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Dashain is synonymous with food, lots and lots of food. Everywhere you go, you are offered tasty delicacies that you might not be able to say no to. It’s not unusual for most of us to gain weight during festival time, followed by an urgent need to go on a strict diet when the festivities are over. But do we really need to put ourselves through the ordeal yet again? Isn’t there anything we can do to ensure we don’t let ourselves go overboard and eat mindfully during Dashain this year? Don’t fret. We bring to you some simple ways you can be kinder to yourself and your gut this festive season.

Drink water

It’s important to stay hydrated, especially during festival times when everywhere you go, you will be offered juices, sodas, teas, etc. It’s a good idea to drink a few glasses of water as soon as you wake up and carry a bottle around with you. This way you will not be tempted to reach for sugary drinks when you get thirsty. If plain water is too boring, add some lemon or cucumber slices and make your own infused water. A dash of rock salt with some lemon squeezed in will also lend a nice flavor to plain water. 

Set a daily quota

Don’t go around eating everything you are offered everywhere you go. Set a daily limit for sweets, meat, and other Dashain treats. For instance, tell yourself that you only get to have one laddu or peda each day, then choose when you want to have that, and say no to them after you have had your daily dose. This is also a great way to exercise some discipline and make sure you don’t end up gorging on unhealthy things. But you also won’t have to completely deprive yourself during a time when everyone around you seems to be eating to their heart’s content. 

Have a light meal before you go

One of the biggest mistakes we make during festival time is starving ourselves and then stuffing ourselves when we get to the party or get-together venue. This way we often end up overeating or munching on random snacks to fill us up. Consider having a light meal before you head out. It could be some fruits and yogurt, or eggs on toast—just something that won’t make you extremely hungry and thus less likely to serve yourself huge portions when it’s finally time for lunch or dinner. 

Don’t skip exercise

As we rush from chore to chore and house to house, our daily routines and rituals go for a toss. We end up compromising on our wellness routines like meditation and exercise to be able to squeeze in all the obligations that the festival demands from us. However, it’s best not to skip your regular ritual as these instill a sense of discipline in your days. You are more likely to be mindful of what you eat when you are exercising and taking care of yourself. 

With data confirming the worst ecological crisis facing coral reefs, amidst the ongoing fourth and most extensive coral bleaching event on record, an emergency special session has been called for October 30 on the sidelines of the UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 in Cali, Colombia.

The session will address the unfolding crisis and call for bolder actions and strategies before irreversible damage occurs—threatening over a billion people and more than quarter of marine life worldwide. This affects all the coral countries, including Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Special emergency sessions on non-humanitarian issues are rare, highlighting the severity of the situation. As of late August, more than 75 percent of coral reefs worldwide are affected, according to the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).

The third global coral bleaching event (2014-2017) was previously considered the longest, most widespread, and most damaging on record, affecting 65.7 percent of the world’s coral reefs.

Led by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson, the session will discuss the rapidly escalating threats to coral reefs, coastal communities, and marine life that depend on these vital ecosystems.

“I am deeply concerned about the ongoing fourth global coral bleaching event, the most extensive on record, affecting over 75 percent of coral reefs worldwide,” said Ambassador Peter Thomson. “Healthy coral reefs are crucial for the well-being of 25 percent of all marine life and over a billion people, including vulnerable coastal communities. These ecosystems provide essential services like food security, coastal protection, and livelihoods. Yet, they are on the brink of collapse.”

While corals can survive bleaching events, stress and impacts increase mortality risks and reduce reproductive rates. However, scientific studies show that interventions addressing local threats can support resilience and recovery. With the window for protecting these ecosystems rapidly closing, scaling up integrated strategies to support resilience and avert ecosystem collapse is critical.

The availability of financing remains a major constraint in bolstering resilience of the remaining reefs.

“Without transforming coastal economies through a blend of grant and impact investments, even the most resilient coral reefs risk dying out,” said Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, UNCDF’s Executive Secretary. “Public financing and aid alone will not be enough to create sustainable financial mechanisms to catalyze the shift of coastal economies towards nature-positive models. We are championing innovative financial mechanisms through the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) to de-risk investment opportunities for the private sector, leveraging public and philanthropic capital.”

Representatives from coral states, leaders in coral reef action, renowned scientists, and representatives from the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and GFCR will take the stage during the COP16 Emergency Special Session on Coral Reefs. The session will deliberate clear action points, integrated strategies, and scalable resilience initiatives offering the best chances of thwarting functional extinction, including efforts to protect climate refugia. The session will also outline critical paths and urgent calls to action for public and private leaders to scale up transformative conservation actions to prevent the functional extinction of coral reefs.

Novelist Suman Barsha’s story collection ‘Abhyantar’ was launched on Thursday at a program held at the Parijat Hall of the Nepal Academy. The event featured prominent guests including chief guest Abhi Subedi, Gyanu Pandey, Nayanraj Pandey, Jagat Timilsina, Binod Chandra Pant, and Pushpraj Poudel.

Chief guest Subedi discussed Barsha’s storytelling, highlighting its uniqueness and her commendable efforts to introduce new themes. While Barsha, who teaches English, has stories that may seem simple at first glance, they exhibit influences from Western storytelling. Subedi noted that her collection stands out due to its inclusion of social issues, science fiction, environmental themes, and robotic tales, and added that Barsha has written some stories from different perspectives and styles, demonstrating a high degree of authorial freedom.

Similarly, in her remarks, Pandey pointed out that Barsha’s stories portray the realities of society by addressing various societal issues. She mentioned that Barsha’s collection provides a good depiction of society, stating, “Writers are the psychotherapists of society. They expose the inner wounds of society through literature and show paths for healing.”

Another speaker, Pandey, shared his reading reflections on Barsha’s collection, mentioning that some of her stories present diverse themes and styles. He described her as a courageous storyteller who effortlessly depicts various subjects and narratives in her works.

Other guests, including Jagat Timilsina, Binod Chandra Pant, and Somika Basnet, also shared their thoughts. Barsha, in her authorial remarks, discussed the inspirations and influences behind the stories in her collection. The two-hour program was chaired by Pushpraj Poudel, the Founder of Shikha Books, and was conducted by writer Ranjana Niroula.

Previously, Shikha Books had published Barsha’s novel ‘Antatah Yantrana’.

In honor of World Cleanup Day on Sept 20 and World River Day on Sept 21, communities across Nepal participated in a week-long River Cleanup Campaign. This initiative, aimed at tackling river pollution, saw local residents, youth groups, and prominent figures come together to promote environmental awareness. Major cleanup efforts took place in areas including Lalitpur, Hetauda, Bharatpur, Ichchakamana, and Gajuri.

The campaign came at a critical time as recent floods caused by the overflowing Bagmati River on Sept 28 and 29 left behind significant debris and plastic waste along the riverbanks. The floodwaters, which also resulted in the tragic loss of over 236 lives, including 40 fatalities in Lalitpur, exposed the growing issue of plastic pollution in Nepal's rivers. Similar scenes were observed in Saptakoshi, where plastic bottles clogged the dam.

Throughout the cleanup campaign, over 1,500 kg of waste was collected. Lalitpur led the efforts with 900 kg removed by 74 volunteers, while other cities, including Hetauda, Bharatpur, and Gajuri, also contributed significantly to the campaign. The involvement of local leaders, such as Lalitpur's Deputy Mayor, Manjali Shakya Bajracharya, highlighted the importance of community participation in these efforts.

The initiative also focused on youth empowerment through the VFC (Volunteer for Change) Youth Cohort program, a project by CREASION that promotes plastic waste collection and recycling. Twelve young leaders were selected from 187 applicants to spearhead local advocacy efforts, with grants supporting their activities to create lasting environmental change.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak today visited the Roshi Bazaar area in Kalanti Bhumidanda of Panauti Municipality-12 and Partikharka, Salandubagar and Chalal Ganeshthan of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality-4 in Kavrepalanchowk.

The areas were severely affected by the recent flooding and landslides.

During the visit, he interacted with the locals who survived the devastating flood from the Roshi River.

Panauti Municipality Mayor Ram Sharan Bhandari briefed the minister about the losses from the disaster, its consequences on people's lives including food and health needs, and the local government's efforts to address the post-disaster situation.

Similarly, at Bethanchowk, Rural Municipality Chair Bhagawan Adhikari updated the minister about the adversity the locals are enduring after the disasters and the measures implemented by the local government to address the situation. He said search, rescue, food supplies, health services, and transport facilities are the priorities of the local government in the wake of the disasters.

He is scheduled to attend a meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee today itself and visit the Chaukidanda in Namobuddha Municipality and the Katunje section of Roshi Rural Municipality along the BP Highway to assess the disaster losses.  

The Auditors’ Association of Nepal (AUDAN) held its sixth central committee meeting on Oct 4 in Kathmandu, chaired by President Kedar Nath Poudel. The meeting saw the participation of key figures, including outgoing President and Advisory Committee Coordinator Mohan Raj Regmi, Founder President Kamal Kharel, and Expert Committee Coordinator Surya Prasad Adhikari, alongside both physical and virtual attendees. During the meeting, General Secretary Prem Bahadur Shrestha presented the organizational report, while Treasurer Balram Chaudhary presented the financial report. The session concluded with the approval of nine special proposals addressing critical national and global issues.

According to the press statement issued by First Vice-president and Coordinator of Publicity Department Dol Prasad Dahal, the meeting expressed deep sorrow over the recent floods across the country and urged the government to expedite reconstruction efforts and provide adequate care to the affected. It also raised concerns about the exodus of young manpower and demanded the government implement skill- and employment-oriented education reforms to retain youth and boost the country’s economic development. The meeting further called on the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN) to ensure fairness and transparency in its operations and pressed for amendments to the Nepal Chartered Accountants Act to grant equal membership rights to all auditors.

In light of global conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, the committee voiced concern over the impact on global markets and rising commodity prices, urging peaceful resolutions. The plenary also highlighted the need for better governance and accountability in Nepal and urged the government to address managerial issues within the microfinance and cooperative sectors. Lastly, AUDAN extended festive greetings to all citizens, hoping for peace and prosperity during Dashain, Tihar, Nepal Sambat, and Chhath festivals.

A 75-km route of the road linking Mustang of Gandaki and Dolpa of Karnali Province has been opened.

The road is considered important for the internal trade, tourism development and convenience of the locals in the mountainous districts of the two provinces.

Chair of Varagung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality, Rinjin Namgyal Gurung said the work of opening the road connecting Varagung Muktikshetra of Mustang and Charka Tangsong Rural Municipality of Dolpa under the Manang-Mustang-Dolpa-Jumla road project of the federal government has reached the final stage.

A 40-km road from Jomsom to Eklebhatti, Pakling, Falek, Sangta and an additional 35 km from Sangta to Dolpa border via Yakkharka has been opened, he said.

It is necessary to upgrade 20 kilometers of roads and construct motorable bridges in four places for regular and smooth operation of traffic on this road.

Saying that the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management has allocated Rs 8.5 million in the current fiscal year for the construction of bailey bridge at Sukusamba on the border of Dolpa, Chai Gurung said that a proposal has been made for the government to construct three more bailey bridges or motorable bridges and upgrade the roads in risky areas for regular transport operation.

The government had initiated the construction of a road connecting Manang-Mustang of Gandaki Province and Dolpa-Mugu of Karnali Province from the fiscal year 2075÷76 BS.

According to the Road Division Office, Baglung, 56.5-km of road has been opened from Pakling with an investment of Rs 220 million. A road had already been constructed from Dolpa to the border of Mustang.

It will be so far the shortest route to connect Dolpa with the federal capital, Kathmandu.

Ward member Tshering Pasang Gurung, also a resident of Sangta, said tourists have started coming to visit Sangta and Yakkharka after the construction of the road.

The IUCN/World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) Nepal Chapter has expressed serious concern over the recent amendments made to the ‘National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973’ by the ‘An Ordinance Made to Amend Acts Relating to Investment Facilitation, 2024’. These amendments, particularly in Sections 5(a) and 6(1a), have drawn criticism for potentially undermining Nepal’s conservation efforts and international commitments.

The organization highlighted that Section 5(a) allows the government to designate highly sensitive areas within national parks, reserves, or conservation areas by issuing a notice in the Nepal Gazette. This discretionary power, IUCN/WCEL Nepal argues, could lead to the arbitrary exploitation of protected areas under the guise of development. The amendments could disrupt the balance between environmental conservation and development, as mandated by Article 30(3) of 2015 Constitution. IUCN/WCEL Nepal warned that projects within these sensitive zones, if prioritized for economic gain, may cause environmental degradation and harm Nepal’s globally recognized conservation achievements.

Similarly, Section 6(1a), which permits human intervention for profit-oriented use of natural resources within protected areas, has also raised alarms. IUCN/WCEL Nepal believes this provision could facilitate exploitation in the name of coexistence between nature and humans, ultimately risking the sustainability of protected regions, said Ravi Sharma Aryal, Chair, IUCN\WCEL, Nepal Chapter. 

The organization urged the government to reconsider these amendments, stressing that they contradict both national legal frameworks and international obligations, including those tied to UNESCO-listed conservation sites. IUCN/WCEL Nepal called on the government, parliament, and environmentalists to advocate for the removal of Sections 5(a) and 6(1a) from the ordinance to preserve Nepal’s conservation legacy and protect the nation’s natural heritage from profit-driven exploitation.