Seventy years ago, when Swiss geologist Toni Hagen explored Nepal, he had to walk because there were no roads. But the most difficult part was crossing rivers because the foot bridges either did not exist or were dangerous. Nepal’s valleys were separated from each other not just by mountains, but also by raging Himalayan rivers. Villagers asked Hagen to help bridge the gap so they could be connected to markets and to other villages.&nbsp; With the help of the Swiss government and the group Helvetas, the 10,000th trail bridge has been built, with 740 in the past year alone. Much of the original Swiss engineering design for the bridges has been passed on to Nepali companies through technology transfer. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030116_43ffea6b6e2665cbba251c258fdfba55cd272f3afaa27778ad057e8e0ceaa7fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240106030116_43ffea6b6e2665cbba251c258fdfba55cd272f3afaa27778ad057e8e0ceaa7fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1717" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>The Tindobato Chiuri Pelakot suspension bridge in Syangja.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_6947ede258eb1d6628da0ba1d69a078640b5e47d56c7d99f9c11cea798e1beb5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240106030112_6947ede258eb1d6628da0ba1d69a078640b5e47d56c7d99f9c11cea798e1beb5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1471" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>The Gandaki Golden Footbridge.</figcaption> </figure>  Nepal’s trail bridges program is a model of how development projects can be sustainable through long-term collaborative effort. This has led to innovations that have transformed the lives of some 19 million Nepalis nationwide by reducing drudgery and travel time. More than 1 million students, farmers, health workers, trekkers and porters use the bridges every day. Even livestock use them to get to greener pastures on the other side. The program is also a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation between Nepal and Switzerland. Its success in scaling-up across the entire country and adapting it to the new local governments have magnified the benefits. &nbsp; The first trail bridges were built during the Rana period, with 29 steel bridges manufactured in Scotland erected between 1846-1950. Some of them are still standing to this day. Based on Toni Hagen’s recommendations, the Suspension Bridge Division (SBD) was set up by the government with the support from Swiss Association for Technical Assistance (SATA).&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_ca6fb395f787a9aa154add88befdea57ca7e6a7315d34c6df12d8a3388d02a17.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240106030112_ca6fb395f787a9aa154add88befdea57ca7e6a7315d34c6df12d8a3388d02a17" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>Young women cross the Bhadakhola bridge with their bicycles in Bardia.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_1df3099ef43271ed216f8bbc2589953c79b05a698774dbfc68f0592d3aead2e3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240106030112_1df3099ef43271ed216f8bbc2589953c79b05a698774dbfc68f0592d3aead2e3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1519" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>Before suspension bridges, many villagers crossed rivers on 'tuin' baskets dangling on wires that they pulled by hand.</figcaption> </figure>  Each bridge took three years to design and build, compared to 18 months today. Only 10 bridges were built in the 1970s and 25 in the 1980s, but things picked up after that. A milestone was the scaling-up of the Bridge Building at Local Level (BBLL) technology and community approach supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Helvetas in 1989. This led to 100 bridges being built every year by incorporating indigenous cable bridge technology and simpler engineering.&nbsp; The first Trail Bridge Strategy in 2006 was a major milestone as it set a national target that no citizen had to walk a detour of more than 1 hour in the absence of safe river crossing. Short Span Trail Bridges of up to 120m were constructed through Users’ Committees and Long Span Trail Bridges with longer spans needing contractors. A survey showed that Nepal needed 6,000 additional trail bridges. &nbsp;&nbsp; Nepal launched three phases of the Trail Bridge Sector Wide Approach Framework (2009-2023) under which nearly 4,000 new bridges were built with other donors also stepping in.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030116_3a71a0b0a74ef26dda2a2c664e83bd5b87afa1a706949d9472dc78cca7656047.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240106030116_3a71a0b0a74ef26dda2a2c664e83bd5b87afa1a706949d9472dc78cca7656047" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>The Upallo Timure suspension bridge in Pokhara's Hemja.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030116_a398a79b864d3fea5c7d8e23e58ad7b0287fa8fac8fdc9b13104d2dc90386259.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240106030116_a398a79b864d3fea5c7d8e23e58ad7b0287fa8fac8fdc9b13104d2dc90386259" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1499" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>Tourists cross the Bhandara Pachbhaiya suspension bridge over the Rupa Lake inPokhara.</figcaption> </figure>  After the promulgation of the new Constitution in 2015, local governments were given the responsibility of supervising new bridge construction and it saw a boom. The Swiss were still involved to backstop the local institutions despite initial scepticism that municipalities had the capacity to undertake the job. But by 2019, over 8,000 bridges had been completed, and a review showed that 2,400 more bridges would be needed to fulfil the national target before the Swiss concluded their involvement.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030116_d4c2fbe7d5b043d72f7f74cc40bf497d8795233d8d307e069c88c68c759ed1f3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240106030116_d4c2fbe7d5b043d72f7f74cc40bf497d8795233d8d307e069c88c68c759ed1f3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1778" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>A three-wheeler crosses the Teshanpur Trail Bridge in Bardia.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_2d1a33c3d4de749a5dca66955bab8dfbd74a4e4fb47d39d20d03d39405ba3a50.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240106030112_2d1a33c3d4de749a5dca66955bab8dfbd74a4e4fb47d39d20d03d39405ba3a50" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>People herd livestock across a suspension bridge in Thule Mohar of Sunsari.</figcaption> </figure>  &nbsp;There are significant milestones in the six decades of Swiss involvement in Nepal’s trail bridges program: Design, Engineering and Standardisations: The development of standardised short span and long span technology and construction modalities were important in building cost-effective designs that could be scaled-up throughout the country. Handbooks with specifications were produced. &nbsp; Domestic Fabrication: The Swiss Association for Technical Assistance (SATA) was instrumental in the 1960s in supporting the Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) to establish the Balaju Yantra Shala (BYS), the first engineering workshop. Domestic fabrication of steel bridge parts eliminated the need for imports from India. Former BYS staff went on to establish private workshops outside Kathmandu for bridge parts. There are now 33 fabricators across all 7 provinces which manufacture parts for 900 bridges annually.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_779a2f20bc28da51f4f00eb7f7cccbae86db11f68f11a02d95b5c043b9952705.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240106030112_779a2f20bc28da51f4f00eb7f7cccbae86db11f68f11a02d95b5c043b9952705" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>People film Tik Tok videos on the three-way Ridi trail bridge connecting Gulmi, Palpa, and Syangja.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_9078b8b85e66e83e1ed74ee4d09d7b8e53851c3385ef3447642a77f4d321b83b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240106030112_9078b8b85e66e83e1ed74ee4d09d7b8e53851c3385ef3447642a77f4d321b83b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1438" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>The Ridi Trail Bridge</figcaption> </figure>  Main Trail Maps: The development and publication of district Main Trail and Central Service Maps through Swiss support in 1985 also contributed greatly towards the country’s overall development planning. The maps identified main and local trail networks that linked strategic central places. Domestic Galvanisation: Wooden walkway decks were the weakest component in the traditional bridge design. They needed to be replaced frequently and were replaced by galvanised steel plates in 1995. Maintenance cost was reduced. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_a3bf02f0aba3240567e53ce6c62defb65fd45956560339adc82dcbb85501a5ea.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20240106030112_a3bf02f0aba3240567e53ce6c62defb65fd45956560339adc82dcbb85501a5ea" data-rendition-name="original" width="1780" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>Three bridges across the Kali Gandaki and its tributary in Gyadi of Kushma.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_99c1fd448ff4100d11f83431439bef2ddd9921a817c4feeb5564d2332e75fbd9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20240106030112_99c1fd448ff4100d11f83431439bef2ddd9921a817c4feeb5564d2332e75fbd9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>The Gyadi bridge situated over the Modikhola in Kusma and Phalebas.</figcaption> </figure>  &nbsp; Foundations and Walkways: Trail bridge designs were further updated after the 2015 earthquake. Some 79 bridges were damaged out of the then 6,000 built till then. After an in-depth study of the damaged bridges, designs were refined to increase seismic resistance. Pile foundation and wider walkways in designs for the Tarai were introduced in 2009 for motorcycles and three-wheelers. Enhancing Engineering Knowledge: Elective courses were introduced at the Bachelor of Civil Engineering with academic institutions to institutionalise trail bridge building since the early 2000s with 30 students now graduating every year with trail bridge know-how. Bridge building was also introduced as a regular course for Assistant Sub-Engineers through vocational training centres. Over 6,000 local bridge crafts-persons (30% women) have been trained in trail bridge building.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106030112_9b7aa8408656b3015e77dc29119d236aca1983b67467a258e11b4beb9ec70385.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20240106030112_9b7aa8408656b3015e77dc29119d236aca1983b67467a258e11b4beb9ec70385" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="10,000 bridges NT"> <figcaption>Female engineers train to build trail bridges.</figcaption> </figure>  Quality Control and Maintenance: Quality monitoring has been formalised in the Comprehensive Manual on Monitoring of Trail Bridges since 2009. All fabricated bridge parts are assembled to ensure that they are fabricated as per the design. Cement quality is also tested, with the list of brands that have passed uploaded to the official website for reference. Currently, over 1,000 trail bridges are under construction in Nepal annually and these are monitored through four monitoring information systems. Bridges to Federalisation: Swiss technical assistance for trail bridge building ended in November 2023, and local municipalities and provinces have taken over. Provincial Technical Assistance Providers (PTAPs) will work with provincial governments to continue providing technical assistance and monitoring for bridge construction independently. Provinces now have their own Trail Bridge Strategy which has increased the target to bring the detour time for people walking for essential services to 30 minutes (from the previous 1 hour) in the National Strategy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Adapted from Trail bridge evolution in Nepal: Scaling up to reach the 10,000th bridge, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

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10,000 bridges

The monsoon has got bad press because Nepal’s tourism operators actively told visitors to avoid <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/managing-the-monsoon?%2F">the rainy season</a>. It is time to change that. The reason can be found right here in the vast alpine meadows of Central Nepal where this time of year you can walk on velvet grass of pastures abloom with delicate pink, red and yellow flowers as the mist rolls up the valley. There is no sound except the hum of bumble bees. &nbsp;&nbsp; There are dozens of places across high Nepal called Chaurikharka, which means yak pasture. But this particular Chaurikharka in Rukum East located at an altitude of 4,000m stands out for its serene beauty, rustic charm and bucolic setting. There is just the occasional chime of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">yak bells</a> in the distance, and the sharp whistle of herders corralling sheep. &nbsp;&nbsp; The grass shoots are so fragile that one hesitates to step on them, the rounded ridges appear and quickly vanish in waves of mist. With the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/before-the-next-monsoon"> arrival of monsoon</a>, these meadows are a soothing shade of green dotted with millions of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/the-anatomy-of-a-flower?%2F=">multi-coloured flowers</a>. Until very recently, it took a week or so to hike up to places like Chaurikharka, but with the expansion of the road network even to these far-flung mountains in the lap of Dhaulagiri, they are much more accessible. It is just a three-hour uphill from the Mid-Hill Highway on the border between Baglung and Rukum East.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250802130828_a0b06b494d751b2144ffbbf10894ea64b29e8aed844bc8c66171783abfaf4e16.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250802130828_a0b06b494d751b2144ffbbf10894ea64b29e8aed844bc8c66171783abfaf4e16" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="Visit Nepal in the monsoon"> </figure>  Purists would say that such easy access devalues the sanctity of these remote high meadows, but it also means more people will be moved to treasure the experience, appreciate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/natures-fragile-gift-to-nepal">the value of nature </a>so they can take steps to protect it.&nbsp; To be sure, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/deadly-monsoon-in-nepal-turns-deadlier">monsoon season can be challenging for road travel</a>. The roads are rough even at the best of times, and in the monsoon they become muddy and treacherous, often blocked by<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/monsoon-deluge-in-nepal"> landslides</a>. But that could be precisely the kind of adventure that the more intrepid visitors crave. Improved road connectivity has already made Chaurikharka and places like Badimallika &nbsp;and other sacred lakes in the mountains of western Nepal popular with domestic tourists. What is driving this traffic is the urge to go to exotic new places and share videos and selfies on social media. Several of Nepal’s travel vloggers have visited Chaurikharka and popularised the place, enticing followers on TikTok or YouTube to retrace their footsteps. But even as they become more popular, these fragile and once-remote places should be protected from over-tourism.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250731110736_f97110b7cdc3e7f80d5877690948fc9f4c95a09c583deb23b07355491e6c5446.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250731110736_f97110b7cdc3e7f80d5877690948fc9f4c95a09c583deb23b07355491e6c5446" data-rendition-name="original" width="1083" height="699" loading="lazy" alt="Visit Nepal in the monsoon NT"> </figure>  <h2>INCREASING FOOTFALL</h2> Chaurikharka is located in Bhume Rural Municipality of East Rukum, near the scenic valley of Dhorpatan in Baglung district. Even in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/monsoon-culture">middle of the monsoon</a>, there is a steady stream of Nepali hikers trooping to these high pastures – especially during festival days like Saune Sankranti which this year was on 17 July and actually marks the auspicious beginning of the monsoon here. “This year the rains have not been as heavy and there have been some clear mornings when we could see everything from Dhaulagiri to Machapuchre,” says Khageswar Bhandari, who trekked up here from the road. “The flowers, the greenery and the snowy mountain views make this an incredibly unique place.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250802130824_1b9e26f2e9853fdfe69154bb42a7c9ea6da4bf4940efc1da99b304dcfbd7d3d9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250802130824_1b9e26f2e9853fdfe69154bb42a7c9ea6da4bf4940efc1da99b304dcfbd7d3d9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1152" loading="lazy" alt="Visit Nepal in the monsoon"> </figure>  Chaurikharka is worthwhile to get to in any season, but it has a different charm during the monsoon. Word has spread and because it is now easy to get to from Baglung or even Pokhara, people have been flocking here.&nbsp; “Holidays and Saturdays see the largest crowds, with up to 500 visitors every day,” says ward chair Mankaji Pun of Bhume.&nbsp; There was a time not too long ago when local herders brought sheep, goats, cows, buffaloes, horses, and mules to graze here during the monsoon. Although there are still livestock around, animals have been replaced by visitors taking selfies. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-monsoon-and-nature-s-arithmetic">The monsoon, and nature’s arithmetic</a>, Tom Robertson Ward Chair Pun says infrastructure development is his main priority. A foot trail to Chaurikharka was built last year by the Tourism Division Office in Kohalpur, but access via the Raniwas-Koipa road section still remains challenging.&nbsp; “If we get more budget, we can improve the road and facilities to make Chaurikharka the main tourist attraction of this region,” says Bhume Municipality Chair Hom Prakash Shrestha. “After that, we hope to promote Chaurikharka as a top tourist spot.”&nbsp; Economic activity is also picking up with the arrival of visitors, but there seems to be a need to manage the makeshift sheds made of corrugated sheets that spoil the beauty of the place. Tea shops and lodges are also available but facilities are basic. Kuldeep Neupane took a three-day trip from Ghorahi in Dang to visit Chaurikharka recently, and says: “This is an ideal trip to make a quick getaway and let nature recharge your mind and body. And it is much more fun with a tent, to watch the sunrise over the Himalaya or the mist blowing in.”

Visit Nepal in the monsoon

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced jubilantly on social media that Nepal had achieved a historic annual growth of 81.8% in exports. He was right. Nepal’s trade did take a great leap forward compared to last year. But the dramatic rise was mainly due to processed soya bean oil.&nbsp; However, Nepal does not produce the edible oil it exports. In fact, the soya and palm oil that make up 44% of total exports are imported from Southeast Asia and South America, and simply re-exported, mostly to India.&nbsp; Under the SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) Agreement, Nepal can export products to India duty-free if it has at least 30% value-added. Nepal’s traders have taken advantage of SAFTA even though the edible oils they export do not reach that value addition threshold. “The 30% value addition requirement is often only on paper,” says former commerce secretary Purushottam Ojha. “It is clear that simply packaging edible oils in Nepal does not fulfil the terms of the trade agreement.” Prime Minister Oli is aware of this, and even called Nepal’s export figures “fake” at an earlier event. The government is relying on other iffy figures to suggest that Nepal’s economy is strong and getting stronger. For example, the value of imports rose by 13.25% in 2024-25 compared to the previous fiscal year.&nbsp; Some of it was due to a jump in electric vehicle imports worth Rs 31.76 billion, but mostly it was because more wholesale soya oil was imported to be re-packaged and sold in India. The very fact that the government boasts about increased imports is an indication of how much it relies on taxing them for revenue. Touting such trade figures cannot be the basis to claim an economic rebound.&nbsp; “A jump in the value of imports can be interpreted as an increase in purchasing power, but it is not evidence of a stronger economy,” says economist Keshav Acharya. “Even though imports have increased, Nepal's domestic production and productive capacity have not improved.” Nepal Rastra Bank's semi-annual economic activity study report shows that industrial production was down in the first six months of the last fiscal year. This despite an increase in the number of new industries registered and investment commitments. Out of the Rs70.2 billion proposed foreign investment, Nepal received only Rs17.9 billion last year.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the rate of capital formation was limited to 24% last year, which is lower than the year before, suggesting that new investment, job creation and economic expansion all declined. If domestic production does not improve in relation to this year’s inflated trade figures, the outflow will put pressure on foreign exchange reserves like it did three years ago. At that time, Nepal borrowed from the IMF under its Extended Credit Facility Program to kickstart the economy.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025080710084_2cdaaa5795828c4a7de93a0604ba884ef0a8b8f24cccd939f6c24e279ab6058f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2025080710084_2cdaaa5795828c4a7de93a0604ba884ef0a8b8f24cccd939f6c24e279ab6058f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1633" height="723" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's bubble economy NT"> <figcaption>Source: NEPAL RASTRA BANK</figcaption> </figure>  The macroeconomy is on firm footing with foreign exchange reserves at a comfortable Rs2,520 billion in May, up 23% from last year. This was largely due to remittances, and partly due to a falling NPR exchange rate. Real estate transactions and the stock market index have also been climbing as a result of government policies to revive the sector.&nbsp; However, former executive director of Nepal Rastra Bank Nar Bahadur Thapa cautions: “This is not organic growth, it is the result of deliberate policy decisions to relax rules on real estate and stock markets transactions.” In reality, the sharp rise in land prices have increased the cost of production, and excessive monetisation of the real estate has become the main source of Nepal’s economic woes. The central bank has announced a slew of new policies, shifting the terms of loan repayment for industrialists and entrepreneurs, reducing interest rates, and injecting more working capital — all designed to inject adrenaline into the real estate and stock market sectors.&nbsp; When he was governor, Mahaprasad Adhikari made several financial reforms during the latter half of his tenure to stimulate the economy, including tightening credit flow.&nbsp; By the last fiscal year, additional financial reforms had resulted in a credit expansion rate of around 8%. As the pace of credit expansion slows, real estate prices have started to fall. This is actually beneficial to the economy, because it lays the foundation for improvements in land-related entrepreneurship, production, and the construction sector. Just because real estate and the stock market transactions increase, it does not indicate an economic turnaround — especially when manufacturing and productive sector continues to languish.&nbsp; “It is foolish to believe that real estate and the stock market have magically revived our economy. Agriculture employs more than half of the population, but it is in decline. Investment in the productive sector has not increased, and job creation has not increased.” Two years ago, Nepal’s industrialists, business leaders, and political leadership predicted a recession amidst a sluggish business, declining market demand, large-scale job loss, and a shrinking real estate and share market.&nbsp; Still, the economy grew by 3.36% in fiscal year 2023/24. In fact, Nepal’s economy has grown nominally over the last two decades even when all sectors of the economy are in decline.&nbsp; Says Keshav Acharya: “The growth in trade, real estate, and the stock market are bubbles. The real economy remains stagnant.”

Nepal’s bubble economy

The final investigation report on the crash of a Saurya Airlines jet on 24 July 2024 at Kathmandu airport has revealed flaws in the carrier’s technical operation procedures, poor monitoring by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and gaps in the airport’s emergency response. Eighteen people including a child were killed, and only the captain survived as the plane plunged seconds after takeoff, crashing within the airport perimeter. This was the latest in a series of aircraft accidents in previous years, and further tarnished Nepal’s already poor aviation safety record and contributed to the country being retained in the EU’s air safety list. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The circumstances in the Saurya crash were different from the Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara in January 2022 that killed all 72 on board, and two Tara Air crashes in February 2016 and May 2022 on approach to Jomsom that together claimed 45 lives. However, all four tragedies were a result of negligence of carriers and crew, failure to follow procedures, regulatory slackness, and overconfidence. The Saurya crash, especially, was a glaring example of how an ailing airline broke its own rules to allow passengers, including non-employees, a joy ride to Pokhara on a maintenance ferry flight. CRASH REPORT The Final Investigation Report prepared by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission and released on the first anniversary of the crash last week carried a long list of rules that were ignored or broken, and of regulatory failure. The first mistake was to cram spares, tools and inflammable chemicals needed for the aircraft’s C-Check in Pokhara into the cargo hold flouting its own ground handling procedures.&nbsp; There was no check-in of passengers, some of whom were not even employees – even though regulations say only flight and maintenance crew should be on board a maintenance positioning flight. Many brought their own luggage into the plane and stored it unsecured in the cabin. There was no flight attendant to give a safety briefing to passengers. The load and trim charts given to the flight crew were rough estimates, and the total takeoff weight of the plane was 18,300kg plus or minus 200 kg. That would still have been all right, but there was a glaring mistake in the speedchart Saurya pilots were using to calculate the minimum takeoff speed (known as VR), and it had been wrong ever since the 21-year-old aircraft entered service with the airline in 2017. FAULTY DATA&nbsp; The Commission probed Flight Data Recorder inputs from previous takeoffs of the Canadian-built CRJ200-LR in 2023-2024 and found that the undetected error in the speedchart had caused the plane to pitch up at an abnormal rotation rate at least 18 times on previous takeoffs.&nbsp; Any rotation rate more than 3°/sec is regarded as unusual. But on at least two occasions, this aircraft with tail number 9N-AME had rotation rates of 5.8°/sec and 5.5°/sec, the second one was when the pilot who survived was flying in March 2024.&nbsp; On this particular day, the plane’s rotation rate was 6.5°/sec, causing it to go into a deep stall soon after takeoff, the Commission report said. Essentially, the plane was not flying fast enough down the runway to take off safely.&nbsp; It is not yet clear whether excess weight, unsecured luggage, wrong centre of gravity were also factors, but relying on a faulty speedchart for the given takeoff weight, the captain flying pulled back on the yoke before the plane had reached takeoff speed and at a pitch angle that was too steep. The investigation report says the plane then went into a deep stall and started banking right with the stick shaking. At this point, the flight officer on the right hand seat is heard on the cockpit voice recorder saying: “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sir, Sir, Sir…” It then banked left before the pilot flying turned the plane sharply to the right again in an evasive action to avoid the parking aprons of the international and domestic terminals. Had he not done so, there would have been a disaster of a much greater magnitude at Kathmandu airport that day. The plane scraped the runway with its right wingtip, collided with a container having helicopter spare parts, and plunged into a gully east of the runway, exploding in a fireball. The investigation also noted that the impact forces seemed to be survivable for some occupants. The fire trucks took unnecessarily long to reach the site even though it was inside the airport perimeter. The absence of an ICAO-standard runway strip, inadequate rescue drills, lack of training, and a blocked emergency service gate leading to the crash site were cited as other factors. &nbsp;&nbsp; <h2>Timestamp of a Disaster</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250731110724_39cdd04693994ce6e55a5b302905c0fa4884fe85bed21ff0779bb1439f3a5725.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20250731110724_39cdd04693994ce6e55a5b302905c0fa4884fe85bed21ff0779bb1439f3a5725" data-rendition-name="original" width="778" height="826" loading="lazy" alt="Flouting rules caused Saurya tragedy NT"> </figure>  11:10:34 - The Saurya Airlines CRJ200 on the takeoff roll from runway 02. It had a takeoff weight of about 18,300kg, but the pilot’s speedcard had a previously undetected mistake about the minimum takeoff speed. 11:10:55 -The plane with tail number 9N-AME goes into deep stall soon after takeoff because it does not have enough speed to lift its weight. The plane also has an abnormally steep nose-up attitude.&nbsp; 11:11:03 - Without enough speed to generate lift, the plane banks right, then left and right again in CCTV photos taken from the domestic apron (below). If it had not banked right, it could have hit the aprons and terminal buildings. Seen parked is Saurya’s other CRJ200 with tail number 9N-ANM.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250731110732_608132f7225c649125cca2691dd6a6bf930984c5b359e888d7ad9e5eacce3afd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250731110732_608132f7225c649125cca2691dd6a6bf930984c5b359e888d7ad9e5eacce3afd" data-rendition-name="original" width="770" height="555" loading="lazy" alt="Flouting rules caused Saurya tragedy NT"> </figure>  11:11:08 - The plane scrapes the runway with its right wingtip, and falls into the gully. The captain is thrown off the left side of the cockpit and survives. 11:11:15: Plane explodes in a fireball inside the airport perimeter. Firefighters take time to reach the site because of lack of access road and a blocked gate. Read the full investigation report <a href="https://www.tourism.gov.np/files/9N-AME%20AIC%20Final%20Report.pdf">here</a>.

Flouting rules caused Saurya tragedy

American artist Peter Makela was in Nepal in 2022 on a Fulbright scholarship when he experienced the Matya festival in Patan in which devotees made the rounds of the city’s shrines.&nbsp;
He joined the procession, walking through 2,600 stupa and 140 bahal of the town. That immersion left a lasting impression.
As part of Gallery Mcube’s international residency program in Patan, he put his inspiration to canvas in the exhibition Yala Yatra: Walking, Working, Worshipping. The exhibition also coincides with this month’s Matya festival.&nbsp;
Makela has visited Nepal often in the past 11 years but he mostly stayed in and spent his time around Boudha. “This time I stayed in Patan, put the sites I wanted to visit on my map, and off I went,” he tells us. “Each of my artwork is inspired by the stupas and shrines in Patan that I visited.”
The stupa and Ganesh are recurring motifs in his watercolours, and the elephant gods are located in chaityas — reflecting the interplay and blending of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths in Kathmandu Valley.&nbsp;
The stupas and Ganesh are painted in vivid red, yellow, blue and green against abstract backgrounds meant to represent the sky.
“I use the sky as a backdrop because the sky has no border,” says Makela. “The four colours represent the four elements, the different Buddha families and also lights bouncing off of a rainbow.”
The use of just four colours for all the artwork stands out, and combined with the absence of heavy canvases, frames or stands render Makela’s art striking in its simplicity.&nbsp;
The Ganesh is always holding something and the art also portrays the elephant god’s sacred vehicle, the mouse.
While his vibrant stupas and Ganesh reflect the tangibility of Patan’s tradition and heritage, it is as if the backdrops with their shades of grey and red and yellow capture the soul of the city’s shrines.
“If you look closely, there is a sense of form and formlessness at the same time,” he says.&nbsp;
Makela walked 108 kora around the shrines during his exploration of the town, and in the process developed a spiritual connection with Patan’s heritage and traditions.&nbsp;
The exhibition connects with visitors on a deeper, more spiritual, level as well. And with it, they feel a sense of pride as well as the need to urgently preserve Patan’s heritage for future generations.
“Peter’s inclination and approach towards Nepali art and culture is fascinating, and it reflects in his work,” says Mcube curator Manish Lal Shrestha, whose international artist residency program promotes Nepal’s cultural heritage. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Yala Yatra: Walking, Working, Worshipping
1-5 August&nbsp;
10AM-7PM
Gallery Mcube, Patan

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Walking, working, worshipping in Patan