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The government’s disaster response efforts to the recent floods and landslides that swept across Nepal proved woefully short. The tragic loss of 233 lives, with 22 still missing, paints a grim picture of the magnitude of the catastrophe triggered by heavy rainfall. The government's sluggish and inadequate response compounded this natural disaster into a crisis of governance.

Close to the Capital, a family of four was swept away by a rain-swollen Nakkhu river while waiting for hours for help to arrive. As many as 35 people were crushed inside their vehicles when landslide debris fell on them while waiting for the road to clear, a mere few kilometers before reaching the Nagdhunga entry point to the Kathmandu Valley. The bodies could be recovered only after two days. In Timal village in adjoining Kavre, it took three days for authorities to start the search for people buried under the debris. These incidents show this is not merely nature's wrath but a damning indictment of our disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

Though the Weather Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had forecast heavy rainfall, the authorities did not take any proactive measures. No effort was made to relocate people living on river banks to higher grounds. As a result the capital city, supposedly the nation's most developed area, crumbled under three days of incessant rains. Hundreds of people were displaced in the capital alone as houses near riverbanks were waterlogged, exposing deep-rooted issues in our urban planning and infrastructure development. This is not a new problem though. Successive governments have failed to address it comprehensively. 

The economic toll of this disaster is mounting with preliminary studies estimating losses at over Rs 18bn. Agriculture, one of the largest contributors to gross domestic production (GDP), was among the worst-hit with crops ready for harvest destroyed by floods and landslides. Roads have been washed away at multiple locations. As we approach Dashain, a time for family reunions, the government faces the daunting task of restoring connectivity and ensuring a safe passage for millions of people. The immediate need is for efficient rescue and relief operations, followed by swift infrastructure restoration. 

Transfer of officials for their alleged failure to effectively respond to the crisis alone is not sufficient. The country needs a paradigm shift in disaster management. The government must invest in robust early warning systems, strengthen emergency response capabilities, implement stricter building codes and urban planning regulations, and train its employees on disaster preparedness. We must prepare well as climate change is certain to exacerbate such extreme weather events in the coming days.

Recently, traffic came to a halt along the Kanti Highway due to a landslide in Ghattepakha of Makawanpur district.

After the disaster, as always, government authorities struggled to scramble resources for clearing the debris for the resumption of traffic. 

Even the ‘minor’ incident mentioned above must have caused inconveniences to thousands of people.

Looking back, some of the other disasters this wet season were catastrophic, not only because of their intensity but also because of a lack of preparedness on the part of the government.

The Simaltal bus plunge is one such disaster. 

On July 12, two buses carrying over 60 people—Nepali and Indian nationals—plunged into a rain-swollen Trishuli river due to a landslide in Simaltal (Chitwan district) along the Narayangadh-Mugling road. Per reports, construction of a track on a fragile terrain just above the stretch had triggered the landslide that consigned the buses bound for Kathmandu from Birgunj and for Gaur from Kathmandu to the river.

After the disaster, the government mobilized security personnel for the search and rescue mission. Later on, rescuers from India also joined in the mission, deploying two large magnets to search for the buses.

But these efforts failed to locate the buses and many of the passengers. This shows our institutional capacity (or lack thereof) in dealing with disasters. Government issues orders after disasters, forms inquiry commissions, security personnel risk their lives in line for rescuing the stranded people, but they cannot do much without adequate training, tools and techniques. 

The government needs to address this gap in the long run.    

With the festive season already in the air, lakhs of people will be leaving the Kathmandu Valley for their ancestral homes via road, including the East-West Highway, amid forecasts of a rain-soaked Dashain. 

Heavy traffic during the festive season is sure to put our roads under tremendous strain. Learning lessons from the past, government authorities should take measures like constant monitoring of roads, debris removal on a regular basis, and repair, maintenance and construction of retaining walls for a safe surface travel. It is also their responsibility to make sure that passengers are not packed like sardines in a tin can and that they are not fleeced at the hands of unscrupulous transport companies. 

A Constitution is a living document, it is a document of compromise that is not immune from the winds of change that blow so very often, especially on this part of the globe. As times change, the makers of a constitution or their successors have to make timely changes in it without compromising on its basic tenets.  

Nepal’s newest charter is not—and cannot be—an exception. 

Nine years have passed since the Constituent Assembly, in its second term, promulgated the constitution of a federal, secular and democratic Nepal, in a massive departure from the unitary system, amid a rough weather marked by protests from sections of the national population and displeasure from the next-door neighbor. Looking back, the system stood pretty shakily on twin pillars of multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy on a seismic fault-zone, thanks to endemic corruption, a war, dynastic rules both of the royals and champions of democracy, rising public discontent and desires for change. 

Almost a decade after the promulgation of the charter that aimed to institutionalize democracy and republicanism by bringing the government at the doorsteps of the people living in far-flung areas in particular, not much has changed. Federalism, which was supposed to take the government to the doorsteps, is proving to be a costly affair, with increasing complaints from the people that all they have got at the provinces are Singhadurbars (Lion Palaces), which are quite costly to keep as they have to foot the cost of their operation. A frequently-heard public complaint is that the rulers have let the lions out among hapless sections of the society instead of extending to them the benevolent hand of the state.

There’s also a feeling among the public that select political leaders of the country can get away with anything, including policy-level corruption, as they are beyond the long arm of the law. 

Rather than decentralizing power, our federal experiment, thus far, has mostly been about managing plum jobs at the provinces for cadres of different political parties.

Moreover, whenever there’s a change of guard at the center, provincial governments also topple,  deepening a chronic political instability and disenchanting the people further and further.

These factors are pushing people, youths in particular, to the foreign shores—for jobs, for an education and even for permanent settlement. 

This does not bode well for a polity. 

The parties represented in the Parliament, including the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, the two largest parties, should wake up and act. Amending the constitution may be necessary—by taking the entire country into confidence through long and engaging discussions with every section of the society on every topic—but it is equally necessary for Nepal’s political leaders to mend ways.  

The measures taken by the government to ensure fair prices and smooth availability of essential goods for the upcoming festive season are both timely and commendable. The announcement to open 42 fair price shops from Sept 23 across the country, from Dashain through the Chhath festival, demonstrates a commitment to consumer welfare during a period when demand hits peak and prices become volatile. By leveraging the strengths of three government entities—Salt Trading Corporation, Food Management and Trading Company, and Dairy Development Corporation—the government aims to provide a wide range of essential items at discounted rates. The discounts announced on various products, from rice and lentils to oil and live goats, will undoubtedly provide relief to many households struggling with rising living costs.

While the government has been opening fair price shops ahead of the festive season for the past many years, there has not been any study on the effectiveness of this initiative. Although these shops provide some relief to vulnerable consumers, their impact on overall market prices is limited. The government must complement this initiative with strong market monitoring and regulatory measures to ensure wider market compliance and prevent unscrupulous trading practices. The Industry Ministry’s announcement to conduct 4,000 market inspections is a step in the right direction. The sealing of 100,000 kg of sugar in warehouses sends a strong message to those who might consider hoarding essential goods. These actions, coupled with a pledge to prevent supply chain disruptions and artificial shortages, demonstrate a comprehensive approach of the government toward market regulation. The government's decision to provide a 50 percent customs duty waiver for importing 30,000 tons of sugar is another noteworthy measure. This strategy of increasing supply to stabilize prices could prove effective if implemented efficiently. However, measures must be taken to ensure that these benefits are passed on to consumers and not absorbed by middle-men.

As we approach the festive season, the government’s multi-pronged strategy of opening fair price shops, conducting market monitoring and providing import facilitation is commendable. However, the true test lies in its execution. For example, the price of sugar has climbed as high as Rs 160 per kg during the festive season despite all these initiatives. Strong enforcement, transparent operations and quick response to market fluctuations will be crucial for the success of this initiative. Moreover, while short-term measures like these are necessary, the government should also focus on long-term strategies to boost domestic production of essential goods. This would not only reduce dependency on imports but also ensure stable prices throughout the year.