billion to create 200,000 jobs to address economic challenges brought by the pandemic.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/helping-hand-for-repatriated-nepali-workers/">Richard Howard</a>, Country Director for Nepal of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says, “The issue is how to manage the Prime Minister’s Employment Program so it creates valuable assets needed for the municipality to grow. Public infrastructure needs proper monitoring and planning to ensure they produce something useful for the communities.” Nepalganj Deputy Mayor Magar says that even if the PMEP is done right, it will not be attractive to a majority of the returnee migrants. “It is largely a social protection program and the jobs offered are all low-wage and labour-intensive such as road work, cleaning, pulling weed or making canals. Returnees who have had higher paying jobs abroad will not find this attractive,” she explains. Much more useful for returnees would be <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/returnees-need-help-to-get-back-to-farming/">entrepreneurship packages</a>, Magar says. But local self-employment schemes  like Sahakarya only provide soft loans of Rs100,000 which is not enough to do anything meaningful. The Foreign Employment Board (FEB) in Kathmandu is said to be finalising a reintegration program for returnees funded by the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund to be implemented via local governments. Executive Director Rajan Shrestha says, “The program recognises that returnees are not a homogeneous group as has been evident during repatriation.” The plan includes a menu of services to increase job and entrepreneurship opportunities, like including skills training, business development training, psychosocial support, shelter support, financial literacy, grants, in-kind kits and referrals.Returnees have been categorised into four groups from those coming back with skills and some savings, and could benefit with just a little push such with business development and loans, to those who need more hand holding including shelter and counseling before they look for jobs. The Foreign Employment Board has been criticised for not using its welfare fund to repatriate those stranded abroad, and a guideline prepared after the Supreme Court order has yet to receive Cabinet approval. “This is a contributory fund tied to welfare programs such as compensation to the families of migrants who die abroad or disability compensation to injured migrants. The budget is limited, and it needs to be supplemented with funds from other line Ministries, development partners or the private sector,” says the Board's Rajan Shrestha. Additional money is also necessary because those who did not contribute to the Fund are not eligible for its programs, like undocumented workers, or returnees from India who need support with re-integration.  “The directive has opened the way for us to coordinate with partners to provide services to undocumented returnees ineligible for the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund, who may need the most support in reintegration. But we need to hit the ground running fast and test it on a pilot basis,” adds Shrestha.The tricky part about reintegration is that they are just part of Nepal’s larger employment challenge. Returnees may expect higher wages, or may lack the contextual knowledge that those who have not left have. While there is a Rs1 million soft loan program already in place for returnees, at lest seven other low interest credits are available to those who return. The ILO’s Howard explains: “As soon as they come back, returnees may have special, immediate needs  which need to be addressed but after a while, they are just like everyone else who need livelihoods and employment support and the burden falls on the local governments.”The Nepal Rastra Bank, for example, has made it mandatory for branches to provide at least 10 soft loans, and there Shrestha sees a coordination role for the Board to provide referral services and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/ways-nepal-can-rebound-from-covid-19/">business development training </a>through local governments, so returnees can get collateral-free loans for projects.Lack of viable business plans was one of the reasons why out of 18,000 applicants, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/where-have-we-heard-that-one-before/">only 100 were approved last year</a>. Hari Thapa spent over a decade in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and returned two years ago with some savings, but did not know where to invest it and how. His first venture failed, but he learned his lesson the hard way and his clothing business was doing well till the lockdown. He says: “Not only did I not receive any support, there were hassles to apply for the soft loan for returnees. There was always the option of re-migrating if nothing else worked.”Now, Nepalis returning from overseas because of the pandemic crisis may get more attention than Thapa did if the new reintegration plans are implemented properly. About 150,000 Nepalis have returned from India since April, and some 25,000 Nepalis stranded in the Gulf, Malaysia and other countries have flown back on repatriation flights returned since 15 June. But this number pales in comparison to those who are stranded abroad, waiting for their turn to return, many still unable to afford their air fares home.

Upasana Khadka

Nepal plans to reintegrate returning workers

<figure><img width="2000" height="1260" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141132/636bac7a9c7e80680e077f34jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Nepal Airlines jets preparing for repatriation flights at Kathmandu airport last week. Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption></figure>Fourteen crew members of Nepal Airlines, including three pilots involved in repatriation flights have tested positive for coronavirus, the carrier said on Monday.The crew are being kept in isolation and will be monitored for treatment, while other crew members will be tested and contact traced.“This happened despite all the precautions we took to disinfect aircraft, use personal protective equipment, and also not allowing crew to go home but keeping them at Soaltee Hotel,” one airline source said. “Our scheduled repatriation flights will not be affected.”Last week, a crew member of Himalaya Airlines also tested positive for COVID-19. The private carrier is also operating repatriation flights to Malaysia, the Gulf and Maldives.Nepal Airlines has been flying nearly non-stop to cities in the Gulf, Malaysia, Australia, Japan and on Tuesday is carrying Nepal Army Peacekeepers to the Central African Republic and Mali. The new cases detected in Nepal have been going down as the number of returnees from India has gone down. Monday saw only 180 new cases nationwide, down from an average of 400 every day last week. There were 264 patients who recovered on Monday, while the total number of recovered has gone up to 6,811.The total number of cases in Nepal has now reached 15,964, with 35 fatalities from COVID-19. There are approximately 29,250 people still in quarantine and about 9,120 in isolation.The Ministry of Health says it has increased the number of tests it is conducting per day with new equipment. On Monday, 4,721 RT-PCR tests were conducted. While earlier tests were on high risk groups through contact tracing and returnees, over the weekend the health authorities also started surveillance tests of people living in crowded areas of the Valley like Kalanki and Koteswor. There were 54 new cases detected in Kathmandu Valley in the past 24 hours. Home Ministry spokesperson Umakant Adhikary announced on Monday that security forces had been instructed to take action against anyone venturing out without masks, and urged citizens to take precautionary measures in crowded places.

3 pilots and 11 cabin crew test COVID-19 positive

<figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Nepali-migrants-come-home-from-Kuwait-in-repatriation-flights-NT.jpg" data-elementor-open-lightbox="yes" data-elementor-lightbox-title="Nepali migrants come home from Kuwait in repatriation flights NT"></a></figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221202151240/638a0ee39c7e80680e0cd490jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="956" height="603"/><figcaption>Photo: MONIA DEUPALA/Infographics: KIRAN MAHARJAN</figcaption>Faced with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/homecoming/">criticism over ad hoc repatriation fli</a>ghts, the government has after nearly three months of lockdown finally announced a tentative list of chartered flights to bring back Nepalis stranded abroad. On Thursday, the first two flights following the government’s pre-planned schedule and chartered by the Kuwait government landed with female undocumented workers.There was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-kathmandu-airlift-begins/">outrage in social media</a> last week after the first flights on 5 June from UAE and Burma brought back passengers who were not on the priority list of those needing <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-grapples-with-bringing-workers-home/">immediate evacuation</a>.  The list included undocumented and laid off workers, women, pregnant and disabled Nepalis and those stranded after short-term visas expired.The 324 passengers in two flights from Kuwait City who arrived in Kathmandu Thursday had spent 45 days in transit camps set up by the Kuwait government for amnestied undocumented workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Of the 7,000 undocumented Nepalis, half opted for the amnesty, and are being flown home phasewise on Jazeera Airways.Of overseas Nepali workers who have registered with embassies to return to Nepal, the UAE has the highest number followed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Malaysia. Many are documented workers who have been laid off because of the global economic downturn.In addition, there are also Nepalis on family visits to the US, Canada, UK, Japan, Australia, those on short-term visitor visas, as well as students and expat Nepalis in Southeast Asia, who want to come home.The government had said the delay was caused because of preparing testing and quarantine facilities on arrival for them before allowing incoming charter flights, and on Wednesday, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation finally issued a proposed schedule for flights for the next two weeks to urgently airlift 24,148 Nepalis abroad to be operated by Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines. In addition international airlines like Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines will also be allowed to fly in passengers from North America.From 14-25 June, Nepal Airlines Airbus330 will operate flights next week to Dhaka, Malé, Dubai, Melbourne, Bangkok, Bahrain, Narita, Kuwait, Nicosia, Sydney, Doha, Seoul, Oman, Osaka. Flights to North American destinations have not yet been decided. Its single-aisle Airbus320 will be flying passengers from other regional destinations. The carrier will perform 24 flights till 25 June.Himalaya Airlines will also be operating 19 flights to bring back stranded Nepalis back from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Phnom Penh, Dhaka, Doha, and even Lagos and Uganda in the next two weeks, according to the ministry’s flight timetable. International airlines will also be flying two flights a day solely for Nepali returnees. All passengers except those whose tickets are paid by employers or the host government have to pay their own fares. (Flight schedule 14-25 June below)The government has allowed more than 35 international charter flights to repatriate more than 12,000 tourists and expats trapped in Nepal, since flights were stopped on 22 March. However, Nepal Airlines, Qatar Airways and Korean Airlines have also been flying out Nepali nationals on work visas and permanent residents to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea.The ministry has also fixed the price for tickets in each sector. (See table below)Besides Nepalis coming in, there are also those who were on their annual leave from work in Nepal and could not fly out because of the lockdown. A Nepali couple who had been in Kuwait form seven years came home for holidays on 24 February, but have been trapped in Kathmandu since. They had been hoping to be put on the flight going back, but the government is only allowing repatriation flights for foreigners stranded in Nepal.Passengers who arrived on Thursday will be swab tested at the airport and taken to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-readies-holding-centres-for-first-returnee-flights/">holding centres</a> in Kathmandu Valley set aside for each of the seven provinces. They will wait there for two days for  results, and if negative will be transported to their home provinces where they will have to quarantine or self-isolate for two weeks. If positive, they will be taken to isolation wards in Kathmandu.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAvNcm6-ttk&amp;feature=youtu.beOne way airfares for repatriation flights to KathmanduIn USD (includes taxes)Source: MoCTCADhaka  165New Delhi  205Mumbai   310Bangalore  335Bangkok    390Phnom Penh    400Dubai   500Abu Dhabi   500Sharjah   500Male   505Muscat   510Kuala Lumpur  520Doha   545Bahrain   545Hong Kong   550Kuwait City   570Damam    590Riyadh     630Jeddah    770Amman    815Nicosia    875Tokyo-Narita   935Khartoum   940Frankfurt   1,255London    1,340<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221202151240/638a0ee69c7e80680e0cd491jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="2346">Timetable for repatriation flights to Kathmandu14-25 June14 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Dhaka15 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Male, A320 from Kuala LumpurHimalaya Airlines A320 from Damam, Phnom Penh/SingaporeInternational airlines from Muscat16 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Dubai, A320 from DohaHimalaya Airlines A320 from Kuwait City, Colombo, Male17 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Sydney, Bangkok, A320 from BahrainHimalaya Airlines A320 from Dhaka, DohaInternational Airlines from 2 US cities18 June: Nepal Airlines from Riyadh, A320 from DubaiHimalaya Airlines A320 from Kuala Lumpur, Muscat19 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Narita, A320 from Kuwait CityHimalaya Airlines A320 from Damam, Lagos20 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Nicosia, Kuala Lumpur, A320 from Kuwait CityHimalaya Airlines A320 from Abu Dhabi, DhakaInternational carriers from 2 destinations in Europe21 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Seoul, A320 from MuscatHimalaya Airlines A320 from Kuwait City, Kuala LumpurInternational carriers 2 unspecified points22 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Melbourne, A320 from BangkokHimalaya Airlines A320 from Islamabad, Doha23 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Narita, A320 from MaleHimalaya Airlines A320 from Abu Dhabi, Kampala24 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from Riyadh, A320 from Kuwait City25 June: Nepal Airlines A330 from New YorkHimalaya Airlines A320 from Nicosia, Tel AvivTotal Nepal Airlines Airbus330 widebody flights: 14Total Nepal Airlines Airbus320 single-aisle flights: 10Total Himalayan Airlines Airbus 320 flights: 19Total flights by international carriers: 24Total repatriation flights 14-25 June: 67Conditions:<ol><li>Schedule may change</li> <li>Flights will operate only with 85% occupancy</li> <li>Passengers need PCR or RDT negative certificate before boarding</li> <li>Airlines to coordinate with Nepal embassies on manifest</li> <li>Passengers to go through Nepal quarantine rules on arrival</li></ol>

Stranded Nepalis start to fly home

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.