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Animals suffer on the streets of Kathmandu every day. People abuse them, they get into accidents, and they have nowhere to go during extreme weather conditions. Some die horrible deaths, and finding food is always a challenge. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Beena Pant, an animal rights activist and a member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Nepal, an organization working for animal welfare, to discuss how street animals can be protected. What poses risks to stray animals? One of the major factors that put most stray animals at risk is road accidents. Every day, we come across several hit-and-run cases and the animals hurt don’t get treated on time. The other one is the abuse they face from people in their locality. People kick or throw stones at them for barking, roaming around shops, and even without reason. Not only are there cases where animals have suffered severe injuries as a result, but they also go through a lot of emotional and mental trauma. They get agitated, become violent, and the cycle of abuse continues. The other issue we see is animals having food that’s not good for their health. They feed on garbage or leftovers from households and shops, which have chicken or fish bones. They often choke on the bones and suffer from internal injuries. Sometimes, they ingest plastics, nails, coins, and metal objects while searching for food in garbage piles. Around five years back, we removed 17 kilograms of these materials from the stomach of a calf. Also, since most of them are exposed to extreme weather conditions, they suffer from many other health complications. How is the state of strays in Kathmandu?  It’s terrible. There are many hit-and-run cases. People leave the animal they hit on the street to suffer. Open wounds often get infected, and many animals don’t survive. The other problem we find in dogs is health issues like scabies and cancer. There are also dogs suffering from distemper and parvovirus. There are some areas near jungles where many dogs suffer from rabies. In city areas, it’s not that common since most of them get vaccinated, although we do come across a few. But the problem with rabies is mostly seen in the outskirts of Kathmandu. Governmental and non-governmental organizations have been neutering dogs. Has that brought about any substantial change in the number of stray dogs found in Kathmandu? To some extent, it has. But when it comes to neutering dogs, a lot of wards in Kathmandu don’t do it regularly. Dogs get neutered for a certain period and then the work stops. The same happened when Kathmandu Metropolitan City started neutering dogs. So the female dogs that haven’t been neutered reproduce and the numbers keep multiplying. Wards that have taken the job of neutering dogs seriously have fewer puppies. But, at the same time, some wards have been neutering dogs just for the sake of showing their work on paper. They don’t follow through and the outcome isn’t as fruitful as it could have been. If we were to neuter dogs systematically in each ward without leaving a single dog behind, the result would be visible within a year or two. I think organizations like ours have to put a little more effort into it. There are laws on animal rights but are they being properly implemented?  There are laws backing up animal rights, but the implementation is quite weak. One of the reasons behind that is even police officers are reluctant to file complaints or take action. There is a lack of sensitivity towards animals. I believe that even animal welfare groups have not put in much effort to change that. We could do so much more in terms of awareness, but I believe that maybe we have been slacking off a little on that front. I think those working for animal welfare should focus a little more on awareness campaigns or any other method/programs that will let people know that there are consequences of harming animals. We need to start from the police station itself since even authorities are unwilling to take action when an animal is hurt. There are only a few who care. What do you think is the reason behind peoples’ insensitivity towards animals? Firstly, people think of animals as more of an object than a living being. They aren’t empathetic of their pain and suffering, which is why many don’t refrain from abusing them time and again. They don’t want to accept the fact that stray animals are also part of a community. For instance, recently in Budhanilkantha-6, where our shelter for animals is located, around 200 hundred people gathered to chase the dogs out. They didn’t want to consider the fact that most of them were sick. They were bothered by the constant barking. Secondly, these people are also not aware of the legal aspect that backs up animal rights. It’s mostly because the laws that exist are barely implemented. Even during the incident I mentioned, it took the police an hour to arrive at the location, and that too after I made some phone calls asking for favors. Before that, no one had come. The public has no fear of any consequences, and that gives them the confidence to do whatever they want.

Balkrishna Basnet has been a part of Nepali news media for the past 28 years. He began his career as a journalist in 1995, and he is now the chairman of the Press Council Nepal. The 45-year-old, who has been holding the position for the past two years, is the youngest chairman in the history of the council. With years of experience in dealing with Nepali news media, Basnet has plans to make the necessary changes in Nepal’s media industry. But a part of him still reminisces about the time he was a reporter. Born in Dolakha, Basnet was 17 when he began working for ‘Chalfal Saptahik’, one of the weekly newspapers back in the 90s. “I consider this to be the first stage of my career,” he says. At the time, weekly newspapers/magazines were all the rage. But daily papers were rare. Working for the magazine, he says, he learned a lot about reporting. “It wasn’t enough, but I knew I was headed somewhere,” he says. He worked there for around eight years before establishing his publication, Dolakha Today Monthly, and also becoming the editor of Sagarmatha Times Monthly. “The second stage of my career began in 2000 when I joined Kantipur as an intern,” says Basnet, adding he soon became a full-time reporter for the newspaper. He worked there for 19 years. Despite knowing the dos and don’ts of being a reporter and landing the job, Basnet says he felt he still didn’t know enough about journalism. He held a Bachelor’s degree in law but didn’t have any training in journalism, which is why he decided to take a one-year training at Nepal Press Institute (NPI). Working in Kantipur, he says, was the best time of his career. Not only did he make a name for himself, but got a chance to learn and improve with every article he wrote. It wasn’t just his love for journalism but also the work environment that pushed him to do his best. “Newsrooms used to be quite different back then,” he says. Basnet recalls instances where he worked all night and got his byline on the morning newspaper. “Everyone would be working at odd hours. It was motivating,” he says. But what he enjoyed the most was how each story was pursued. “We used to constantly follow up on a story until it reached a certain conclusion,” he says. In his case, most of it used to be court reporting. “Reporters never let any of their stories die, and that made an impact,” he says. Sometimes everyone would be working on the same topic but pursuing different angles to highlight every aspect of a certain issue. “I remember days when every article published would be related to the same topic but each piece covered different aspects of it,” he says. Basnet did court reporting for around eight years in Kantipur. He also worked on several investigative pieces like the Robinson scandal (the case of an international drug lord Gordon William Robinson who was arrested in Kathmandu), the Jha scandal, and the case of Saphala Devi, who had been waiting for 40 years demanding justice from the Supreme Court. “Nepal’s journalism played a huge role in pressurizing authorities on doing their job well,” he says. However, he laments that Nepali journalism lacks the same enthusiasm and quality of reporting. It’s not all bad, he’s quick to clarify, but he believes Nepali news media needs some important amendments. Most media houses, he says, don’t have enough resources, which clearly has taken a toll on the quality of reporting. Then, he mentions that the increasing number of online news media (including YouTube channels) has also decreased the credibility of news. “Most journalists are also unaware of media literacy,” he says. He plans on working on these issues as the chairman of the press council. “One is to take action on journalists who fail to abide by the journalistic code of conduct,” he says and that has already begun. Anyone found guilty has to pay for and attend the class given by the officials at the council to remove their name from the council’s blacklist. “The first person to attend the class was Rishi Dhamala,” he says. He also started a program that gives training to reporters and has been working on managing and monitoring YouTube channels and online news portals. “Change takes time,” says Basnet. Although several works are in progress, he says it will take a few years for us to witness some substantial changes in Nepal’s media industry. Nevertheless, he believes that as long as there are honest and hardworking journalists, Nepali news media can bounce back. “It’s a field with tremendous scope that will never become irrelevant,” he says.  

It is a truth universally acknowledged that parents discipline you but grandparents pamper you. Studies have shown that there are many emotional, spiritual, and physical benefits of a healthy grandparent-child relationship. Apart from having someone else besides your parents to depend on, grandparents provide an essential link to one’s roots and traditions. On the other hand, having grandchildren makes the older generation more active, willing to learn new things, and more likely to protect their health. For Dajiram Ghimire, 75, a resident of Boudha, Kathmandu, his grandchildren are his sources of happiness and excitement. He regularly visits a little park near his home with his nine-year-old granddaughter and four-year-old grandson so that they can frolic about on their bikes. It’s the best thing in the world, he says. “They don’t even look for their parents when they are with me,” he adds. Ghimire looks forward to these precious chunks of time with his grandchildren, which give him a much-needed purpose in life. Mira Bastakoti, 54, who runs a cafe with her husband in Boudha, Kathmandu, says her three-year-old granddaughter looks for her whenever she isn’t around. ‘Aama jaane’ (take me to my grandmother) is one of her favorite phrases. The three-year-old is often brought to the cafe by her parents and Bastakoti can be seen taking her around, proudly introducing her to some regular customers. “I feel terrible when I can’t be there for her when she needs me. There are times when she calls me crying,” says Bastakoti. She confesses she wants to fulfill her granddaughter’s demands, no matter how unreasonable they are, as she just can’t see the little one sad. Grandparents are naturally inclined to love and care for their grandchildren. But how a grandchild feels about his grandparents often depends on several factors like how close his parents are with them, physical distance while growing up, and how involved their grandparents are in their lives. A sense of closeness while growing up seems to be essential in creating stronger bonds between grandchildren and parents. Seventeen-year-old Anjana Neupane, a student living in Kathmandu, says that her grandmother means more to her than her own mother. She grew up with her in Chitwan before her parents migrated to Kathmandu. “I remember staying with my grandmother when my mother used to visit her parents. We would do everything together and I miss those days,” she says. There are several memories of her grandmother that are close to Neupane’s heart, but one she particularly remembers is how her grandmother would often secretly give her money without her parents finding out. Despite not having a lot of money, her grandmother always made sure she had some to give to Neupane. Even now, when she visits her grandmother, some notes are pressed into her hands. Neupane kept the Rs 100 note her grandmother once gave her for years. She could not bring herself to use it. “She gave that to me with so much love and I didn’t feel like giving it away,” she says. Grandparents often have a way of telling their grandchildren how much they love them and just how much they mean to them without actually saying a word. It’s in the small details, like a Rs 100 note tucked into your pocket, a handful of chocolates someone gave them that they saved because they know you like those, or the way they proudly show your picture to anyone and everyone. Susan Bosak, the author of ‘How To Build The Grandma Connection’, says those who have strong ties with involved, caring grandparents have higher self-esteem, better emotional stability, stronger social skills (including an ability to withstand peer pressure), and enhanced academic performance. Pasang Lama, a 20-year-old student who was raised by his grandparents in Sindhuli before he came to Kathmandu, says his grandmother is funny and lightens things up at home. Out of all the things they did together, he says he always recalls the way his grandmother used to wake him up. “She would always be angry at me for being lazy and would throw some stones on the tin roof to wake me up with the noise,” he says, “Her scolding me was her way of showing love. It still is. It means she cares.” There is no denying that having grandparents makes parenting a whole lot easier. No one will love and care for your child the way you do but you can be assured that your parents will do a lot more. Since grandparents usually don’t have intense work commitments, they can give the time and undivided attention which can be challenging for tired, busy parents. You don’t necessarily have to live with or see your grandchildren frequently to love them immensely, says Poshraj Subedi, a 60-year-old resident of Dhapasi, Kathmandu, whose granddaughter was born six months ago in Denver, Colorado in the US. “The moment she was born, I realized I would never love anyone the way I love my little granddaughter,” he says. He calls them twice every day, just to see his granddaughter and ask his son how she’s doing. “I can’t wait to meet her and take her out for a stroll like every other grandfather does,” says Subedi who is planning to visit soon this year. Sixteen-year-old Samar Lama, who currently lives in Kathmandu, agrees physical distance doesn’t matter if the bond is strong. He is quite close to his maternal grandparents who live in Sarlahi. Lama says he didn’t grow up with his grandparents but he talks to them frequently and he loves them a lot. He was only a few months old when his grandparents saw him for the first time. Their house was a little far from the bus station, so his family had to change buses to get there. “But my grandfather couldn’t wait to see me so he walked for two hours just to meet us at the bus station,” he says. While the rest went home in a vehicle, his grandfather put him on his shoulders and walked back home. Since 2016, Global Pathshala, a school in Thimi, Bhaktapur, has been organizing Grandparent’s Day. Sabita KC, the coordinator, says the benefits of the event are two-fold. The children get to see that their grandparents are there for them. The grandparents are grateful to be able to spend some quality time with their grandchildren. “We believe it fosters a better relationship between them,” says KC. Unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege of having a good relationship with their grandchildren. Nanda Kumari Joshi, an 85-year-old living in an old age home, at Manavsewa Ashram in Raniban, Kathmandu, has been waiting for her grandson to take her home for almost a year. Every day, she wakes up believing that her grandson will take her home that particular day. Ram Krishna Khadka, 67, is also looking forward to living with her daughter, who has recently relocated to Qatar. He raised his granddaughter for 12 years before voluntarily coming to the old age home. He lived with his granddaughter in Kalanki, Kathmandu, but that changed when he woke up one day with the right side of his body paralyzed. His granddaughter now lives with her stepbrothers and Khadka has been waiting for her to call him for the past year. “I remember taking her to the zoo and museums on holidays. When I couldn’t, we would spend the day watching TV,” he recalls. He says he loves her even though she hasn’t tried to contact him. Dr Niranjan Panta, a physician who volunteers at the ashram, says since most of the residents wanted to live with their children and grandchildren, being deprived of it left many of them depressed. Dr Panta says mental and physical health issues are common in old age but it’s a lot more manageable when they are surrounded by their loved ones. “They start having a positive outlook on life, and they are much more likely to be healthy,” he says.  

Sushant Ghimire has been singing since he was in the third grade. It has always been his hobby. But little did he know that this hobby would soon become his career. The 27-year-old is a rising talent in the Nepali music industry. He got into the industry in 2017 and released his first song, ‘Pari’, in 2021. Since then, he says, he has aimed to learn as he works and experience everything this field has to offer. Born in Dharan, Ghimire grew up in Biratnagar, Morang. After contesting in a singing competition and coming in second, he realized he could sing. Since then, he made sure to participate in any event that provided him an opportunity to sing. “But I never planned on becoming a singer,” he says. Coming from a family of engineers, Ghimire says, he had made up his mind to become one himself since his school days. His parents too expected him to become an engineer. More than him being interested in this field, he says, it was his way of following in his family’s footsteps. He was already enrolled in one of the engineering colleges in Kathmandu. “I think I never sat down and asked myself what I wanted to be when I grew up,” he says. It was after meeting the team members of Mantra Guitar, a guitar shop in Nepal, that his life took a different turn. “They made becoming an artist sound so exciting,” says Ghimire. Mantra Guitar planned to establish a Mantra Artists Fund that supports young and aspiring Nepali musicians. They were looking for young artists and they saw a lot of potential in Ghimire to become one. “I wasn’t confident that I could become a singer. But knowing that I would get to be around like-minded people made me want to take them up on their offer,” he says. It started with small gigs. His first performance was at Fat Monk’s Bar in Thamel, Kathmandu. The audience, he says, enjoyed his music, and seeing people appreciate his talent gave him the motivation he required to continue on his musical journal. He sang from seven in the evening until midnight. He says he would often not notice time passing by because he was so engrossed in his performances. Soon, he decided to quit engineering and become a full-time musician. His family, on the other hand, wasn’t aware of any of this. “I wanted to gain at least some recognition before I told them I had quit engineering,” he says. He let them know five years later. Although they were shocked at first, Ghimire says, his family members have come to accept his decision. Collaborating with Mantra Artists, he released his first song in 2021. Recording in a studio was a completely different yet exciting experience. “I wanted to learn what goes on in a studio while recording a song. The more songs I recorded, the more I got to learn,” he says. Growing up listening to Bollywood music, he says, has had a huge influence on the kind of songs he likes to compose. “Almost every song I write has a classical base,” he says. And he likes to compose songs both in Nepali and Hindi. Some people, he says, have questioned him for composing Hindi songs. “I believe language should never be a barrier for any artist. I have listened to and sung Hindi songs all throughout my childhood. So if singing in this language helps me express myself better, I won’t hesitate to do it,” he says. When it comes to working on lyrics, Ghimire says that he doesn’t have a specific writing process. “I write what I feel,” he says. He believes that his songs depend on the emotional state he is in while working on them. He has a habit of carrying a notebook and pen around just so he can jot down the lines that come to mind whenever and wherever he is. It’s the same with melodies. There are times when he has abruptly parked on the side just so he can record a melody that’s just spontaneously come to him. “I don’t compose a song based on one melody that pops into my mind,” he says. Rather, he fits in those melodies somewhere in the middle of a song. “I have used almost every melody I have come up with,” he says. Ghimire says he loves being a part of the music industry and that pursuing music was perhaps his best decision ever. “I have finally found myself,” he says. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in ethnomusicology at Kathmandu University’s Department of Music. Unlike engineering, studying music, he says, comes naturally. Ghimire is undecided about what exactly he will do in the future. But he knows he will be involved in making music in one way or the other. He doesn’t want to bind himself with strict goals. He would rather just go with the flow and see where the path leads him. “But I’m looking forward to learning new things and making good music,” he says.

The Kathmandu Valley’s weather has been quite unstable lately. Capricious weather patterns, marked by a sudden rainfall and dip in temperature, have led to many people suffering from common cold, cough and fever. Anushka Nepal from ApEx caught up with Dr Subodh Sagar Dhakal, chest and critical care specialist, to know the cause behind these illnesses and the ways to stay healthy amid unpredictable weather. Has the weather anything to do with people falling sick? Weather change is one of the factors. But it’s not just the rain and cold conditions that cause people to catch a cough, cold or viral fever. These illnesses are also common during other times. In fact, the risk is even higher during spring, since the winter inversion layer (inversions trap a dense layer of cold air under a layer of warm air) forms in the Kathmandu Valley. Imagine the valley to be a bowl. The inversion layer acts like a lid and pollution is trapped within that layer. So, more than the change between hot and cold weather, it’s the accumulated pollution we see in Kathmandu that’s causing these health issues. In a way, the rainy days we have been witnessing lately are good. It minimizes air pollution. As for the rapid change in temperature, it’s just that our body might take some time to adapt to the change. But this should not cause much health issues, unless you have weak immunity or have been drenched in rainwater. Some claim that they haven’t fully recovered from the cold for weeks. Everyone believes it’s because of the unstable weather. What do you think is the reason behind this? More than the weather itself, it’s the nature of the virus that prolongs the symptoms. We call that post-viral syndrome. There are two reasons for it: 1) The nature of viruses have changed in the past few years. 2) Lingering side effects of medication might make you feel weak and lethargic, which also comes under post-viral syndrome. A few years back, a viral infection could be cured within seven days. Now, it takes around 14 days. Although you might stop getting a fever, the other effects of this virus will not go away for around four to six weeks, unless you take proper medications. Weather changes only trigger the viral infection. What should we be aware of when it comes to these health issues and medications?  We live in a country where anyone can buy antibiotics. And there are people who get the strongest dose possible and have it if they have any symptoms of cold. We should avoid doing that. You do not need medicines, unless your body shows warning signs like unusual headaches, high fever, lethargicness, etc. Even when you are displaying those signs, the first thing to do is go see a doctor, not have medicines that haven’t been professionally prescribed. If symptoms are mild, taking anti-allergens and steam should be enough. But do not add any kind of mentholated gels or oils (for example, Sancho). That will do more harm than good. Are people with existing respiratory conditions at more risk of developing illnesses due to weather change and pollution? Yes, people with existing respiratory conditions need to be more careful. Pollution in this season has a lot of pollen, which might worsen their health conditions. People with asthma, or anyone who is under heavy medications are at higher risk and in most cases, these individuals easily get infected with pneumonia. It’s the same for people with existing heart and kidney conditions. Pregnant individuals, anyone below five years, and above 65 years of age should also be careful. Also, many people take morning walks as a way of staying healthy. But it’s the morning and evening time when the air pollution is at its worst. It’s best to avoid going out between 5 and 10 in the morning, and after 3 in the evening. But that’s not possible all the time, but you could at least avoid crowds and wear a mask when you are outdoors. What other precautions can we take?  A lot of people neglect the damage air pollution can do to one’s health. The pollution we see in Kathmandu is so harmful that it can even affect our bloodstream. So one should be wearing a mask not just as a Covid-19 precaution, but everytime they are outside. Secondly, avoid visiting hospitals unnecessarily. It’s one of the most infected places you can visit. If someone you love or know is admitted, call or leave a text. If you have a weak immunity, you are at risk of catching an infection. Also, viruses these days have a high transmission rate. You might have also noticed that if one family member gets infected, everyone falls sick within the next seven days. So try maintaining one meter distance from a sick person. And wear a mask whenever you are around a sick person. The best thing to do is get a flu shot, that not many are aware of. It will not prevent you from getting sick, but will help avoid the severity of the infection.

White tents, yellow lights, potted plants, and a breathtaking view of the Boudhanath Stupa, these are the first few things you will notice when you are at Gotama Rooftop Restaurant in Boudha, Kathmandu, located right above Himalayan Java Coffee. It’s a calm rooftop eatery with minimalistic yet elegant decor.  The color white is the theme of this restaurant. It’s probably one of the reasons why many people want to visit. The color lends a soothing vibe. The yellow lamp that hangs in each tent and pink flowers wrapped around on the railings give a much needed pop of color. But the best part is the view this place offers. It’s even better at night when the stupa is glowing with warm yellow lights around it. If you listen closely, you will hear Buddhist hymns playing from afar. It’s really peaceful.  Most prefer to sit on one of the tables right beside the railing. So these seats are always packed. Luckily, we were able to grab one for ourselves. As we settled in, we were approached by a server. I went through the menu and, at first glance, it looked good. From Italian to Korean and Indian to Nepali, there were several cuisines. No matter whom you go with, there will be something that caters to everyone’s taste.  We started out with some drinks. We had two mocktails and one cocktail. They were exceptionally good. The first one we tried was Blue Ocean, a mocktail. It’s mint lemonade with some blue syrup. It was lip-smackingly good. The other one didn’t have a name. It’s their special mocktail to be added to the menu and we were the first one to try it. The drink was a blend of lemon, watermelon, and carrot. It was an unlikely combination so I was skeptical at first. Surprisingly, it was quite good. The cocktail we tried was called Lemon Drop. It’s a vodka based cocktail in a martini glass. It’s a refreshing drink for hot weather. You could definitely give it a try. A good thing about their drinks is that fresh ingredients are used instead of flavored syrup. But the drawback is most of their cocktails and mocktails use seasonal fruits. So the drink might not be available all year round. For food, we tried Chicken Kimbap, Chicken Biryani and Pork Chop. Out of these, we liked Chicken Kimbap the most. It’s a little different from what you get at a Korean restaurant in terms of taste. But it was good. I didn’t quite like the kimchi they served along with their kimbap since it wasn’t technically kimchi, but rather a pickle with carrots and radishes. The flavor was that of a kimchi but it was missing the core ingredient, cabbage. But if you are to ignore technicalities and just go for the taste, this dish is absolutely delicious.  The Pork Chop wasn’t bad either. Although I don’t particularly like fatty meat, I couldn’t say no to this dish. Even better, this dish was nutritionally well balanced. The pork was placed on top of mashed potatoes and stir fried veggies with pepper. The meat was a little dry for my liking. But all in all, the dish was filling and satisfying.  I had the same issue with Chicken Biryani. Again, the meat was too dry for me. But the flavors were good. There are some people who don’t like dried fruits in their biryani. To those, I wouldn’t recommend this dish. You will get a bit of dried fruit in every bite. This dish comes with some salad, papad and raita on the side. The portion is enough for two people.  More than the food, it’s the view and the vibe this place has to offer that draws in a lot of people. It’s the best place to grab some drinks, relax, and have a good evening with your friends and family. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, it’s almost impossible to find a table. Unfortunately, since the place gets packed quickly, the restaurant doesn’t usually take reservations on these days. The best days to visit Gotama Rooftop Restaurant, I’d say, are on weekdays when the place is usually empty when you will be able to grab yourself a seat with a good view and enjoy the surroundings. Their specials:

• Chicken Biryani 

• Chicken Kimbap

• Pork Chop

If you follow Nepali content on TikTok, you might have heard songs by Arjun Sapkota. The 24-year-old is one of the well-known musicians of the Nepali music industry. As the youngest music composer of Nepal, almost all his songs are inspired by Nepali folk music. Sapkota says he always wanted to become a singer and he had a keen interest in folk music. For the past decade, he has been trying to make this genre of music popular among Nepali youths. Brought up in Nawalparasi, Sapkota grew up listening to folk music. “It was a huge part of my childhood,” he says. “Every one of us would be humming a song while doing chores or during our free time. It kept our house lively,” he adds. It helped that his family members loved folk music. They would hum a tune while doing household chores. His uncle, Yagya Sapkota, is one of the prominent folk singers of Nepal. His father, despite not being a singer by profession, had a good knowledge of folk music too. “He sang when he could, and taught me a lot about folk music,” he says. Sapkota can’t pinpoint exactly when he became interested in folk music but says it was at a young age.  “In school, we were frequently asked what we wanted to be when we grew up and my answer never changed. I knew I wanted to become a singer,” he says. And he never shied away from performing in public. “From singing bhajans with community members to performing at school programs, I never missed any opportunity,” he adds. He often spent days teaching himself about folk music through YouTube, and tried to incorporate those learnings each time he performed. However, his professional journey as a singer started in 2013, when he recorded a song called ‘Ratlai Sathi Jun Chha’, written and composed by his uncle. Although Sapkota was used to singing with a microphone, he says recording at a studio was a completely different experience for him. “I wasn’t scared since singing was my passion. But the experience was quite overwhelming at first,” he says. The response he got for his first song was unexpected. “I didn’t know I would be getting so much positive feedback,” he says. It fueled his drive to become a songwriter and composer. “My work was appreciated and that made me want to work harder and become better,” he says. Six years later, in 2019, he released his first composition called ‘Banki Chari’, which he performed himself. “Now, I write, compose, and sing my songs,” he says. Sapkota says he likes to experiment with his music. “Although folk music is the primary genre I work with, I like to compose the same music using different instruments that’s not normally used in folk music,” he says. Sometimes, his music has a touch of western tunes too. It’s not that Sapkota doesn’t like working on other genres. Time and again, he says, he tries and learns to sing other songs. “I enjoy singing as a whole, and there aren’t any forms of music that I dislike,” he adds, “But I will not stop working on folk music,” he says, and there is a reason for that. It’s only recently that folk music is gaining its popularity among youths. Sapkota wants to work on reviving the youth’s interest in folk music so that the genre will get the platform it deserves among Nepalis and the music industry. Though Sapkota doesn’t think folk music will fade away since it’s got its roots in our culture and tradition, he believes there is definitely a need to give it more attention. “If you think about it, every Nepali festival has some kind of folk music dedicated to it. There will always be people listening to that music and singing those songs,” he says, adding folk music has a lot of scope for growth in Nepal and that he hopes to see more youths interested in the genre so that it gets the platform it deserves. Sapkota confesses he isn’t much of a planner and, for the future, he intends to just go with the flow and do what he is doing. But he will work on his skills and try to become better, he says. “I consider myself lucky to be where I am today. I’ve gotten so much fame at a young age. I don’t want to take it for granted,” he says.

Not all fire can be put out with water. Sometimes water can spread fire instead of putting it out. But many of us aren’t aware of that. Kishor Kumar Bhattarai, a firefighter and former chief of Kathmandu Fire Brigade, the oldest fire engine station located in New Road, Kathmandu, says that not having this knowledge is one of the reasons why manageable fire outbreaks turn deadly. Majority of Nepali households, he says, witness fire outbreaks as a result of electrical short circuit, gas leakage, and grease fire (fire outbreaks on inflammable liquids, like cooking oil). “All of them can be easily managed during the initial stage,” he adds. The method of putting out the fire depends on the source of ignition. For instance, there are cases Bhattarai has encountered in the past where people have tried extinguishing fires that started from electrical short circuits by pouring water. This results in electrocution and the fire spreads to a larger area. Here, the first thing to do would be to turn off the Motor Control Panel (MCP/a device that controls electricity flow in a building) to cut the power supply which, he says, many people don’t know about. “After that, pouring water will calm the fire down in no time,” he adds. For fire from gas leakages, Prakash Pandit, chief of Kathmandu Fire Brigade, says the best method is to wet a blanket and tie it over the cylinder or the point of leakage. Fire breaking out from oil while cooking is also common. In that case, Bhattarai says, the first thing to do is to cover the utensil with a lid. “In both of these methods, our primary goal is to minimize oxygen flow so that fire dies out on its own,” adds Pandit. In both cases, pouring water isn’t recommended. But sometimes, these outbreaks go unnoticed, in which case, it might spread to a larger area. “We call that the developing phase, where those methods might not work,” says Bhattarai. Sometimes pouring sand on the source of fire and fire itself, or patting it down with a rug does the trick. “But that’s not feasible in all situations,” says Pandit. Fire extinguishers come in handy in these situations, which most households in Nepal don’t have. Even if they do, Pandit mentions that there have been incidents where the fire has escalated because people didn’t know how to use fire extinguishers. Besides managing the outbreak, it’s also necessary to call fire brigades, just in case the fire doesn’t stop spreading. “If one can’t put it out within the developing phase, then the only thing to do is get everyone out to a safer environment and wait for fire trucks to arrive,” he says. But then that poses another problem. Mohan Chaudhary, a Kathmandu-based firefighter, says that reaching the site on time has always been challenging, especially in urban areas. “Fire outbreak is an incident where every second counts, but we lose a lot of time starting from the phone call itself,” he says. Majority of phone calls in case of fire outbreaks go to the police station. Bhattarai says it’s because a lot of people don’t know the toll free number for fire brigades. “We lose around five-six minutes when that happens since police officers take necessary details and only then relay the message to respective fire engine stations,” says Chaudhary. Also, the emergency number isn’t easy to access. When you make a call to it from a cell phone from any part of the country, it goes to the Kathmandu Fire Brigade, says Bhattarai. For Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, the call goes to the nearest fire station if made from a landline. Once fire brigades are on the move, there’s a risk of being stuck in traffic. “Although police officers are on standby to provide easy passage, sometimes the traffic is way too heavy for them to clear it,” says Chaudhary, adding that, in many instances, this has delayed them from reaching the location as quickly as possible. Finding the right location is another problem. Since Nepal doesn’t have a proper Global Positioning System (GPS), navigating solely depends on how the locals describe the area. “They mention a landmark even when the site is further away from it,” he says. Once they were told the fire outbreak was in Lagan Chowk in New Road but there was no sign of fire when they reached the location. “We asked around and no one knew about it. Turned out, the fire had broken out some distance away from the location we were given,” he adds. This made them wander about for a few crucial minutes. In such cases, Chaudhary says it would be helpful if someone from the community were to come to the given location in order to help them reach the site without losing valuable time. Despite reaching the site on time, Pandit says that sometimes fire brigades are unable to get close to the outbreak due to narrow streets. “Although the Kathmandu Metropolitan City office has started to install fire hydrants on narrow streets to enable water pumps to reach difficult sites, it hasn’t been installed everywhere,” he says. Even if the streets are accessible, sometimes roads are blocked with sand or bricks because of construction. Recently, in April 2023, when fire broke out at a garment factory at Bafal, Kathmandu, Chaudhary says they lost around 10-15 minutes in removing the heap of  sand on the road. “We were informed late and the fire was roaring by the time we got there,” he says. It took them nearly 24 hours to put the fire out. Everything inside the building was burnt to dust and a security guard lost his life. Bhattarai claims there is no knowledge of fire safety in Nepal. Bishnu Prasad Joshi, division head, Disaster Management Division at Kathmandu Metropolitan City office, agrees with him. He says the only way to minimize casualties from fire outbreaks is to make people aware of managing as well as preventing fire from breaking out in the first place. That includes teaching them the importance and use of fire extinguishers. “We have been working on several awareness programs in coordination with various wards, firefighters and organizations,” he says. Joshi believes it has been effective to some extent. He mentions that the locals were able to control a fire outbreak at a cafe in Chappal Karkhana, Kathmandu. “We returned midway after finding out that the fire was under control. This has happened several times in the past,” says Joshi. He adds that they aim to encourage every household to get at least one fire extinguisher in case of emergencies. For now, the metropolitan office has been assisting ward offices with fire extinguishers to be distributed to police stations, organizations, and clubs in their community. “That’s because even if fire trucks are on their way, these authorities can assist locals with outbreaks before firefighters arrive,” he says. Dhruba Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), says that they have prepared a portable fire kit that can reach areas without road access. It includes around 20 tools that can be used depending on the intensity of the outbreak. “The price starts from Rs 100,000 and every ward can and should invest at least that much,” he says. Khadka adds that firefighters in Nepal also need additional training. Chaudhary and Bhattarai agree. The NDRRMA has been working on preparing a new syllabus for firefighters. The idea is to keep them updated about the new technologies that are being used. “We trained some officials using the draft prepared in order to analyze their practical implementation. The syllabus requires some amendments and we are working on that,” he says.