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Recent statistics show a worrying rise in the smuggling of illegal drugs into Nepal from abroad. Majority of couriers caught in such cases are Indian nationals, according to police.

The number of Indian citizens involved in drug trafficking through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has increased sharply, with over 80 percent of suspects caught smuggling drugs by air being Indian. According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police, 45 Indian nationals in possession of drugs have been arrested in TIA from mid-July last year to mid-July this year. All of them were arrested for attempting to bring marijuana from Thailand. Seven of them are women.

Firoz Ahmad (35) from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, used to work as a laborer on construction sites. An acquaintance offered him a job in Laos with a monthly pay of InRs 25,000 and a plane ticket included. When he reached Laos, he did not get the promised job. Instead, his contact asked him to travel back via Nepal and hand over a bag in Kathmandu. The bag contained four kilograms of heroin.

Similarly, Mouleswar Nanjundamurthy (32) from Erode, Tamil Nadu, an electrician by trade, was also taken to Laos with promises of high earnings. On his return, he was given a bag holding 3.8 kilograms of heroin and told to travel via Nepal. Both men are now in police custody, facing charges under the Narcotics Control Act.

According to NCB Chief Krishna Koirala, the two were arrested in the space of one day in the first week of August when they arrived in Kathmandu from Laos via Bangkok. The heroin was hidden inside chocolate packets. Police believe the mastermind, who recruited the two, could be the same person, and the drugs were intended to be smuggled into India via land routes from Nepal. Over the past year, police have arrested 307 Indian citizens and 18 from other countries for drug offences. A total of 5,001 drug offense cases have been filed in fiscal year 2024/25. About 52 tons of marijuana, 829 kilograms of hashish, 49 kilograms of heroin and over 20 kilograms of cocaine were seized during the year.

Another case involved 49-year-old Abdus Samad Jamil Mansuri (49) from Mumbai. With no steady work, he readily accepted offers for odd jobs. One day, he was promised payment to travel to Azerbaijan and bring back a suitcase. On arrival in Nepal, his suspicious behavior drew the attention of security personnel. When police searched him, they found 3.4 kilograms of cocaine hidden in plastic bags. He claimed that someone in Azerbaijan had asked him to take it to India.

Similarly, just days earlier, another Indian national, Rakesh Ohawal (65), was arrested with 6.5 kilograms of heroin hidden in his luggage.

In the past, most foreign nationals arrested in Nepal for drug trafficking were in transit to third countries. Recently, however, Indian nationals have been found smuggling drugs from Thailand to India via Nepal. One major drug smuggled is Thailand’s marijuana, which is specially cultivated and chemically treated. NCB officials say this drug is long-lasting and highly potent, and is in high demand in both Nepal and India.

NCB spokesperson Janak Bahadur Shahi said Indian nationals smuggling drugs by air are often poor and unemployed, lured with fixed payments to act as carriers. “Trafficking rings send them to Thailand as tourists and then hand them drug-filled bags when they return,” he added.

A few weeks ago, a young woman from Manipur, India, was arrested at TIA with Thai marijuana. She had been promised Rs 50,000 by traffickers.

Nepal’s role as a drug transit point is not new. For years, traffickers have used Nepal to move drugs to third countries. The question remains: is this because Nepal’s security is weak?

NCB chief Krishna Koirala explains that drug trafficking is an organized, international crime with a complex network. Smugglers do not rely solely on Nepal; they also operate via Indian airports. Security checks at TIA are strict, and police monitor passenger lists from high-risk countries to identify potential smugglers.

Nepal Police Spokesperson Binod Ghimire said the nationality of traffickers is less important than their role in the crime. While Africans are more often involved in cocaine and heroin smuggling, Indians now dominate cases involving Thai marijuana. Police say traffickers are favoring Indian nationals due to practical reasons. “Nepal and India share an open border, and Indian citizens do not need a visa to enter Nepal. Security checks for Indians are generally less stringent, making them easier targets for recruitment,” Ghimire said. “After increased scrutiny of couriers from other countries, traffickers seem to have begun using Indian couriers.”

Many of these carriers do not know the full extent of the operation, nor who owns the drugs they carry.  According to Ghimire, traffickers use multiple routes simultaneously to move drugs, and the high prices on the international market make the trade extremely lucrative for organized crime syndicates.

In today’s global economy, tariffs have evolved from mere protectionist barriers to tools of geopolitical strategy. The US-China tariff war, which began during Donald Trump’s first term in 2018, has already brought about a decisive shift in global trade flows.

The latest US decision to extend targeted tariffs on selected Indian goods has been framed as a ‘leveling measure’. Yet, it has also created new impetus for India to deepen market access discussions with Washington and strengthen its position as a reliable trading partner. This move could be a catalyst for India to negotiate more favorable long-term terms by demonstrating its manufacturing flexibility.

Nepal also has many goods on the top list of goods imported from neighboring India. This means that the new US customs policy will inevitably have an impact on Nepal-India trade and the overall economy of Nepal. After the upgrade to a developing country, Nepal’s preferential market access facility (GSP) period has expired and the country has started to face a 10 percent customs duty, which seems to be an opportunity for the country not to increase it.

After this, it can be expected that investment will flow into Nepal from abroad and exports will increase. A large part of Nepal's trade—both exports and imports—depends on India. According to the data of the Customs Department, 64 percent of Nepal’s imports in the fiscal year 2024-25 came from the Indian market.  Similarly, India accounted for 67 percent of total exports. Since this is the case, changes in the US-India trade policy are certain to affect Nepal.

The US has imposed a 50 percent reciprocal tariff on India and a 10 percent tariff on Nepal, which is expected to give Nepal a competitive advantage in trade, but Nepal needs to take concrete steps from product development to export promotion to produce the quantities it can export to the US.

Looking at the past, the US is Nepal’s second largest export destination after India. Nepal exported goods worth Rs 18.32bn to the US in 2024-25, which is six percent more than the previous year.

This should be taken as an encouraging and positive step. In addition, to make all this sustainable and increase further, it is necessary and imperative for Nepal to create a joint mechanism between the government and the private sector to reduce transshipment risks and take advantage of customs rates.

There should be no delay on this front. The US has imposed only 10 percent reciprocal customs duty on Nepal. In such a situation, if trade negotiations with India fail and a 50 percent customs duty is imposed on India, there will be a 40 percent difference in customs rates between Nepal and India.

Even if the recently-imposed additional 25 percent customs duty is withdrawn, the difference in customs rates between these two countries will be 15 percent. Even a 15 percent difference in customs rates is very large in international trade. Nepal should be able to use this situation to its advantage.

Nepal’s main exports to the US are woolen carpets, rugs, ready-made garments, felt goods, clay and other metal utensils and handicrafts. In addition, apart from India, the US has imposed a 19–20 percent customs duty on other countries in the region—Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—which gives Nepal a competitive advantage.

In short, India has been exporting more goods such as carpets, textiles and rugs to the US than to Nepal. Similarly, Bangladesh is the largest exporter of ready-made garments in South Asia.

And, the US is also importing from it. Nepal also uses Indian land for trade with third countries. Although the trade war between India and the US could also bring uncertainty to Nepal’s trade routes with third countries, its likelihood is low.

The new US tariff policy seems to make Indian goods more expensive in the US market. As a result, Indian manufacturers may have to restructure their production systems. If India starts losing the US market, the Nepali market will also become more expensive, given chances of India adopting a policy of reducing production. Most of the industries operating in Nepal import raw materials from India and this means our production costs may go up. Machinery parts, industrial equipment, clothing and agricultural products from India are most likely to become more expensive in Nepal, exposing the Nepali populace to the risk of a high inflation. 

In addition, the Indian rupee will weaken further as India’s exports are affected and dollar income decreases. This problem will be further complicated by the fact that Nepal’s currency is ‘pegged’ with the Indian currency. This is also the reason why Nepal’s monetary policy has not been independent.

This will naturally have an impact on the Nepali rupee. As a result, not only will Nepal’s dollar income decrease, payments will also become more expensive. In that case, the interest on foreign loan assistance will be expensive and so will the repayment.

The Nepali market may also benefit from the Indo-US trade war. If Indian products cannot enter the US market easily, India may adopt a policy of reducing prices and seeking alternative markets. Nepal can benefit from that. If India adopts this policy, the price of Indian goods imported into Nepal, such as food, industrial raw materials, and machinery parts, may decrease. According to public data, Nepal currently exports ready-made garments worth around Rs 4bn to the US. There is no doubt that this is likely to increase many times over in a few years if the existing customs duty remains in place.

If this policy works in the long term, the ‘backward forward linkage’ of the export-oriented Nepali industry is certain to become even stronger. After the 2015 earthquake, the US had given Nepal preferential market access to 77 different items. The Nepal government should take the initiative for similar preferential market access. For now, it is too early to analyze how Trump’s policies will pan out. But if implemented, India’s export earnings will decrease. The direct impact of this will be a decrease in dollar income for India as well as Nepal, making foreign payments expensive. This will ultimately mean a surge in inflation. There is also the danger of the US aggressive ‘tariffs’ triggering a global economic recession. 

In the Kathmandu Valley, the delivery of water jars has become a symbol of everyday life. Whether in the narrow lanes of urban cities or the quiet villages on the outskirts, large blue or clear plastic jars sit on porches, kitchen counters and shop fronts. For the rich, poor and the middle class alike, jar water is not just a convenience—it’s a lifeline. Trusted as a safer alternative to tap water, these jars are seen as symbols of hygiene and modern living. 

A recent investigation from the Lalitpur public health office has cast a disturbing shadow on the daily routine of jar water consumption. Out of 28 samples of jar water tested in the district, 11 tested positive for fecal coliform bacteria. The bacteria was also found in all water samples collected from Mahankal rural municipality-3 in Lalitpur district. Among them, five tap water samples tested positive for potentially deadly microbes.

According to a report published in Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), the Baglung provincial public health office has detected coliform bacteria in 125 out of 341 water sources tested across all 10 municipalities of the district. Dilli Acharya, a lab technician, told RSS that they found 42 out of 106 drinking water sources in Jaymini municipality contaminated. Also, 40 out of 91 sources in Galkot municipality of the district tested positive for coliform bacteria.

Acharya added that last year, coliform was found in 103 sources, which has now increased to 125. “We will expand the scope of testing in all municipalities, as coliform has been found in many sources,” he told RSS.

Dr Kiran Tiwari, medical superintendent at Dhaulagiri provincial hospital, warned that drinking water contaminated with coliform can lead to serious health issues such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, jaundice, Hepatitis B, urinary tract infections and blood infections. 

So, what is a workable solution to this problem? Water from affected sources should be boiled before drinking, said Dr Tiwari.

Harihar Sharma, deputy mayor of Jaymini municipality—which reported the highest contamination—told RSS that the municipality is “actively working” on cleaning and conserving the water sources. Fecal coliform is a type of bacteria that usually lives in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, including humans. These bacteria can come out through animal or human waste (feces) and sometimes end up in water. They are used as an indicator—meaning if these bacteria are found in water, it’s a sign that the water might be contaminated with feces, and possibly other harmful germs. Most of the time, these bacteria are not very dangerous, but their presence means that there could be other, more harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites in the water.

These samples were collected from water jars sourced from Gotikhel and Pandhere rivers, located in Godawari municipality and Mahankal rural municipality. “This contamination may be due to the rainy season and drainage system too,” according to Shree Bhadra Sharma, a lab technician at Public Health Lalitpur. “Bacterial contamination resulting from mixing rainwater with river water might have caused this. However, retests after 2-3 days found the contamination gone. The issue was temporarily settled.”

But the fact that contamination was found at all—especially in water meant for direct consumption—has raised a question across the valley. The discovery comes at a precarious time. Every monsoon, cases of cholera and diarrhea spike across the country, straining already overburdened public health systems.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1,316 cholera cases were reported in fiscal year 2022-23 , the number slightly decreased to 1,016 in 2023-24 and surged to 2,373 in 2024-25. As for diarrhea, 227,485 cases were recorded in 2023-24 and 199,169 cases in 2024-25.
Not all cases can be directly linked to jar water, but the presence of fecal coliform in widely distributed drinking water raises red flags.

So, how do water jars end up in our homes? The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) is responsible for regulating and licensing water jar companies. In theory, companies must pass water quality tests and undergo site inspections before they can operate.

“We only approve the company license after a lab test of the water sample,” said Jyotsna Shrestha, senior food research officer at the DFTQC. “The site is inspected, and approval is given only after ensuring proper sanitation and source safety.”

But Shrestha admits to a key gap in the system. “We only test water quality after it reaches the market, not before packaging after giving the license.” That’s where the problem lies.

In short, companies might pass the initial test but face little routine monitoring afterward. This means water could be clean during licensing but contaminated by the time it reaches your home. Worse, many jar plants—especially smaller, unregistered ones—reportedly refill jars directly from natural sources like rivers or underground wells, often without sufficient filtration or disinfection.

The jars themselves are part of the problem. Made from polycarbonate plastic, these containers are meant to be reused multiple times—but only if they’re properly sterilized after each use. In practice, many facilities skip or rush the sterilization process. Some even reuse visibly discolored or damaged jars.

“The jar should be transparent,” said Shrestha. “That helps detect cleanliness and usage better than just counting how many times it’s reused.” But without standard labeling or usage tracking, there’s no way for consumers to know if the jar they’re drinking from has been safely sanitized—or simply refilled and resealed.

While municipalities have begun awareness campaigns, the response remains reactive rather than preventive. Testing is conducted every six months, once before the rainy season and another during the rainy season, said Sharma and “only when people raise concerns about the water.”

Tibrata Sharma from the Bhaktapur Health Office echoed similar concerns. “In Bhaktapur, we found fecal coliform in one of two companies tested. It could be due to the rainy season—or human behavior.”

Until these issues are addressed—through stricter regulation, more frequent testing and greater consumer awareness—the safety of jar water remains uncertain. Health experts now urge the public to boil jar water or use in-home filters, especially during the rainy season. It’s a precaution that could prevent illness—or even save lives. In a nation already overwhelmed by waterborne diseases, every drop should be clean.

The festive season is upon us. With teej around the corner and Dashain and Tihar following soon after, it’s that time of the year when you find yourself meeting up with family and friends over lunches and dinners. It’s mostly likely that you will want to host a couple of parties yourself. After all, could there really be a better time to indulge in good food and spend quality time with your loved ones than when you are free from meetings and deadlines?

But does the idea of throwing a party or having even a small get-together at home stress you out? You think of the million things you need to do, like prepare the menu, get the house in order, think of festive gifts and what not, and you feel overwhelmed. It happens to the best of party planners so that doesn’t mean you can’t welcome guests. With the information and tricks we’re here to provide you, you can throw a wonderful dinner event that will have your guests raving about your hosting skills. The good thing is it will be a breeze and you will also enjoy and be proud of yourself.

Plan in advance

The key to a successful party is planning, planning, and more planning. So whip out a notebook and write down everything that needs to be done, and include even small details like ‘clean the bathroom’, ‘get flowers and candles’, or ‘change the table runner’. Oftentimes, we tend to stress out over small things or forget them, leading to last minute hassles. Plan the guest list, appetizers and main course menu, and decor. Having everything written down will remove the mental clutter and make tasks much easier to manage. You can also create a to-do list on your phone and tick off items as you complete them. Also, planning in advance doesn’t have to mean planning a week before the party. You can start gathering things like decor items and gifts sometimes even a month in advance. Currently, there are many fairs and exhibitions being held around town in preparation for teej. Visit a couple to see what all you can pick up that you can use as party favors later on. Stocking up on things like these can help lessen the preparation load later on.

Pick a theme

If you thought having a theme was only for children’s birthday parties, think again. We, at ApEx, believe every party should have a theme. Not only does it seem like you have put a lot of thought and effort into hosting, it’s also easier to plan around a theme. You don’t have to decide everything like decor and food individually. Say you are throwing an outdoor barbecue party, then you don’t have to worry about indoor decor. All you need are some string lights and maybe a cool bar station setup. Similarly, if your theme is 90s throwback then the right music, a selection of candies that you used to have during your school days (and yes, there are widely available these days), and decor using balloons, banners, and ribbons could pretty much sort it out. Sometimes, a color or type of cuisine could decide your theme too. A cocktail soirée is a great low-effort theme, especially if you host an outdoor one during the day time. You only have to prepare some meat and cheese platters and let the drinks take over.

Let the decor take over

Apart from the food, the most important aspect of any party is how welcome and comfortable you make the guests feel. And this can only be done through the right decor. We recommend investing in sustainable decor items that you can use again and again and not on balloons and streamers that have to be tossed after a single use, though this can be used if you are throwing themed parties that need them. But if not, invest in large flower vases, candle holders, and lights that can be used to make your space seem more festive. For Dashain and Tihar, we couldn’t recommend floating candles enough. Place these in small urns in various corners of your house, along with some rose petals, to give your home a festive feel. Light a diffuser with an aromatic essential oil to keep it smelling fresh. You could also place incense sticks in bathrooms and corridors. Invest in cute tableware and glassware that will make your appetizers and drinks look even better. The devil lies in the details so make sure you get them right.

Set up the food in style 

A buffet style set up is the most common way of serving food at most parties. And while these are practical and perhaps even irreplaceable, there’s really no excuse for a boring buffet. To ensure your party is the talk of the town, the food has to stand out in terms of preparation and presentation. We aren’t just talking about fancy ceramic wares and cutlery here though pretty napkins in vibrant colors and interesting patterns instead of regular, boring white ones definitely won’t hurt. Label your food using small photo holders and write down what’s in it. Make sure you mention the possible allergens if any. Decorate the buffet area with random arrangements of different flowers on small vases, fun food quotes written on chalkboards (this one is one of our favorites) and even cookbooks that your menu has been inspired from. You can also print out photos of your previous parties or take recent fun ones from your guest’s Instagram accounts and hang these on a piece of rope with pegs along the buffet area. Get creative with what you have around the house. You can use little knick knacks from your travels to decorate the area as well.