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Nineteen-year-old Nepali student Shakriya Pandey has developed Vayudrishti, an affordable air monitoring device aimed at tackling Kathmandu’s severe air pollution. Kathmandu frequently ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, with worsening air quality impacting public health.

Vayudrishti, currently in the patent process in Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, is set to retail at just $299, a fraction of the $30,000 cost of similar devices. The device monitors PM2.5, PM10, greenhouse gasses, temperature, and humidity and provides over 30 years of climate data to support informed decision-making.

With US distribution approval, Vayudrishti’s data capabilities will expand to include alarms for forest fires and transboundary pollution studies. In partnership with USAID Clean Air, the project also promotes climate literacy in Nepal.

Pandey has participated in over 100 exhibitions and led 500+ projects, training over 1,000 students and teachers in robotics. Vayudrishti’s future plans include a website and mobile app to integrate climate data for greater accessibility and action against climate change.

In a quest to delve into the seldom explored, a journey commenced several months ago to the southernmost regions of Nepal. Despite the frequent mention of “Madhes” and “Tarai” in popular discourse, the true essence of these places remains elusive, only truly grasped through direct experience.

While often in the headlines for their relentless protests demanding basic state facilities, the reality of these regions is one of profound vulnerability and isolation. As one local poignantly expressed, “Vulnerability is still a better state for us than the condition where even feeling something is a luxury for some of us.”

The level of isolation in Madhes communities is so intense that they are willing to share everything they have with anyone who visits. They would offer the last bit of food in their kitchen and even give up their only bed for a guest, despite their own desperate needs.

My research trip to the southern parts of Bara and Parsa became a journey of profound realization and sorrow. Growing up in one of Madhes cities, I had never truly comprehended the depths of daily struggle. Their laughter, tinged with misery yet radiating hope, contrasted sharply with my own sense of hopelessness. 

With the intention of researching the social, agricultural, and legal conditions in the Bara and Parsa regions of Nepal, my team and I embarked on an ethnographic study, aiming to confine our focus to specific areas. Being my home province, I was particularly eager to visit and work within these communities. Our journey began with a bus ride from Kathmandu to Birgunj, and everything proceeded as anticipated until we ventured further south. There, the eerie silence, isolation, and lack of visible population across vast expanses became unsettling. Fields, capable of producing abundant harvests for generations, lay barren, devoid of any human presence.

With a myriad of questions and growing confusion, we made our way to the local market. There, we were struck by a scene of profound despair: tons of vegetables being sold for as little as Rs 10, 20, or 40, many of them destined to rot unsold. A man shouted that a buyer from Bihar was willing to pay Rs 2,000 for all the produce, but the pervasive sense of disappointment and resignation among the vendors was palpable.

What was intended as structured interview-based research soon revealed itself to be unnecessary; the brutal reality of our observations spoke volumes.

As our journey continued, we uncovered an even darker reality, one we could barely imagine. The land was barren and silent, almost haunting. Water pumps were installed by various embassies, NGOs, and other organizations, but none of them worked. Women had to travel miles for a single bucket of water, and farmers worked without basic tools like tractors. Even owning a bicycle for transportation is a luxury only the wealthy can afford, forcing many to walk long distances. Life here feels like it is stuck in the 1900s.

When we asked the locals about their municipality’s budget and the lack of basic facilities, one local responded with palpable frustration. He recounted seeing the mayor only during election times and explained that reaching the municipal office took one or two days. He added, “We cannot sacrifice a day’s wage only to be met with hopelessness upon arrival. These officials are corrupt; they do not acknowledge our suffering. It has always been this way. My grandfather was poor, my father was hopeless, and I, without education, am dreamless.”

This grim portrait painted a vivid picture of enduring hardship—a cycle of poverty and despair that seemed inescapable.

To put it simply, there are no schools here, so no one is educated. Yet, the people possess courtesy, hospitality, and good manners. They don’t have much money, but they still give generously from the little they have. Many of them believe that having access to even a few basic amenities is enough because they haven’t traveled beyond their community, given that there isn’t even a single public transport option available. Constitutionally speaking, their right to a dignified life is miserably exploited.

With lost hope in the government and the state, people in southern Madhesh are enduring a life of neglect. The place is vulnerable, and their situation is dire. Their frustration, often misrepresented as a threat by political propaganda, portrays "Madheshis" unfairly. They seek recognition from the state, just as Kathmandu and other towns are acknowledged. They want the basic dignity of three meals a day. The constant disregard by the state is driving them to a rebellious stance for the sake of their loved ones. The political narrative framing this vulnerability as a national security threat is misleading. If the state continues to ignore these people as its own, the consequences could affect not just the southern Madhes, but all of Nepal.

Dikshya Adhikari

BA LLB

Kathmandu School of Law

As the highway to Mustang becomes more accessible, more hotels are being established to accommodate tourists. According to data provided by the District Police Office, Mustang, there are currently 325 hotels operating in Jomsom, including Shintamani Resort, one of the luxury and most expensive resorts in the district. Deputy Police Chief of the District Police Office, Mustang, Surya Bahadur Bogati, stated, “There are 325 hotels operating across five local levels in Mustang. Gharpajhong Rural Municipality, the headquarters of Mustang, has 163 hotels, Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality has 63, Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality has 30, Lo Manthang Rural Municipality has 20, and Thasang Rural Municipality has 49.”

Police data shows that Gharpajhong has the most hotels, while Lo-Ghekar has the fewest. Bogati added that the hotels in Mustang can accommodate up to 7,000 tourists at once. Most of the hotels in the area are run by the owners themselves, though some operate out of rented houses.

Bogati also pointed out that some locals believe the hotel capacity cannot keep up with the growing number of tourists, especially during the year-round favorable weather. Those who own property along the road have established hotels, but opening new hotels is difficult due to the lack of land management in suitable locations.

The construction of new hotels in Mustang has been hindered by the lack of land surveys for one percent of the total land area and the absence of provisions allowing local governments to lease unsurveyed public land. In recent times, some locals have demolished apple orchards to build hotels, as the earnings from tourism-oriented businesses are higher than those from apple cultivation.

According to records from the District Police Office, nearly 500,000 domestic and international tourists visit Mustang annually. Last year, 354,927 domestic tourists and 99,399 foreign tourists from SAARC countries and beyond visited Mustang.

With the ongoing construction of the Beni-Jomsom-Korla road, a national project, tourist arrivals to Mustang have been increasing year by year. Approximately 90 percent of the road from Ghasa, the gateway to Myagdi and Mustang, to Muktinath has already been blacktopped. The road from Kagbeni to the northern Korla border is now graveled, and concrete bridges have been built at various locations along this national pride project.

Pokhara: To save the Indian Gurkha brigade, India and Nepal should immediately begin talks on finding a solution, retired Indian Army Major General Ashok Mehta has said. Mehta, who was in Pokhara on Sunday for the 138th anniversary of the Ex-Army Association of the 2/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), noted that after Nepal stopped recruitment, the Indian Army began recruiting from regions such as Naga, Garhwal, and Kumaon. He stated that this shift became necessary due to the unavailability of recruits from Nepal.

Emphasizing the long-standing tradition of Nepalis serving in the Indian Army, Mehta stressed that recruitment should resume promptly. He underscored that this issue extends beyond recruitment and is deeply tied to India-Nepal relations. Nepali citizens have served in the Indian Army, shedding blood on the borders with China and Pakistan, a sacrifice that he believes speaks volumes.

When asked why Gurkha recruitment had been suspended, Mehta responded that if he were Prime Minister, he would reopen recruitment for Gurkhas. He clarified that the Agniveer scheme would not apply to Nepal, as India-Nepal relations require a different approach.

He urged the Indian government to reinstate Nepal’s recruitment, while suggesting that Nepal initiate discussions with India about the suspension. Prior to the halt, 1,200 to 1,500 Nepalis joined the Indian Army annually.

Capt Rameshwar Thapa was invited as a special guest to the event. Mehta commended Thapa’s contributions to Nepal, particularly during the Maoist insurgency and the drafting of the 2015 constitution.

Capt Thapa spoke about India-Nepal ties and a wide range of other issues including the contribution made by Gurkha soldiers.

The Kaski District Court has extended the custody of Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane for an additional 13 days, allowing further investigation into allegations of cooperative fund embezzlement and organized crime. This marks the fourth time the court has granted police permission to detain Lamichhane for inquiries related to the case.

On Nov 5, the court had previously extended his detention for 10 days. Justice Nabaraj Dahal’s bench issued the latest remand order, which also applies to former Gorkha Media Vice-chair Chhabilal Joshi, Geeta Pachhai, and Ram Bahadur Khanal.

Lamichhane was taken into custody by a Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) team on Oct 18 at his party’s office in Kathmandu. The former minister and several associates are accused of embezzling funds from the Suryadarshan Savings and Credit Cooperative in Pokhara. The arrests came after a parliamentary investigation revealed alleged financial misappropriation involving millions of rupees from the cooperative.

President Ramchandra Paudel has appointed Lokdarshan Regmi and Krishna Prasad Oli as ambassadors to the United States and China, respectively. According to Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, spokesperson for the President’s Office, the appointments were made on the recommendations of the Council of Ministers, in line with Article 282(1) of the Constitution. The Cabinet had proposed ambassadors for 18 different countries.

Also, President Paudel has appointed Nripa Dhwoj Niraula and Nityananda Pandey as judges of the Supreme Court in accordance with Article 129 (2) of the Constitution. 

The Parliamentary Hearing Committee had, on Nov 8, unanimously endorsed the nominations of Niroula (chief judge of the Patan High Court) and Pandey (chief judge of the High Court, Tulasipur) as SC judges.

Lilabalabh Adhikari, the former Minister of Home Affairs and Law in Koshi Province, has landed behind bars on human trafficking charges. Police sources report that a team under Morang SP Narayan Prasad Chimariya apprehended Adhikari in Biratnagar on Sunday morning, dispatching him to Kathmandu via air later in the day.

Adhikari, elected a member of the Provincial Assembly for Constituency (B) from Morang district constituency no 2 on a CPN-UML ticket, stands accused of involvement in human smuggling during a visit to Japan. He faces charges of producing fake documents to facilitate the travel of three individuals—Dawa Sherpa (36) and Janak Rai of Khotang, and Kanchan Devkota (22) of Rasuwa—to Japan along with him after receiving Rs 1m each from the three individuals in exchange for illegally facilitating their travel to Japan. The four, including Adhikari, were deported from Tokyo Airport on Oct 30. Morang district police office has confirmed Adhikari’s arrest.

In the wake of these allegations, Adhikari has resigned his position—as a minister and leader of the UML’s parliamentary party at the provincial assembly. In response to the charges, the UML has suspended Adhikari from all party responsibilities.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 26 people, including soldiers and railway staff, and wounding about 62 others, some critically, officials said. The attack happened when nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train to travel to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, according to Hamza Shafqaat, a senior government administrator.

When asked about a security breach that led to the bombing, Shafqaat told reporters that “it is usually very difficult to stop such suicide attacks.” However, Shahid Nawaz, who is in charge of security at Quetta’s train station, insisted there was no breach as the attacker was disguised as a passenger and blew himself up among people at the station.