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Tihar is less than a week away and it’s best to get a head start on all the cleaning and organizing lest you find yourself overburdened and thus unable to enjoy the festivities. Most of us wait for Laxmi Puja or a day before to get our homes in order. We are doing chores till the last minute and that way we miss out on the fun as we are tired and just want to get things over with. This year, start early and ensure you have enough time to meet friends and family, enjoy a good meal or two, and make memories to last a lifetime, all without collapsing on your bed at the end of the day.

Tackle the difficult tasks

This weekend, tackle chores that you haven’t paid attention to in a while. Air out your cupboards and clean the shoe cabinets. These places can gather dust and odd smells and airing them out will instantly make your space feel cleaner and fresher. Add some air freshener sachets when you are done. While you are at it, see if there are things—clothes, shoes, accessories—you haven’t used in a while that you would like to give away and put them away in bags and boxes. You can drop them at charity centers like the Sukhawati Store before Tihar for a tidier space.

Deep clean your kitchen equipment

Did you come across some great tricks to clean the microwave or the refrigerator on Instagram? You saved the reel but never actually got around to trying them out? Tihar is the perfect time to do a deep clean of things you use regularly but don’t clean as often, like the oven, washing machine, toaster, etc. Make a list of things you need to clean and tackle a couple each day till Tihar. This way you won’t have to spend too much time on the chores and will also have a cleaner space when it’s finally festival time. Ask your siblings or partner for help.

Give things a fresh coat of paint

Everyone in the city tends to paint their flowerpots during Dashain or Tihar. If you haven’t gotten around to it yet, now is the perfect time. The weather is just right. Getting flower pots painted is the easiest way to make your home festival ready as it infuses a bright, cheery feel to your space. While you are at it, take a look at what else needs a facelift. Perhaps your front door needs a good polish or the compound walls are looking a little drab. Invest in some paint and roller brushes and work those muscles. This actually makes for a fun family activity.

Get out the festive décor and light

It’s not unusual to wait for the last possible minute to hang the Tihar lights. But why not take a cue from the city which is already lit up in many places and bring out the string lights and lanterns at home a few days before Laxmi Puja? That way you won’t be scrabbling to fix them when it’s actually time and will also get to enjoy the festive feel for a few extra days. Give your puja vessels a good wash or wipe down during the weekend and keep them ready. Also, display whatever festive décor items you have at home well in advance so that your home exudes the Tihar vibe all week long.

Buy yourself some flowers

A bunch of flowers in a vase is one of the easiest ways to lend opulence to your living space. If you are someone who doesn’t splurge on flowers, the festival of lights is the perfect excuse to give into this simple luxury. Buy a bunch and watch your space come alive. You can also use garlands to decorate staircases and entryways. Put some flowers and floating candles in large urns and enjoy the simple, satisfying feeling of a cozy night at home.

We often hear that youth are the future; the next generation of leaders. However, this statement can sometimes ring hollow, reduced to mere tokenism. Yet, many young individuals are making real strides in addressing critical challenges, particularly in climate action and disaster management.

Recently, through LinkedIn, I connected with Prabina Raut, a consultant with Liquid Trees and a passionate climate advocate. Liquid Trees employs an innovative approach to pollution control by cultivating microscopic silica algae (diatoms) in open water bodies. These algae neutralize pollutants like fertilizers, heavy metals, microplastics, and CO2. In short, they work to purify river waters contaminated by agricultural chemicals and wastewater. Raut’s expertise extends beyond this role; she is also an Environment Leadership Fellow with WWF.

Given my interest in breaking down knowledge silos to foster cross-sector solutions, I reached out to Raut to hear her views on the recent disasters caused by incessant rainfall across Nepal. I wanted to explore the intersection between climate action and disaster management.

In an interview conducted via email, Raut shared her insights, based on extensive research and analysis.

First, she identified a key obstacle to progress: Nepal's failure to enforce its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) policies. “While Nepal has several DRR and DRRM policies, they remain largely unenforced at both the national and local levels,” she explained. “The government often prioritizes short-term development projects over long-term disaster preparedness.”

She emphasized the consequences of this neglect. “Despite having policies and research, the government’s lack of enforcement leaves communities vulnerable. Poor coordination between government agencies and ineffective urban planning regulations have magnified the impact of disasters,” she added.

Raut proposed a series of essential actions. The first is to confront the scientific realities of climate change. “We can no longer afford to ignore scientists’ warnings. Building a resilient future requires immediate action and long-term planning,” she warned.

Another priority is overhauling Nepal’s Early Warning Systems. “We need real accountability and expanded technical and financial support to upgrade these systems across the country,” she urged. Despite advancements, early warning systems are not universally accessible, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. “Public awareness on disaster preparedness is limited, and insufficient planning has led to tragic losses that could have been mitigated.”

Raut also advocated for a stronger role for local governments in disaster management. “We must decentralize disaster risk management, but making it effective will require allocating more resources and decision-making power to local authorities.” Local governments should have the authority to initiate community-based early warning systems and disaster response training, which would enhance local resilience.

She also stressed the importance of integrating climate resilience into national development plans. “We need to prioritize sustainable infrastructure and empower local governments to take a more active role in disaster management,” she said. Urban resilience is another crucial area, particularly in Kathmandu Valley, where unregulated urbanization exacerbates floods and landslides. “Stricter building codes and land-use planning, along with green infrastructure solutions like rainwater harvesting, are urgently needed.”

Raut called for the creation of a National Task Force for DRR Implementation to address the inadequacies of the existing National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). “A dedicated task force could ensure better coordination across departments, from hydrology to urban planning, and ensure that DRR policies are enforced at all levels,” she said. This task force could act as a stopgap measure while a more permanent, bottom-up approach to policy making is developed.
Such a bottom-up approach should involve experts from diverse fields coming together to discuss the shortcomings of the NDRRMA. These deliberations could form the basis for meaningful policy changes. Raut emphasized that enabling young professionals like herself to be recognized as knowledgeable contributors could make a significant difference. “Young people can offer expertise, ideas, and help raise local awareness.”

Raut also pointed out the lack of public awareness regarding the link between climate change and disasters, particularly in rural areas. “Community engagement is weak, and inadequate knowledge about disaster preparedness leads to higher losses during floods and landslides.” She stressed the importance of connecting local needs with international mechanisms, such as the Loss and Damage Fund approved at COP28. “International support, like the Loss and Damage Fund, will play a pivotal role in helping Nepal recover from recurring disasters.”

Finally, Raut highlighted the importance of ensuring that any international financial aid, such as climate financing, reaches local governments. “Local elected bodies must build expertise to ensure that no international climate financing is wasted,” she said.

In conclusion, Raut reflected: “Addressing the recent monsoon havoc in Nepal requires effective policy implementation, better coordination among government departments, stronger early warning systems, and international financial support. Despite the existence of policies and research, the government must move beyond short-term solutions to build long-term resilience. We cannot afford any further delays.”

I had heard a lot about British author and screenwriter Dolly Alderton. She is a columnist for The Sunday Times and the author of the hugely popular memoir ‘Everything I know About Love’ which won a National Book Awards (United Kingdom) in 2018. Everyone I know seems to have read Everything I Know About Love and they have great things to say about it. I, for some reason, hadn’t picked up her work despite having come across the memoir and her debut fiction novel ‘Ghosts’. I often took them down from the shelves at the bookstore I frequent, randomly read a page, and put them back.

However, when I came across ‘Good Material’ and read the blurb, I wanted to buy and read it straight away. A story about a breakup while trying to come to terms with the fact that life is passing him by, Good Material seemed like a fun and insightful read. I have to say I enjoyed the book (though not as much as I thought I would when I read the blurb). I think Alderton is a good writer. Her writing is easy to read and immersive. But Good Material didn’t make it to my growing list of favorite books and I don’t find myself recommending it to people either.

Good Material is the story of Andy and Jen, or rather the story of their breakup. When Jen leaves Andy, he is devastated. He doesn’t understand why she wanted to end things when they didn’t have any major issues. At 35, Andy goes back to temporarily living with his parents and his friends before finding an affordable place to rent as a single man as he gets his affairs in order. But things aren’t easy and he feels out of place, adrift without a purpose in life. His friends are married and having babies, and he’s struggling with his career and has no idea where his life is headed. Andy wants to figure out why the relationship fizzled out as he thinks solving that will mean Jen finding her way back to him.

The first 200 or so pages of the book is Andy’s side of the story. He comes across as a good guy, with his heart in the right place. But as with most people, he doesn’t seem to be able to put aside his wants and needs for someone else. As he wallows and whines, you feel bad for him while also understanding why Jen would leave him. In the last 100 pages, you get to hear from Jen and that is when things fall into place. Andy’s version of the story makes Jen sound callous, even though he never portrays her in a bad light. But when Jen narrates her story, you realize breakups are never simple. Every relationship is messy and complicated and it takes a lot of work and sacrifice to make it work.

One of the main (and perhaps only) reason why I’m not raving about the book is because I felt Andy’s portion dragged on. Jen’s bit was enthralling and I breezed through the pages. The story felt complete and real. It was a love story without being a cliché love story. The side characters felt like people I knew. They had a real feel to them even though there’s not much character development. I think I would have loved the book had it been slightly shorter. At its current length, the story tends to bog you down.

Good Material

Dolly Alderton

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 345, Paperback

Newly amended laws in Nepal to tackle crimes committed during its decade-long bitter civil war could instead deprive victims of justice and grant amnesty to those culpable, rights lawyers warned Thursday.

Both government forces and former rebels are accused of carrying out torture, killings, rapes and forced disappearances during Nepal's Maoist insurgency.

The conflict ended in 2006 with a peace deal that brought the rebels into government and promised justice for the victims, whick included more than 16,000 dead and around 1,000 missing.

Nepal's two transitional justice commissions began operating in 2015, but failed to resolve a single case, despite receiving over 60,000 complaints of murders, torture and unexplained disappearances.

In August, parliament passed long-delayed amendments to the transitional justice act aiming to address this.

But a team of international rights lawyers, in a report released Thursday and based on a research mission to Nepal, warned the changes could do the opposite and exclude "swathes of victims" from justice.

The lawyers added that the new law "permits amnesties which would prevent criminal accountability for gross violations of human rights".

The lawyers said that until addressed, the "doors to the regular justice system should not be closed".

The group was supported by rights organisation Peace Brigades International (PBI).

Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, a constitutional lawyer from Sri Lanka, and part of the team, said effective justice was not possible so long as the law "excludes certain gross violations, opens the door for amnesties and allows for the exclusion of certain victims".

Just two convictions related to crimes committed during the civil war crimes have been handed down in civilian courts. One was linked to the murder of a teenage girl. The other was related to the killing of a journalist.