Submit your Article

There’s a popular ‘21/90 rule’, which states that it takes 21 days to create a habit and 90 days to create a lifestyle. Once a habit forms, it normally stays throughout life.

One such habit that should be introduced during a child’s formative years, preferably in kindergarten days, is the habit of reading. Reading books, newspapers, etc should be made fun and invigorating thereby triggering curiosity. To make it a habit, it must be routine and engaging. Children should be encouraged to explore genres that pique their interest. In the process, they should also try to grasp knowledge on other subjects that could aid in forming a well-rounded personality. Gifting books to celebrate achievement has been known to spur children to do even better in their vocations and also inculcate a zeal to read. Savvy use of technology e.g. audiobooks has been found helpful to goad reluctant readers.

The budget session of the House of Representative (HoR) is beginning from May 10.  As per constitutional provisions, the government has to present the budget by the end of May.

But the main opposition Nepali Congress and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) have toughened their respective stances, signaling that the parliamentary stalemate, seen during the winter session, will continue. NC has said it will not allow the government to table the budget in the Parliament if it does not form a parliamentary panel to investigate Rabi Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in a cooperative fraud. At a meeting called by Speaker Devraj Ghimire, NC reiterated its call for a parliamentary probe panel. “We are firm in our position and hope that the government will address our demands,” said NC leader Ramesh Lekhak.

Earlier in the day, RSP’s official meeting reiterated its stance against the formation of a panel to probe Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the case. At the meeting, RSP leaders accused NC of trying to create friction in the five-party ruling alliance at the whims of some external forces. Lamichhane has been demanding that he be allowed to speak in the parliament to come clean on the charges leveled against him. “We won’t accept a probe panel targeted against an individual (Lamichhane),” Manish Jha, a lawmaker from RSP, said and suggested forming a panel for investigating all cooperative frauds across the country.

Lamichhane has written to the Speaker urging the latter to allow him to furnish clarifications on the allegations leveled against him. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli have maintained that a panel targeting an individual will not resolve the cooperative crisis.

Last week, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Nepal government to limit the number of climbing permits for Mt. Everest and other peaks. The court order comes amid the concerns that increasing human activities in the mountains is causing pollution and other harms, coupled with adverse impact of climate change. However, stakeholders say the directives made by SC are not feasible to implement, though it may have been issued with a good intention but it affects the tourism industry.

Nima Nuru Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association, says though he honors SC order it was issued without proper study of the issue. “More than one thousand trekking industries are operating in Nepal for the same purpose and the flow and number of mountaineers are fixed only two-three months before the climbing season, so it is not possible to pick certain numbers for the climbing,” he says. 

In 2020, Nepal Army had also suggested to the Nepal government to limit the number of climbers before the beginning of the climbing season, which was met with criticism from tourism and mountaineering agencies. Multiple people who spoke with ApEx contend that the SC issued the order without the basic knowledge about the mountaineering industry.  If limitation is imposed, Sherpa says it would severely impact Nepal’s tourism industry.  Lawyer Deepak Bikram Mishra, who had filed a petition urging permits to be curtained, recently told AFP that the court had responded to public concerns about Nepal’s mountains and its environment.

The number of people climbing Everest and other peaks is increasing every year.  In 2019, there was a massive traffic jam on Everest, resulting in at least nine deaths. Since then, there has been discussion about limiting the number of climbers to the world’s highest peak. The government also formed a high-level panel to suggest ways to regulate mountain expeditions. But notably, the panel did not suggest limiting the numbers of climbers. Instead, it recommended measures such as employing experts for rope-fixing tasks, building an effective climate prediction system, fixing dates for climbing, and not allowing more than 150 climbers in a day. The panel also suggested effective coordination among key government agencies. In 2023, altogether 478 permits were issued to climb Everest; 287 people made successful ascent. For this spring, the Department of Tourism has issued over 400 permits. It also issued climbing permits for more than 30 other mountains. 

Along with limiting the permits, the joint bench of justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Sushma Lalita Mathema has ruled the government to ban the use of helicopters in the areas, except for emergency rescue. The court has directed expedition teams to maintain the transparency of the items they plan to take with them and they should be recorded at the departure point. The court has also expressed concerns about the growing impact of climate change in Nepal’s mountainous areas.

Stating that climate-induced disasters are affecting the tourists, local residents and minority groups, the court has also directed the government to undertake special care and protective measures in response to the impacts of climate change on mountains and glaciers.  There are growing concerns about the growing pollution in the mountainous region, and mainly in the Everest base camp. The government and various non-governmental organizations are engaged in waste management at the base camp, but the efforts so far have not been effective. 

On this issue, the SC has said that there is a need for proper waste management in mountainous regions to prevent adverse effects on the environment and human health. The court has directed the government to enhance coordination between government and non-governmental agencies engaged in sanitation and to ensure the effective implementation of existing laws. It has instructed the government and stakeholders concerned to coordinate garbage and corpse management and to establish a monitoring team of experts.

In February this year, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality enacted Base Camp Management Procedures 2024 to manage the human activities in the foothills of various mountains in the region, including Mt. Everest. As per the new regulations, climbers are required to carry a poop bag or biodegradable bag to manage and bring back their waste from higher altitudes of the mountains.

Migma Tshering Sherpa, chairperson of the rural municipality, says they have implemented some measures that aim to control the pollution, waste and other aspects in the mountain.  “We are coordinating with the provincial and central government in order to implement the provisions mentioned in the procedures and we hope that situation will improve.”  Sherpa, however, doubts whether the order issued by the Supreme Court can be implemented.  According to a study conducted by the government, there are over 1310 mountains eligible for climbing, out of them only 414 have been opened for commercial mountaineering expeditions.

Box

Year wise permits 

imrik Air, a leading helicopter company in Nepal, hosted a press event on Monday to call for the conservation of water sources to better combat fire incidents. Muralidhar Joshi, the company’s general manager, emphasized the challenges Simrik Air faces during aerial firefighting, with the major hurdle being a lack of available water sources.

Simrik Air uses the Bambi Bucket system with a 1,000-liter capacity for aerial firefighting operations—one of a kind in Nepal. This system allows them to collect and drop large volumes of water to extinguish forest fires. 

Joshi urged all levels of government and stakeholders to ensure that adequate water resources are available to support aerial firefighting efforts.

He also reiterated Simrik Air’s commitment to fighting fires as part of their corporate social responsibility, expressing a willingness to deploy their helicopters as needed

During the press event, Simrik Air also shared videos explaining the causes of fire incidents and demonstrated how the Bambi Bucket system operates to control fires. Presentations from experts and stakeholders added context to the discussion. 

Kishor Kumar Bhattarai, a firefighting expert, gave a presentation on national and international practices in firefighting, emphasizing that firefighting is a team effort. He also pointed out the risks of deploying fire trucks in hilly and forested areas, suggesting that aerial firefighting is often safer and more effective in those environments. 

Bhattarai also underscored the need for government training and equipping of firefighters to address the shortage of resources.

Journalist Bhim Kharel and Phanindra Raj Kharel, former director-general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, praised Simrik’s firefighting efforts and urged government collaboration to expand these operations.

Simrik Air, established in 2001, has built a strong reputation for high-altitude rescues, emergency response, tourism, and humanitarian work in Nepal. The company employs experienced pilots and rescue specialists trained in the United States and Switzerland, and is involved in research and development to adapt to Nepal’s unique terrain and landscape.

The urgency of Simrik Air’s call to action is backed by alarming statistics: In the past four months, there have been fire incidents in 500 locations, resulting in 76 fatalities. Nepal Police data indicates that around 1m hectares are destroyed by fire each year, and over the past five years, approximately 10,000 houses have been lost to fire. 

Despite these significant challenges, there are only 116 fire trucks in the country, with 665 out of 753 local governments lacking fire trucks.

Simrik Air suggests

• Assess the likelihood of the fire spreading to nearby villages and settlements, and report findings to the appropriate local authorities, including the district police office and the district disaster management office
• If there’s a risk that the fire could soon reach the village and cause significant damage, the district disaster management office or the local government will contact a helicopter company for emergency support
• When reporting to the helicopter company, inform them of the exact coordinates of the fireplace, and let them know about the coordinates of the water sources nearby. Ensure to maintain constant communication with the helicopter company and provide necessary documents
• If the nearest water source is around the distance of 15-20 km, aerial firefighting will be an effective option for controlling the fire