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The work to construct a temporary road along the BP Highway, which was demanded following the floods and landslides caused by the Roshi river on October 4 and 5, has begun.

As the water flow in the Roshi river subsided after the two-day flood, the diversion work commenced on Sunday.

The Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, in collaboration with Roshi Rural Municipality and Namobuddha Municipality, has initiated the reconstruction of the diversion by redirecting the river to one side.

Last year in October, approximately eight kilometers of road in various affected areas of the region were temporarily diverted and put into operation. The same section of road in the area suffered further damage and was washed away by floods and landslides this time as well.

Engineer Bindhu Adhikari, Information Officer, reported that temporary road construction will begin at one site in Chaukidanda, Kavrepalanchok, and at three or four additional locations towards Sindhuli. He noted that since the road along the banks of the Roshi river must be maintained and no remnants of the road remain, the diversion will be reconstructed above the water level.

Due to the destruction caused by the floods and landslides, efforts to rebuild the diversion from Sindhuli on the BP Highway also commenced on Monday. Superintendent of Police Lal Dhwaj Subedi, head of the Sindhuli District Police Office, shared that a diversion from Nepalthok, Sindhuli is currently under construction. He mentioned that the Division Road Office in Khalsite, Sindhuli has begun constructing a diversion towards Nepalthok on the BP Highway using two excavators.

Various sections of the road from Sindhuli to Namobuddha's Chaukidanda towards Kavrepalanchok were washed away, and after sustaining damage, the highway became completely blocked.

At present, vehicles are using alternative routes via Khurkot–Manthali through the Araniko Highway.

The Rapti Institute of Health Sciences is facing an acute shortage of hospital beds as the number of patients seeking treatment has surged sharply. The hospital reported that around 900 patients visit daily, with nearly half requiring admission.

Currently, the institute has only 320 beds available. Information Officer Nishan Bhattarai said the shortage will persist until the new hospital building becomes operational. The number of patients visiting the institute is increasing by the hundreds of thousands each year. In the current fiscal year alone, 218,079 patients have received outpatient and inpatient services.

In the previous fiscal year (2023/24), the institute served 176,974 patients—168,522 through outpatient and 8,452 through inpatient services.

Registrar Shyam Lamsal said that the hospital’s services are expanding as more specialists and modern medical equipment are added. He emphasized the institute’s goal of becoming a major healthcare hub in western Nepal and called for collective efforts to support its development.

Lamsal added that neurosurgery services began last fiscal year, while cath lab services for heart disease treatment are set to start by November. Urology services are already in operation. Construction of a new 400-bed hospital is also set to begin soon. Additionally, community health services have been launched in Holeri and Triveni of Rolpa, and the MBBS program is running smoothly.

During Dashain, when meat dishes take center stage in most Nepali households, it’s rare to find families that completely avoid meat. Yet, in Dang’s Pratappur village, not a single animal is slaughtered, nor is meat ever cooked. This unique village remains entirely vegetarian, even during the country’s biggest festival.

Located near the Postal Highway in Rajpur Rural Municipality–3, Pratappur is home to around 70 households and a population of over 400. Most residents belong to the Yadav community and are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Deeply religious, the villagers believe that killing animals is a sin and have practiced a strictly vegetarian lifestyle for generations.

Daily devotion, worship, prayers, and sattvic (pure) food have long been a tradition in the community. Local resident Bhagwan Yadav said that the customs passed down by their ancestors are still being preserved. “Our young generation also follows the same traditions,” he said.

Another local, Dwarika Prasad Yadav, said villagers neither eat fish nor raise animals like goats, chickens, or ducks. “Instead, we eat curd, milk, ghee, and sweets,” she said. Buffaloes are raised solely for milk and dairy products, which have become the village’s main source of livelihood.

According to community leader Dukha Haran Yadav, hundreds of buffaloes are reared commercially in the village. “We believe in sattvic food, and the idea that taking life is against human religion is deeply rooted here,” he said.

Resident Binita Yadav added that the villagers not only abstain from meat but also strictly prohibit alcohol. “Fish, meat, and alcoholic beverages are banned here. Selling, distributing, or consuming them is not allowed. Even the younger generation follows this rule,” she said.

The community’s vegetarian practice extends beyond festivals like Dashain and Tihar. Even during weddings and feasts, only vegetarian food—mainly dairy-based dishes, fruits, and legumes—is served.

Local Dilli Yadav said that even when advised by doctors to eat meat for health reasons, villagers prefer alternatives. “Instead of meat or fish, we eat fruits, legumes, curd, milk, and other nutritious foods,” he said.

The effect of monsoon winds is slowly decreasing. However, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecasting Division, has reported that westerly winds continue to influence several areas in the western regions of Sudurpashchim, Karnali, and Lumbini Provinces, along with some parts of the western Gandaki Province. 

As per the weather 'bulletin' released by the division, cloudy weather is expected in Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim Provinces, including other hilly areas, while the remaining Tarai regions will see partially cloudy skies. 

The bulletin indicates a chance of moderate rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning in the hilly and Tarai regions of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Provinces, in a few hilly areas of other provinces, and in one or two locations in the remaining Tarai regions as well. 

The Department forecasts that tonight, the Koshi, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Provinces, along with other hilly areas, will generally be overcast, while the remaining Tarai regions will be partly cloudy. 

The Department has suggested that there is a likelihood of moderate rain with thunder and lightning in some hilly areas of Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Provinces, as well as in the Koshi Province, and in one or two spots in the remaining Tarai regions.