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Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it’s broken but you can still see the crack in the reflection. A childhood best friend is a friend that a person had when both of them were children, a friend since childhood they are known as childhood friends and that very special person was one in my life. We were practically inseparable. I had known her for a long time as we lived together and our parents knew each other. Our friendship was terrific as no-one could ever separate us from each other. We were truly like two peas in a pod. But that turned out to be a lie, which crashed my life all at once. It was a sunny day and we were graduating preschool. We decided to take admission in the same school, to be together. After we got our caps and robes and graduation certificate, we  went home. Holidays had started and a new school was to be found before going back. She took admission in one school and I had to take admission in another one and we both didn’t know it until the first day of our school had started. ‘Ring’ rang, as I entered the school gates. I waved goodbye to my parents to enter a fresh new start of my life. I went to my assigned classroom and met completely new people, I’ve never seen or heard about knowing that I would make some friends. I sat down at an empty desk and waited for her to arrive. The teacher came and she told everyone to introduce themselves to let everyone know each one of us better, I was still waiting for her as a day never flew by without her being at my side. A thought came to my mind ‘maybe she was late or didn’t want to come the first day’ as the second class had started. The whole day went by without seeing her. When I went back home I immediately went to her house, she had just come home and it looked like her day was ruined. I knocked on their door and she came to open the door. As soon as she saw me she hugged me so tight, I felt like I was dying or she was trying to suffocate me. She told me to come inside and we sat down. I then asked her why she didn’t come to school and told her how I was dying to see her there because I wasn’t that much open with new people. She then to her astonishment made a face like she had seen a ghost. Then she asked me the same thing: why didn’t I come to the first day of school? Both of us were confused as we hadn’t seen each other the whole time.  We came to find out that her parents had admitted her to a different school and I was admitted to another one. It was surprising as we told each other which schools we were going to but it turns out our parents chose our schools and everything for us. We were both mad and sad at the same time thinking that the other one hadn’t come to school. We asked our parents if we could be in the same school but it was already late as all the formalities were settled and one of us had to leave everything and come to go to the other school. We could have changed but our parents wouldn’t accept and adjust everything again. It was no use arguing. Nobody ever listens to a child!  We were just some little kids who knew nothing of the future or what would happen after this but change occurred in our lives. We had to go back to school without each other and learn to live without the other. But, who would accept that a child will live without his or her best friend. Nobody, can we’ve known them our entire life and they expect us to live without them? For us it was like living without water or without food. We can’t live without those essentials and other essentials also. We accepted our fate and went to school without seeing each other every single day. We would meet at her house sometimes or mine but that also stopped when the exams started. We both were focusing to achieve the highest in our respective classes. I was doing well and she was doing well too. We both were doing great but it left a hole in our hearts without each other, but we did get through. The final exams had ended, holidays started again. Finally, I have some time with my best friend. In my thoughts, I went to her house and knocked on the door too but there was no answer. I knocked again twice thinking they didn’t hear the door but no-one answered. I was curious why no-one answered so I pushed the door a little to see if they were out. Usually, if they were out the door would be locked but the only thing I saw was empty rooms leaving nothing but dust and bugs. It was wiped clean like a hurricane had just passed by and swept everything that came in its path. Strange as a word popped out of my mouth I went to look around to see if they had moved their stuff or something like it, but nothing came. Every room was just dust and bugs. I ran out as I hated bugs as few or thousands creeped me out like goosebumps ran on my body. I saw someone putting up a sign, saying 'for sale'. I asked the person where the people who lived here were and he replied saying ‘They already moved out this morning’. HUH? I never saw them move? Did she go silently or she had flown away? It was weird seeing the person who told me everything each and every word not missing one I mean, had moved without even telling me or saying goodbye? The feeling hit me like someone shot my dreams or someone had burnt everything I ever cared for. Did she really leave me without saying a word? It hurt like I was going through hell (Just like school). My heart shattered as I went back home. Some days flew by without her, that days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and months turned into years. I never saw her as I never knew where she lived now. You may think my parents and her parents knew each other but still there was no information about their present life until one day. A call came to my dad inviting me and my family to come to a birthday party. It was surprising as I remembered that it was someone’s birthday I knew but I couldn't recall the person, so I went to the party and guess who was the first person I saw when I entered the place where the party was hosted? It was HER! All grown up and tall. She was in a pretty gown with short fluffy hair which bounced when she walked and had a white wide smile. I mean she was pretty before but now she is even prettier like she popped out of a fairy tale or something like it. I was obviously very nervous to see her after years but I thought it would be just like the old days when we used to hang out each and every day, but my hopes and dreams of meeting my best friend again crashed. I didn’t go up straight to her and ask everything, I smiled at her like everything was good and I slowly came up to her and started with a ‘Hi’, a hi which hadn’t been used since forever. I started asking her about her new life and how it was going but she replied with something that broke my entire life into pieces. She replied with ‘Uh who are you and why are you talking to me?’ ha-ha tell me I was joking… tell me this is a nightmare my own childhood best friend forgot me? But I wasn’t joking, my childhood best friend who promised to never forget me forgot me in a snap of a finger or a clap. I couldn't believe it, just like you wouldn’t. After that I never saw her again. She has now gone abroad, probably living a better life who knows. But if we ever meet again I would like to say something like this quote from a famous person. “Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” – Ally Condie Aarza Thapa Magar Class 7 Living Stone Academy, Nakkhu 

Nepal reported 104 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Monday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 571 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 63 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 061 people underwent antigen tests, of which 41 were tested positive. The Ministry said that 60 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 379 active cases in the country.

A writ has been filed at the Supreme Court against the decision of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah not to collect waste from Singha Durbar. Advocate Padam Shrestha filed the writ on Monday, making the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Mayor Balen Shah defendants. Since it is the responsibility of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to collect the waste, Shrestha has demanded that the waste of Singha Durbar be collected at the earliest and dispose of it at the landfill site. As the office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City is a local body, Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal states that every person has the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. Hence, Shrestha has demanded to maintain a clean environment as per Solid Waste Management Act, 2068 (2011). Earlier, Mayor Shah had announced a halt in the garbage collection from Singha Durbar, the country's administrative hub.  

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 23. 63 points to close at 1,908.05 points on Monday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4. 87 points to close at 362. 87 points. A total of 3,144,573-unit shares of 267 companies were traded for Rs 920 billion. Meanwhile, Adarsha Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Sunrise Bluechip Fund was the top loser with its price dropped by 6. 25 percent. At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 78 trillion.

At least nine loan shark victims were injured in a clash with police at Shantibatika on Monday. They are receiving treatment at the Trauma Center. Information Officer at the Trauma Center Arjun Prasad Bhetuwal said that they are undergoing treatment at the Emergency Ward of Trauma Center. According to him, most of the injured have sustained injuries on their head and various parts of the body. The injured have been identified as Kul Bahadur Thapa, Akbar Miya of Nawalparasi, Lok Narayan Subedi of Ilam, Krishna Nanda Mahato of Sarlahi, Pradeep Nepal of Okhaldhunga, Til Ram Chaudhary of Nawalparasi, Sitaram Tamang of Balaju, Yam Kumari Tadel of Rukum and Devi Devisa. It has been learnt that police have taken 25 loan shark victims under control. Some police personnel were also injured in the clash. The clash broke out after the loan shark victims, who had been staging a sit-in inside Shantibatika, tried to head towards Bhadrakali this afternoon. Police baton charged the loan shark victims and also lobbed tear gas shells to take the situation under control.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is planning to complete the financial closure of the Upper Arun Hydroelectric Project within 2023. The government-owned power utility has started preparations for the financial closure of the 1,061 MW project with the World Bank and domestic lenders. NEA has initiated the development of the project by establishing Upper Arun Hydropower Limited. NEA has estimated that it will require Rs 214.86 billion to develop the project. Of the total cost of the project, 70 percent, or Rs 150.40 million is being raised through loans. The World Bank has expressed commitment to invest Rs 97.06 billion as a loan in the project. The World Bank will be the lead international financial institution to finance the construction of the project that lies in the upper reaches of the Arun River at Bhotekhola Rural Municipality of Sankhuwasbha district. "An agreement with the World Bank will be reached soon," said a senior official at the NEA. The World Bank is giving concessional loans in collaboration with the European Investment Bank. "The World Bank has already promised to provide loans for this project. We are working to make a financial agreement with the World Bank within this year," said the NEA source. The project will be developed under a 70:30 debt-to-equity ratio. According to NEA, the project will be funded with Rs 150 billion in loans including Rs 97 billion from international financiers and Rs 53 billion from domestic creditors. This is the first time the global lender is back in the hydropower project in the Arun River after the debacle of the Arun-3 project in the mid-90s. According to NEA, Rs 53 billion rupees will be raised from a consortium of domestic institutions including Hydropower Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL), Nepal Bank, Rastriya Banijya Bank, and Citizen Investment Trust. A preliminary memorandum of understanding has been signed between the promoter company Upper Arun Hydropower Limited and these institutions in August last year. NEA plans to sign the final agreement with the World Bank and domestic institutions at the same time. The promoter company Upper Arun Hydropower Limited will invest 30 percent i.e., Rs 64.46 billion in the project as equity. The government had advanced the concept of this project in 1985 and a feasibility study was done in 1986. The government in 2011 had entrusted the development of the project to NEA. Currently, works are being carried out to design the tender for the construction of the project. NEA plans to start the construction of the project in 2024. It is estimated that the project will take about 6 years to complete the project which is the picking run-of-river project. NEA has said that about 100 meters high will be constructed on the Arun River and the water will be channelized through an 8.5 km long tunnel to an underground hydroelectric plant in Chongrak. The project will generate 4.51 billion units of electricity annually. That electricity from the project will be connected to the substation at Haitar Sankhuwasabha by constructing a 400 kV double circuit transmission line about 6 km long from the powerhouse.

A clash broke out between loan shark victims and police in Shantibatika on Monday. The clash broke out after the loan shark victims, who had been staging a sit-in inside Shantibatika, tried to head towards Bhadrakali this afternoon. Some loan shark victims and police personnel were injured in the clash. Police said that they have arrested some of the demonstrators from the scene. It has been learnt that the police baton charged the loan shark victims and also lobbed tear gas shells to take the situation under control. A large number of security personnel has been deployed in and around Shantibatika.  

At a time when the physical progress of national pride projects has been sluggish, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) in its latest report has said that it is the government that should be blamed for the dismal progress of the projects that have been dubbed as 'game changers' for the Nepali economy. The 60th annual report of the OAG says has pointed out multiple reasons for the less than satisfactory progress in the national pride projects. According to OAG, starting construction work without preparing a detailed project report (DPR), no clarity in the project implementation modality, land acquisition, and compensation disputes, and lack of inter-agency coordination in the transfer of utility services have plagued these projects in which billion of rupees have been spent by the state. "While the periodic plan has always accorded the highest priority to the national pride projects and ensured resources, the progress of these projects is far from satisfactory," reads the report. The government in the fiscal year 2012/13 declared 17 projects as national pride projects and the number of such projects has increased to 21 now. Of these 21 projects, the physical progress of very few is satisfactory. As of now, the government has identified four irrigation projects, three hydropower projects, three international airports, six road projects, an electric railway project, a drinking water project, two projects aimed at promoting the holy sites of Pashupati and Lumbini, and an environmental conservation project as national pride projects. But the start of the construction of many of these projects is yet to see the light of day. While projects such as Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project, Gautam Buddha International Airport, and Pokhara Regional International Airport have been completed, the much talked about Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway, Second International Airport, Mid-Hill Highway are still under construction. The OAG report is critical of the projects that have been completed. In particular, the OAG has questioned the operation of Gautam Buddha International Airport, and Pokhara Regional International Airport. These two airports, in which billions of rupees have been spent, have still not come into operation at full capacity. Both airports have struggled to get foreign airlines to start international flight operations. The airport in Pokhara is yet to see any international airlines agreeing to start flights to connect Nepal's tourism hub to the rest of the world. Infrastructure experts said lawsuits against the projects, and delay in court decisions have also affected the implementation of projects. The second international airport project in Nijgadh is one such example. While the project was initiated in 1995, the project has been mired in controversy with lawsuits and environmental concerns. While Rs 3 billion has already been spent on the project for land acquisition but there is no sign of the project taking off. The Supreme Court in 2022 directed the government to proceed with the construction of the airport at a suitable location so that environmental damage is minimized. But, the construction of this project has been in limbo. The development of the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project is also tangled in legal hurdles. Former government officials who had worked at the highest level at various ministries said unnecessary lawsuits filed at the court have also hindered the national pride projects. A former secretary said that some of the project's construction has been delayed due to court cases and the delay in its decision. "I am not saying that cases should not be filed in court if there are financial and other misdeeds. However, in some cases, cases are filed in the court to fulfill personal interests," he said, adding, "If the verdict was given early, the project could have progressed accordingly." According to him, structural problems, lack of capacity, and poor inter-agency coordination has hit projects such as Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project, and Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway, among others. The lack of clarity and policy flipflop on the part of the government has delayed the development of the Budhi Gandaki Project. While the past governments had planned to award the project to a Chinese contractor, now the government is planning to hand over the project to Nepal Electricity Authority. Experts are of the opinion the hearing and judgment of the cases related to national pride projects should be expedited in the court. "Huge money is being spent on these projects. Hence, court cases should be decided quickly. Since time itself is a cost, the longer the case is prolonged in the court, the more time the construction of the project will be affected and the cost will automatically increase," said a former secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. The latest report of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) shows only 15.16 percent of the budget allocated for these projects in the federal budget has been spent so far in the first six months of the current fiscal year. Among the 21 national pride projects, Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Project has an edge over others when it comes to budget utilization. The project has spent 88 percent of the allocated amount in the first half of this fiscal. Of the total allocation of Rs 2.71 billion, the project has used Rs 2.39 billion till mid-January. On the other hand, the much-hyped power transmission project of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Nepal has the least progress. Only 3.66 percent of physical progress has been made till mid-January in this project. The MoF, in the mid-term review of the budget, has said 18 percent of the allocated budget has been spent on Pushpalal Highway, 42.60 percent on Postal Highway, 39 percent on Kosi Corridor, and 22.71 percent on Kali Gandaki Corridor in the first half of this fiscal year. The expenditure in Karnali Corridor is 9 percent, while Metro Rail and Monorail Development Project have utilized 22 percent. The much talked about Kathmandu-Terai Expressway is yet to expedite its works as only 9.11 percent has been spent in this fiscal. Meanwhile, the Budhi Gandaki Reservoir Project has spent only 15.86 percent of the allocated budget. The MoF report shows none of the four irrigation projects, namely Babai, Mahakali, Sikta, and Ranijamara, have budget utilization above 50 percent in the first half of this fiscal.