Gone are the days where a television set was a hefty cathode ray tube apparatus in the living room hooked up to an antenna on the roof: a sign of prosperity, a cherished investment to outlast youngsters watching cartoons.&nbsp; TVs today are thinner, sleeker, bigger, and smarter. And although Nepalis are buying more of them, their screen time is also being increasingly shared with mobile phones.&nbsp; “A decade ago our best sellers were 24 or 32-inch TVs, but there was a drastic change around the 2018 Football World Cup,” recalls Alok K Gupta, General Manager at Samsung Electronics in Nepal. “Nepalis are buying more 43 or 55-inch models right now.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240927140944_0f90f94ab5904ab37191a3b1d2880a29b951cccbc3df3b9515b8476941396403.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240927140944_0f90f94ab5904ab37191a3b1d2880a29b951cccbc3df3b9515b8476941396403" data-rendition-name="original" width="3500" height="1969" loading="lazy" alt="TV or not TV"> </figure>  Gupta notes that big sporting events like the World Cup, the recent T20 World Cup and the Euros, cause up to 30% spikes in TV sales in Nepal. There is also a surge in demand during the festive season like the upcoming Dasain, with sales almost doubling because of salary bonuses.&nbsp; New TVs do not just have larger, sharper screens but also have more intelligent software, and can connect to the internet making it possible to watch streaming videos on YouTube or Netflix.&nbsp; With more than 3 million Nepalis working overseas, and sending money home, there is more exposure to bigger television sets, and an increased ability to afford them. Returning Nepalis are also bringing TVs back with them, a trend that might increase after the current budget removed duty on tellys regardless of screen size.&nbsp; “People are now more savvy about the tech they buy,” explains Gupta. “They want new things faster. In the past, people bought a TV to last a generation, but now much of our sales are people looking to replace or upgrade their sets.” &nbsp; But are buyers doing their homework, or are TV companies getting better at advertising? From consumer habits it looks like middle class Nepalis are buying a new set just to shift the TV they already have into the bedroom.&nbsp; Consumer electronics is also about planned obsolescence, with companies intentionally making products with short life cycles that need software upgrades, or that are superseded by sets that have better picture quality and other features.&nbsp; Samsung’s CE-Biz first tapped into the replacement market by building arkostore.com for customers who were curious about how much money they could get back for returning their current set. CE also runs its own financing on all Samsung devices, allowing monthly payment at 0% interest.&nbsp; Samsung has a killswitch that will turn off a customer’s TV or smartphone if they fail to make their instalment payment, although the company has not put a similar feature (out of mercy?) on its washing machines or fridges. The popularity of home theatres with wide flat screens indicates that Nepalis who can afford it are tired of watching videos on tiny mobile screens. &nbsp;­­ <h2>Content is king</h2> With TV sets now capable of streaming, and the spread of broadband internet, Nepalis are watching more international programs on their tellies than domestically-produced fare. &nbsp; “The content of Nepali TV has always been pretty weak,” admits Prashant Aryal, formerly with Kantipur TV. “Nepal started late to begin with in 1984 and did not reach maturity before social media took over. Nepali TV never evolved from he-said, she-said content.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240927140944_024fa251d0973b28a1abd964f00dae7e06c84ba13c37be0e6bcb84a027d163aa.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240927140944_024fa251d0973b28a1abd964f00dae7e06c84ba13c37be0e6bcb84a027d163aa" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="2250" loading="lazy" alt="TV or not TV"> <figcaption>Photo: SURESH PAUDYAL</figcaption> </figure>  NTV and Kantipur TV still have the highest ratings for news and current affairs, but for entertainment most Nepalis used TVs to tune into Indian channels with entertainment serials. And although Nepali films have started being accepted into international festivals and even winning awards, non-news domestic TV content has always been mediocre. One reason for the poor quality of TV programs is that there were relatively few people with TV skills. Television channels have had to bring in journalists from print, and plunk them in front of a camera. Since entertainment content costs money, &nbsp;journalists all ended up doing studio talk shows.&nbsp; No wonder, the content that has thrived and become a Nepali TV trend are fiery talk shows like Rishi Dhamala's Janata Janna Chahanchha or Rabi Lamichhane’s populist Sida Kura Janata Sanga before he established the RSP as an alternative political party in 2022.&nbsp; Other established TV channel talk show hosts like Bhusan Dahal, Dil Bhusan Pathak, Vijay Kumar Pandey, or Tika Ram Yatri have all moved to YouTube. A particularly good TV show may be approached by sponsors just on the quality of the content. Sometimes producers tie up with sponsors to make shows. Sometimes the company might do it out of its own pocket. The main source of revenue is advertising, which has largely moved to the net.&nbsp; “When I was at Kantipur TV, it was three years before we broke even,” recalls Suresh Paudyal at AP1 TV and 28 years in the television sector. Paudyal adds,“Everybody wants to put three chairs in a studio and do a talk show, while Nepal is brimming with stories that could make great documentaries.”&nbsp; Paudyal is currently also director of the singing franchise show Nepal Idol, which is in its fifth edition. The show is a rare instance in which investors did decide to chip in big time, even paying a heavy franchise fee.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240927140940_a5cdb632efad0a68e2efb3697c572f224d3bb855c0476ed64fe5f9243c6c3e3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240927140940_a5cdb632efad0a68e2efb3697c572f224d3bb855c0476ed64fe5f9243c6c3e3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="3500" height="2625" loading="lazy" alt="TV or not TV"> <figcaption>Photo: SURESH PAUDYAL </figcaption> </figure>  “I even went to see an episode of Indian Idol and they had such a big production that it seemed impossible to execute a Nepali version,” he says. “But even the Maldives were doing it, so we went ahead.” Nepal Idol was able to secure a good title sponsorship, and ratings have held, although what Paudyal really wants is the show to grow bigger every year.&nbsp; All in all, the content side of linear Nepali TV channels is bleak. But, Nepali entrepreneurs are starting up streaming services like Paradygm TV, and there are producers with better video skills both home and abroad. Perhaps the lack of quality is the perfect starting place for young, talented, and driven professionals who are passionate about TV. There is nowhere to go but up. &nbsp;

Vishad Raj Onta

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TV or not TV

Television technology has vastly improved image quality in the 4 years after the last world cup. It may be time to upgrade. <img width="640" height="707" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d75d9c7e80680e0314dajpeg.jpg" alt=""/>The world’s biggest sporting event FIFA World Cup was first broadcast on television in 1954, when its viewers exceeded even that of the Olympic Games. As the 2018 World Cup opening nears, the excitement is building up for an exhilarating experience for those who will travel to Russia, as well as those who will spend the summer watching the games on home television. The technology has improved vastly in the last four years, with better image quality, higher definition and better sound systems.Sales of TVs grow exponentially during every international sports event. “Though the championship happens only every four years, the World Cup is the biggest festival for TV companies,” says Nabin Pokhrel at Skyworth in Kathmandu. “We do not want to miss out on this opportunity to present our latest models.”TV was invented only 90 years ago, and the technology is advancing at an accelerated pace. It has gone from large cathode ray tubes to wallpaper-thin QLED TVs now. With the convergence of internet with TV, the demand today is for smart TVs with bigger screens. Global market leaders such as Samsung, LG, Skyworth and Sony all incorporate these latest features like 43-55 inch screens, 4K or full HD resolution, smart features, fine sound system and LED backlights.Many companies are offering discounts up to 27% and gift vouchers this season. Some high-end brands are also offering limited editions: Skyworth’s thinnest Wallpaper OLED, Samsung’s 100% burn-in resistant QLED, Sony’s slanted Bravia OLED. They will surely blow a hole in your wallets, but you won't mind when the games kick off. <img width="534" height="1024" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d75f9c7e80680e0314dbjpeg.jpg" alt="">“Go beyond your initial budget and purchase a higher inch TV with internet and the option to upgrade, so that you won’t regret the decision for at least 5-6 years,” advises Alok Gupta at Samsung in Kathmandu. Or, you may want to forego monitors and invest in a high-end digital projector with a surround sound system to watch the action on your wall's virtual stadium.With TV companies going all out to cash in on the football fever, this might be a good time to go for that flat-screen 4K you have been eyeing. These gadgets will outlast FIFA, adding to your home entertainment system, and will be around for the 2022 games in Qatar.Samsung Model: UA55M5500 ARSHE Screen: 55 inch LED Operating system: Tizen HD Technology: Full HD Smart TV Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: PurColor, Smart HUB, USB connection, one remote control, Evolution kit for software update, color and contrast enhancer, TV to mobile mirroring, sports mode, Dolby Digital Plus, Smart View, Bluetooth audio, and more. Offers: 11-27% cash back, 2 years warranty, 0% EMI on purchase, gift vouchers from Turkish Airlines, KGH hotels, Vayodha Hospital and a lucky draw for gift hampers. Offer price: Rs133,300 <img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7629c7e80680e0314dcjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="412" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7649c7e80680e0314ddjpeg.jpg" alt="">Skyworth Model: 55G6 Big Screen Android Screen: 55 inch LED Operating system: Android 6.0 HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: Powerful front soundbar, Dolby Digital and DTS TruSurround, metal frame design, Bluetooth connectivity, voice search, cinema and sports mode, Google Play Store, Google Cast Offers: Up to 25% cash back Offer price: Rs97,356Sony Model: KD-49X7000E Bravia Screen: 49 inch Edge LED Operating system: Linux HD Technology: 4K UHD Internet TV Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Pixel Features: 4K picture processor X1, 4K X-Reality PRO, Bluetooth and Smartphone connectivity, TRILUMINOS display, dynamic contrast enhancer, live football sound mode, Open Baffle Speaker, 3 HDMI inputs, DTS Digital Surround and more. Offer: 20% cash back Offer price: Rs124,000 <img width="640" height="407" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7679c7e80680e0314dejpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="414" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d76a9c7e80680e0314dfjpeg.jpg" alt="">LG Model: 55UJ652T Smart TV Screen: 55 inch LED Operating system: WebOS HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Pixel Features: USB connectivity, 4 HDMI inputs, ultra slim, magic zoom, magic remote and mobile connection, single click access, Tellybean (video calling), unlimited content from LG store, expandable memory, 4 years warranty, and more. Price: Rs217,590Rowa Model: 65D1800A Smart Android Screen: 65 inch LED Operating system: Android 5.1 HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: Black crystal panel, dual core A53 1.5HZ, Quad core, memory flash 1.5 GBDDR3/8GB flash, wireless WiFi default, multimedia video, 4000:1 contrast ratio, 178*178 view angle, 3 HDMI inputs, 1 year warranty, and more. Price: Rs162,075 <img width="640" height="479" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d76d9c7e80680e0314e0jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="424" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7709c7e80680e0314e1jpeg.jpg" alt="">Hisense Model: HX55N3000UWT Smart TV Screen: 55 Inch LED Operating system: VIDAA Lite 2.0 HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: 3 HDMI inputs and 2 USB ports, Dolby Digital audio, Internet features, preloaded Opera store, screen mirroring, easy user interface and smart view, 178 degree viewing angle, two built in speakers, and more. Price: Rs145,000Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/skyworth-world-cup-offer/">Skyworth world cup offer</a><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/road-to-russia-win-a-ticket-to-world-cup-2018/">Road to Russia: win a ticket to World Cup 2018</a>

Kicking off

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7459c7e80680e0314d1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667"/><figcaption>Sudeep Acharya, CEO of Dish Home</figcaption></figure>There used to be a time when <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepali-radio-nepali-awaj,3728">listening to the radio was against the law</a> in Nepal. And today, anyone who travels to rural Nepal can see how the media landscape has changed - there are satellite dishes on the roofs of each household, and people easily tune in to Nepali and Indian TV channels.Today 43% of (sampled) population consumes TV content daily, (<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/how-nepals-media-landscape-is-being-transformed/">Sharecast Initiatives Survey 2018</a>) but behind the journey of the country’s transformation is a decade-long story of struggle.<a href="https://www.dishhome.com.np/">Dish Media Limited</a>, a broadcast and transmission company with 30% market share in Nepal, otherwise known as Dish Home, was a pioneer in this area.  “Indian direct-to-home (DTH) providers in Nepal created a hype in the early 2000s, attracting many media companies with the promise of a growing market,” says Sudeep Acharya, CEO of Dish Home. “Companies believed they would soon double their investments, but instead everyone realized the need for proper homework.”In <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17184#.Ww-2be6FPIU">2010 the government granted authority</a> to six companies to operate direct-to-home Dish TV. Within a few months, Marigold Entertainment,  M Vision, and Home TV by Satellite Channel merged to form Dish Home. The reason was simple: growth of the business called for more content purchase and updated satellite—meaning a large investment that would not provide quick return, because growing the number of subscribers took time. Such risks were better shared with a team.In 2011, Dish Home invested 360 million in the business with loans from 14 different banks and financial companies, but it still did not turn a profit. The company approached the market continuously and aggressively, guided by the right to information and a missionto make TV a household necessity. Acharya says, “After years of hard work, by 2018 we can finally say that we have become a profitable media company reaching all corners of Nepal.”Dish Home also operates many subsidiary channels such as Channel DH Showcase, DH Showcase 2, Preview Channel, Plus Movie, Ramailo TV and DH Action Sports. It also broadcasts Indian serials and cartoons dubbed in Nepali, believing it could lead to the possibility of creating such content locally.The main challenge for Dish Home is going fully digital to comply with the regulations of <a href="https://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx">ITU</a>, an international governing body of communication technologies. Unlike in India or the U.S. where government provides subsidy on set up box, adapters or other technologies to go digital, in Nepal customers get no such facilities. As a result, 65% of the company’s total subscription, mostly outside Kathmandu, is still analogue. Another challenge is the open border with India, which allows for easy entry of illegal dishes in Southern Nepal.Despite the challenges, Acharya is upbeat about the future: Dish Home has planned exciting things for the upcoming the World Cup fever, broadcasting the games on DH Action Sports with live commentary in Nepali language. "At the moment, we are keeping the identity of the commentator in wraps, it you surely don't want to miss it!" says Acharya.

From luxury to necessity

Many of us former Nepal Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) would agree that our time in Nepal changed in significant but very different ways our perspectives on life if not the future paths we chose to follow. Of no one was this truer than Dorothy Mierow. Dorothy was born in 1920, in Colorado Springs. Her father Charles C Mierow was a classics scholar and Latin professor, who served for ten years as president of Colorado College.&nbsp; Dorothy developed an interest in animals as a child, graduated with a BA degree in natural history from Carlton College in 1942, a Master’s in biology from the University of Pittsburgh, and another Master’s in geography from the University of Minnesota.&nbsp; As a young woman, Dorothy traveled with her father throughout Europe, including a visit to ancient Greek ruins, and took a Magellan Tour by cruise ship around the world in 1958.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025071901074_0bad133ab22aada319e74bbad95d563e191371db291c08f373839fbd15440262.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2025071901074_0bad133ab22aada319e74bbad95d563e191371db291c08f373839fbd15440262" data-rendition-name="original" width="903" height="1178" loading="lazy" alt="How the Peace Corps changed a volunteer's life"> <figcaption>HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Dorothy Mierow as a college student in her native Colorado.</figcaption> </figure>  She was a college teacher during much of the 1940s, also teaching at a girls’ school in Hawaii. Then back to her native Colorado in 1953, where she became a curator and later director of the Colorado College Natural History Museum. She taught geography classes, and in her free time, Dorothy climbed 22 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks. Traveling in India in 1960, Dorothy decided to spend two weeks in Nepal. In late 1961, she filled out an application to join the Peace Corps and specified that she wanted to go to Nepal, ‘because I admired the people so much when my father and I were there on our trip’.&nbsp; Dorothy reached Kathmandu in September 1962 as the first group of American Peace Corps volunteers in Nepal. She stood out from the others: one of the few women in that group, surely the oldest at age 41, a world traveler, and a woman who already had established a professional career.&nbsp; One doubts if Dorothy had had a husband and children whether she would ever have gone to work and spend much of the rest of her life in Nepal.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025071901078_68e84ade1ffb0f6c83c7f8fa5c1e7315b5f6c543217f96cde012e4d86f171515.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2025071901078_68e84ade1ffb0f6c83c7f8fa5c1e7315b5f6c543217f96cde012e4d86f171515" data-rendition-name="original" width="1259" height="910" loading="lazy" alt="How th Peace Corps changed a volunteer's life NT"> <figcaption>Pokhara Bazar in 1962.</figcaption> </figure>  The Peace Corps assigned Dorothy to teach geography at Tri-Chandra College. After the school closed in the winter due to lack of heating, USAID and the College of Education asked Dorothy to help train general science teachers.&nbsp; She taught for two months and became involved in a textbook-writing project, commenting: ‘I would like the children to know something about public health, conservation (the trees are going fast and so is the soil), and learn the names of some of their common birds, trees, and flowers. They are more impressed with electricity, airplanes, and cell structure.’ When a new college opened in Pokhara in 1963, Dorothy was transferred there and lived with a Nepali family. The college boasted 30 students and no permanent buildings.&nbsp; In October 1963, Dorothy wrote: ‘Pokhara is a town of almost 5,000 people … We are in a fertile valley surrounded by foothills … There is a small Mission Hospital … a Leper Hospital and Tibetan Refugee Camp started by the Red Cross and now run by the Swiss. With winter approaching, more Tibetans are appearing in town, often with pack horses or donkeys. Some have been carrying large boxes of powdered milk,donated (by USAID) to the camp from the airport … There is no electricity, and the transportation problems make many items scarce and expensive. I am really a sort of a museum. The landlord brings all kinds of people in to see how I live and count my shoes and dresses. They express amazement at my books, pictures, tin oven, Nepali dolls from Kathmandu, screened food shelves and curtained closet.’ The standard term for Peace Corps volunteers was two years, but Dorothy extended her term and was still at Prithvi Narayan College at the end of 1965, when she wrote that she had 20 Geography students in the first-year class and 6 in the second year preparing for the IA Examination. The college enrollment was 125 students, and the foundation for a new science building was being excavated.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025071901074_c6a80e5e0db0c705b2f8733c6d30dc0386fe3abbd2238ea9d947b7d746f94a29.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2025071901074_c6a80e5e0db0c705b2f8733c6d30dc0386fe3abbd2238ea9d947b7d746f94a29" data-rendition-name="original" width="902" height="605" loading="lazy" alt="How the Peace Corps changed a volunteer's life"> <figcaption>Mierow and friends at Phewa Lake.</figcaption> </figure>  Dorothy noted that she ate one meal a day at the (Shining Mission) Hospital but otherwise lived on dal-bhat, momo, and potato curry at local shops. However, she had developed a new passion: to build what she initially called the Pokhara Museum of the Himalaya. In commendable Peace Corps fashion, Dorothy always worked with Nepalis and respected the culture. ‘The greatest joy and satisfaction I have had has been from the building of a Museum-Library in memory of my parents … It has been possible to feel like a wealthy benefactor with the money saved by father for the family’s education and now available for the education of others… (Father) would have loved to be in on the founding of a new college and be able to plan a library. Several hundred of the books to be in the museum-library came from his collection and were carefully selected to be of use for students in Nepal…’&nbsp; ‘The museum part is to satisfy my own inclinations and was thought of when I found how little diversion there was for the people of Pokhara… It is part of the University requirements for the college that it should have a geography and biology museum. The museum building is small but adequate.&nbsp; I have tried to design it in harmony with Nepalese architecture and decorate it with some of the art of the best artists or woodcarvers… Posts holding up the porch roof are carved by Cottage Industries to represent different peoples of Nepal in typical costumes. The door was carved by a local wood carver and has typical birds of Nepal around it. Inside are 10 roof-support carvings designed by the retired Director of the National Museum in Kathmandu, Mr. C.M. Maskey.&nbsp; They were carved by the best wood carvers in Patan very skilfully. The building has three rooms: the library, the exhibition room, and a smaller workroom which can be used by our newly formed Woman’s Club as well as other groups or classes.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025071901074_03d3359c65389d30a0134e9a4862778994121e7e833b7d28b18e06e36fc76ff8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2025071901074_03d3359c65389d30a0134e9a4862778994121e7e833b7d28b18e06e36fc76ff8" data-rendition-name="original" width="629" height="599" loading="lazy" alt="How the Peace Corps changed a volunteer's life"> <figcaption>Mierow with local women in Pokhara in 1969.</figcaption> </figure>  Dorothy promoted her project to influential Nepalis connected with organisations whose support she solicited: The Department of Archaeology, the Department of Agriculture, the Godavari Botanical Gardens; Tribhuvan University’s Science and Education Department, Nature Conservation Society.&nbsp; The museum was opened officially in early 1967. The Annapurna Natural History Museum, the building Dorothy designed and had constructed, is still open and features some exhibits which she created many years ago.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025071901074_54326a8a0685e980e782378076de2f5cd02d2426e9b0d94eed972d3dbe83af26.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2025071901074_54326a8a0685e980e782378076de2f5cd02d2426e9b0d94eed972d3dbe83af26" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="How the Peace Corps changed a volunteer's life"> <figcaption>The Annapurna Natural History Museum.</figcaption> </figure>  Dorothy returned to America in 1967, but she longed for Nepal. In the spring of 1969, she again tried to enroll as a Peace Corps volunteer but was told that as she had spent more than four years, she would not be eligible for another assignment. Undeterred, she persuaded the college in Pokhara to invite her to return as a teacher.&nbsp; UNICEF and the Forestry Department sponsored Dorothy to prepare charts on trees, birds, animals and flowers in colour for distribution to the schools of Nepal. Dorothy, back in the Peace Corps, returned to Pokhara and the Museum in 1972. She formed a friendship with her former geography student from Sikles, Chandra Prasad Gurung, and in 1974, she brought Chandra to America, where he enrolled in Colorado College and studied cultural anthropology.&nbsp; Chandra subsequently earned his PhD in geography from the University of Hawaii and returned to Pokhara to become director of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project. Gurung actively promoted ecotourism, landscape conservation, and biodiversity conservation in Nepal. His life was cut short along with those of 23 other Nepalis and foreigners who perished in a helicopter crash near Taplejung in September 2006.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025071901074_322d3c3ac6f1b08ffa07c44a19998b937a7db9eb43527f7539cf6481e1546314.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2025071901074_322d3c3ac6f1b08ffa07c44a19998b937a7db9eb43527f7539cf6481e1546314" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="How the Peace Corps changed a volunteer's life"> <figcaption>Mierow's four books on Nepal and its biodiversity. </figcaption> </figure>  Dorothy worked with several well-known Nepalis to publish her paintings and photos in beautifully illustrated books. She and Hemanta Mishra of the National Parks and Wildlife Service wrote Wild Animals of Nepal (Ratna Pustak Bhandar, 1976). More than 400 photos Dorothy took on treks to the Everest region, Gosaikunda, Muktinath, Jumla and Rara Lake, as well as travels in the Tarai, appeared in Himalayan Flowers and Trees (Sahayogi Prakashan, 1978).&nbsp; The botanist Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha identified the species. Dorothy and Kesar Lall published This Beautiful Nepal (Sahayogi Press, 1981). Birds of the Central Himalayas (1988) contained Dorothy’s paintings of 250 species of birds found along the areas of the Kali Gandaki River, Pokhara, Chitwan and the central Tarai. Dorothy summed up her life and work in Nepal in Thirty Years in Pokhara (Pilgrims Book House, 1997). Dorothy returned to Pokhara and her adopted Gurung family several times during the 1980s and 1990s to celebrate festivals and meet old friends. Her final years were spent at her mountain cottage in Green Mountain Falls north of Colorado Springs. She died at the age of 79 in August, 2000. Nepal gave new meaning and purpose to Dorothy Mierow’s life. Daniel W Edwards was a Peace Corps volunteer in 1966 and is the author of several books on Nepal. The author thanks Special Collections, Tutt Library, Colorado College.

How the Peace Corps changed a volunteer’s life

· On the night of 15 May, two glacial lakes burst in Tharka in Humla and the debris flow washed away homes and bridges.&nbsp; · Last week, a slurry surge on the Kali Gandaki in Upper Mustang caused at least Rs15 million in damage, and was traced to a melting glacier. · Dozens are feared dead after <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/rasuwa-flood-likely-a-glof">an expanding glacial lake in Tibet overflowed</a>, sweeping down into Nepal and damaging four hydropower plants generating 230MW, nearly 8% of the country’s total grid supply.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250718060748_45225dc707c1e9c2968ca8dbf6e564e01e4eb6e2ff254fb8eb940cf62cdd910b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250718060748_45225dc707c1e9c2968ca8dbf6e564e01e4eb6e2ff254fb8eb940cf62cdd910b" data-rendition-name="original" width="2667" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Rasuwa flood"> <figcaption>Miteri friendship bridge connecting Nepal and China was swept away in the Rasuwa flood. Photo: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA / NPL</figcaption> </figure>  And those are just in the past month. Climate scientists say Himalayan glacial lake outbursts are becoming more frequent and destructive, and a warning for Nepal not to put all its eggs in the hydropower basket.&nbsp; <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/when-it-rains-it-pours-ksqprbu3">Record precipitation last September</a> unleashed floods that killed 200 people, and temporarily slashed Nepal’s total generation capacity of 3,000MW by nearly half. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-valley-suffers-quadruple-disaster">Melamchi flood of 2021</a> caused by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-not-so-permanent-frost">permafrost melting</a> on a glacier upstream nearly destroyed a $800 million water supply scheme, Nepal’s largest infrastructure project which four years later still has not resumed full operation. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/sikkim-flood-is-warning-to-nepal">glacial lake overflow in Sikkim</a> caused by record rainfall in September 2023 that destroyed the $1.2 billion Chungthung Dam and caused catastrophic damage to infrastructure on the Teesta River. This was a warning to the cascade of hydropower plants on the Arun and Marsyangdi river basins.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250718060736_6f61797a6be308321e3bae26e55d2f64cba4b9e5eb262adacb9e92fb5f3c6152.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250718060736_6f61797a6be308321e3bae26e55d2f64cba4b9e5eb262adacb9e92fb5f3c6152" data-rendition-name="original" width="919" height="549" loading="lazy" alt="hydro disasters and hydropower plants"> </figure>  Nepal has set a target of generating an additional 28,500MW by 2035 -- out of the feasible 48,000MW -- but how viable is an energy strategy that is exposed to heightened risk due to climate breakdown? &nbsp; “As extreme weather events increase, we must design and build infrastructures respecting river flow and topography,” says former Energy Secretary Dwarika Nath Dhungel. “We must make the best use of our water resources, but not by letting excavators loose everywhere mining riverbeds and building haphazardly where we shouldn’t.”&nbsp; Although no project can be disaster-proof, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-smarter-himalayan-infrastructure">climate smart design</a> can minimise damage from flash floods and landslides. Recent disasters have driven up insurance premiums for energy projects in Nepal, and smaller ones cannot even afford them. The 456MW Upper Tamakosi hydroelectric project which is still not fully functional after the September floods has claimed insurance worth Rs1.8 billion. The alternative to high risk high investment hydropower projects is <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-s-cooking-in-nepal-besides-politics">energy diversification</a> to other renewables such as solar, wind or biogas. Nepal gets annual sunlight of 300 days with 6-7 hours on average to total 50,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250718060744_4acd452b4117180ca9bb5d3be839ff46dfd5464e4d507f5ad3704cef6253bc48.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250718060744_4acd452b4117180ca9bb5d3be839ff46dfd5464e4d507f5ad3704cef6253bc48" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="720" loading="lazy" alt="solar power"> <figcaption>Farmers in Tarai using solar powered water pump. Photo: GHAMPOWER</figcaption> </figure>  The Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) calculates that Nepal could source 3,000MW from wind energy alone, considering 10% of the area with more than 300W/m2 wind power density. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/people-power/decentralising-power-in-nepal">Solar energy</a> stations are cheaper and quicker to build, and would be an ideal alternative to reliance on hydropower.&nbsp; “There has been some investment in solar power, especially from the state sector,” says water expert Madhukar Upadhyay. “But there is an issue of land acquisition since the arrays need a lot of space. It is comparatively easier to get a permit to put up a hydropower plant on a river.” As for biogas, there is simply no incentive to build on past success with household level plants to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/more-bullshit">promote industrial-scale production</a>. Scaling up biogas by integrating it with urban biodegradable waste would still be a viable alternative to LPG.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250718060744_715d44afd5eb4ba8dafa209b0ad0f19400665797b5f078f5636821e600f96684.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250718060744_715d44afd5eb4ba8dafa209b0ad0f19400665797b5f078f5636821e600f96684" data-rendition-name="original" width="1419" height="954" loading="lazy" alt="windmill"> <figcaption>A wind mill in Hapsikot in Nawalpur. Photo: WINPOWER NEPAL</figcaption> </figure>  Nepal’s public sphere is buzzing with excitement over the discovery of potentially 430 billion cubic metres of methane gas beneath Dailekh district that, if properly harnessed, would meet the country’s energy demand for the next 50 years. Even though a feasibility study is awaited, politicians from the prime minister down see this as a petro bonanza that will make Nepal rich. But drilling, storage and distribution of CNG in the country’s current kleptocratic state make that unlikely. If Nepal was to get rich solely on its hydro-energy potential, it could have done so in the past 50 years. Says Dhungel: “This is not exactly a new discovery, but it is premature to celebrate until its extraction is proven to be cost effective. And let us hope it does not get <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/balance-of-power">tangled in geopolitics</a>, since China is involved in the prospecting and drilling, which could make India uneasy.”&nbsp; The country suffers from the Dutch Disease curse even before its resource is fully exploited. And the same cronyism, corruption and rent-seeking structure cannot deliver the riches we expect from Dailekh’s methane discovery. Now, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/right-climate-for-nepal-s-energy-transition">with hydropower in jeopardy</a>, Nepal’s planners will have to evolve a new strategy for energy security into the future. But first, governance needs to be cleaned up with long-term strategic planning that takes climate risk into account. For example, do we need to mine fossil gas when there are renewable options? Will Dailekh take Nepal away from its climate commitments? Says Madhukar Upadhyay: “Nepal has always been resource rich and management poor. And the larger the resource, the bigger our management incapacity. It is a societal malaise.”&nbsp;

Nepal’s Resource Curse

चौतारा rest stops have long been an integral part of scenic touristic town of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/pokhara-six-decades-ago">Pokhara </a>but are now rarely seen as the city bursts at the seams. They say inhabitants of Pokhara saw a plane before they saw cars. Indeed, the grass airfield was built in the 1950s, while the Kathmandu highway 20 years later. Before roads, people walked to get around, pausing to rest or even nap under the shade of banyan-pipal trees. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/pokhara-s-desperation-and-hope">Pokhara airport’</a>s ‘terminal’ in those days was a shady chautara where passengers waited for their flights. The chautara bore silent witness to daily life, whether it was travellers seeking a brief respite from the summer heat or villagers gathering for a chat in the mornings and evenings. But with the roads came vehicles, and then houses started filling up spaces, even farmlands. Pokhara began transforming from a serene village to a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/pokhara-comes-alive-at-night">bustling city</a>.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250719010724_d101fa482441ce67afdf5bc4e4547b334e7662c1cf0a20e9d31a0e8dff66f04b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20250719010724_d101fa482441ce67afdf5bc4e4547b334e7662c1cf0a20e9d31a0e8dff66f04b" data-rendition-name="original" width="2147" height="1581" loading="lazy" alt="Trees of life and living NT"> <figcaption>Photo: DURGA RANA MAGAR</figcaption> </figure>  The banyan-pipal trees were chopped down to make way for wider intersections and buildings. The once-iconic rest stops that carried Pokhara’s identity had all but vanished. “Building chautara was once considered a religious duty, which is why so many of them were constructed across Pokhara,” says archivist Sunil Ulak. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10927">Ekai Kawaguchi</a>, a Japanese Buddhist monk, who visited Nepal 120 years ago en route to Tibet, documented <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/no-visitors-in-pokhara-to-admire-view">the landscape of Pokhara</a> and its surroundings. In his book, Three Years in Tibet, he reflects on the natural beauty of the town and its shady trees. A chautara used to be surrounded by ponds, where shepherds would bring their cattle to drink from while they took a nap under the shade. The gentle rustling of leaves in the cool breeze lent a soothing melody as did the chirping of birds, while the insects took refuge in the branches and leaves. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/pokhara-800-years-ago">Pokhara 800 years ago</a>, Kunda Dixit This ‘nature’s breeze’, as botanist Kalyan Panta puts it, is now history due to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/cost-of-living-in-a-big-city">haphazard urbanisation</a>. “When the wind strikes against one leaf, it creates a domino effect and other leaves start waving as well,” he explains. There were 632 chautara in the city until 1977, and by 2000 the number had fallen to 278. But in some wards the number of trees fell from 55 in 1984 to only five now.&nbsp; The gradual loss of these resting places has meant habitat <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal">destruction of birds and insects</a>, it has also damaged the environment and natural beauty of the city.&nbsp; Researcher Jagannath Adhikari’s study showed that infrastructure projects ignored the environment, and concluded that that urbanisation in Pokhara was unsustainable.&nbsp; The destruction continues to this day. Recently, old chaurata in wards 6, 13 and 14 were cleared to make way for a sacrificial ritual. In fact, ward 6 got a permit from the local government to clear its remaining trees.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250719010724_cee1d4faf8376e7ba18b9c7012ea4215b7c3fbf7e0983b0c97005df5567d6de0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250719010724_cee1d4faf8376e7ba18b9c7012ea4215b7c3fbf7e0983b0c97005df5567d6de0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Trees of life and living NT"> <figcaption>Photo: DURGA RANA MAGAR</figcaption> </figure>  But in wards 13 and 14, the Human Service Foundation cut down some 33 trees for which it is in a dispute with the metropolitan city as there is no unclear jurisdiction regarding who gives the permit. The Kaski Division Forest Office is currently investigating the matter. Elsewhere in ward 19, the ward office had launched ‘मेरो रूख, म काट्छु’ campaign due to an alleged chaos caused by monkeys in the area. The decision was rescinded after an all-around opposition.&nbsp; To be sure, there are policies in place to protect trees such as the Gandaki Province Forestry Act, 2080, and the Regulations, 2081. The province government also introduced an act in 2019 per which no tree, including pipal, silk cotton and other <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/suburban-tales/trees-trees?%2F">trees of natural and historical importance</a> shall be damaged, eroded or removed. But the local government, responsible for implementing the Act, is doing the opposite. “If this rapid rate of tree felling continues, neither trees nor chautara will survive for the future generation,” conservationist Ram Bahadur Poudel tells us, adding that old trees are being cleared under the pretext of pruning branches. Interestingly, Ulak notes that Pokhara-8 was called सिमलचौर in the past because there were so many majestic silk cotton trees, but there are very few left, if any, and hence altering the identity of a place. With modernisation, people have questioned the significance of chautara in this day and age. But they still have relevance. Urban centres in Pokhara and Kathmandu are much hotter than the outskirts because of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/in-the-heat-of-the-moment-5xcycyot">urban heat island effect</a>. Says archivist Ulak: “While their original purpose was to provide rest, today they continue to play a crucial role in regulating temperature, beautifying the city, and preserving our environment.”

Trees of life and living

Nepalis are living longer than ever. By 2028, the country is set to join the ranks of other <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepals-demographic-window-is-closing">ageing societies</a> around the world, and by 2054, 1 out of every 7 people in Nepal will be over 65. Life expectancy at birth has risen dramatically from just 55 in 1990 to 71 today, &nbsp;thanks to improvements in public health and access. But as more people live longer, the country must also prepare for a parallel rise in age-related illnesses and the complex social and medical needs that come with an <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/need-to-prepare-for-ageing-society,3624">ageing population</a>. Extended families have always acted as a safety net for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/home-sweet-home-for-older-nepalis">the elderly</a>, with children and grandchildren shouldering most caregiving duties. But with more than 1,600 <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/migration-not-a-wish-but-necessity-for-nepalis">Nepalis migrating </a>every day, older parents are left behind with no one to care for them. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-new-equaliser">Remittances</a> from migrating youth, which account for nearly a third of Nepal’s GDP, have kept the economy afloat. But money sent home cannot make up for the chronic departure of kin and caregivers, who are often the first to catch the signs and symptoms of disease in elders. In rural areas where over 85% of Nepal’s elderly live, the absence of this daily vigilance means early signs of illness often go unnoticed until they become debilitating. As a result, chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and depression are left unmanaged.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250720130748_213f2c65f2638872e9ac0550a7ac251e4960c3726dc5c76215962a23ba71dff1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20250720130748_213f2c65f2638872e9ac0550a7ac251e4960c3726dc5c76215962a23ba71dff1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1064" height="701" loading="lazy" alt="Smart ageing is Nepal’s next frontier"> </figure>  Geriatric medicine is largely absent from medical curricula and there is no national plan in place to manage cognitive decline, memory loss and confusion. These are often mistaken for signs of normal ageing, instead of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/dementia-brings-new-problem-that-families-have-little%20knowledge-of,2151">dementia</a>, delaying care until it is too late. The same pattern plays out with strokes, osteoarthritis, and vision problems — conditions that could be managed early but are instead allowed to spiral into <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/changing-disability-to-this-ability-h68f6sq2">disability</a>. Nepal is not ready for an older future. It needs a strategy for ‘smart ageing’ where the focus is not adding years to life, but enhancing years lived through the intelligent application of policy, infrastructure, and crucially, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/tech-and-transition-in-nepal">technology</a>. Many models of smart ageing, however, are sculpted around modern societies where independent living in later life is the norm. Furthermore, eroding traditional family care and an underdeveloped formal care system means there is a large gap that can’t simply be filled by copy-pasting from foreign models. Nepal must shape its own version of smart ageing. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/healthcare-moving-from-hospitals-to-homes?%2F">tech boom</a> has led to homegrown digital healthcare apps such as Hamro Doctor, Cura Health, Jeevee and Health Yaad Ayo which offer teleconsultations, online appointments, and at-home test bookings. As <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/nepal-s-new-digital-landscape">smartphones and internet access</a> extend to the most rural fringes of the Nepali countryside, geography is no longer a barrier to the use of these digital tools. What limits their use is the lack of digital proficiency among the older generation. Others find the idea of turning to a device instead of a familiar, reassuring face unfathomable. That is why <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/addressing-nepals-digital-divide?ref=blog.togglecorp.com">digital literacy</a> efforts must be paired with guided human support to build trust alongside technical skill. Such a model of community-led digital mediation is already gaining traction elsewhere. In the UK, ‘digital health ambassadors’—often young people or even schoolchildren—are trained to co-design and advocate for online platforms that resonate with peers who might otherwise feel excluded from automated health services. A Nepali version could engage cohorts of nursing students, tech-savvy youngsters and returnee migrants to assist elders in navigating digital health platforms and troubleshooting problems, and most of all, normalising the idea of health apps being a reliable recourse.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250720130748_fcb94ab76e76b5574189757e88d76fccad4e115e78dd9eae92a3bd4c882c3431.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250720130748_fcb94ab76e76b5574189757e88d76fccad4e115e78dd9eae92a3bd4c882c3431" data-rendition-name="original" width="2246" height="1590" loading="lazy" alt="Smart ageing is Nepal’s next frontier"> </figure>  Nepal’s own network of Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), whose credibility is rooted in long-standing relationships across rural communities, could be similarly upskilled, their roles in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/target-2030-for-maternal-and-newborn-health">maternal and child health </a>expanded and repurposed to also include geriatric tech support. However, there is a limit to how much older adults can adapt to new technologies. So, Nepal should simultaneously invest in passive technologies—tools that monitor and act for the elderly, instead of demanding active use. That is where wearables and in-home smart health devices collectively known as 'gerontechnology' come in. Picture an 82-year-old in far-flung Rolpa, away from the facilities of an urban hospital. Installed in her home are low-cost motion sensors that monitor prolonged inactivity or signs of a fall, instantly triggering alerts to the nearest health post when necessary. On her wrist, a wearable bracelet continuously tracks her sleep, vital signs, oxygen saturation, and glucose levels. This data is encrypted and synced to a digital dashboard accessible by health staff at the local post. If the system flags an acute risk—such as a potential stroke or hypoglycemia—a nearby health worker is dispatched immediately to her home. If her readings over time indicate a trend toward a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/why-do-so-many-nepalis-have-high-blood-pressure">chronic condition</a> like diabetes, community health volunteers step in. They help schedule a virtual consultation with an endocrinologist in Butwal. Based on the advice received, she gets a prescription and picks up her medication from the local community pharmacy, along with a smart dispenser to ensure she sticks to her treatment plan without missing doses. This is not as far-fetched as it may sound. Many of the individual devices forming this connected medical system called an Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) already exist in Nepal as imported commercial products. What is missing is a stronger framework for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/business/public-health-partnership">public-private collaboration</a>: one where health tech companies continue developing locally adapted tools, and the government actively integrates these innovations into public health delivery. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/people-power/nepal-as-an-ai-power-bank">Nepal’s tech ecosystem</a> is maturing, but policymaking must evolve in tandem, especially when it affects an older generation largely resistant to change. The backlash against the recent mandate requiring National Identity Cards for accessing social security benefits revealed the pitfalls of imposing top-down reforms without adequate preparation or support for seniors. For Nepalis to age well, community caregivers, doctors, innovators, and above all, the state, must step in where families have stepped away. The goal is not to replicate traditional care, but to build a coordinated system of support that connects everyone through technology. The future is older for Nepal, let us be wiser too. The writers are pursuing their undergraduate studies in biomedical engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.