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A joint team of the Armed Police Force and Customs Office on Monday seized clothes and hardware goods worth more than Rs 5 million brought into Nepal by evading tax.

Acting on a tip off that the goods smuggled into Nepal from India have been stored illegally on the ground floors of two houses at Adharsanagar in Birgunj Metropolitan City-10, Parsa, a joint team of the APF led by DSP Lokendra Subba and Birgunj Customs Office, Parsa raised the warehouses and recovered the goods.

The goods were seized from the place located about 3 km north of the border area.

The team confiscated clothes worth Rs 4.97 million and hardware goods worth Rs 121, 500.

The seized goods have been handed over to the Birgunj Customs Office, Parsa for investigation.

It’s a familiar tale. As the dry season arrives, fires dominate the headlines—whether they are forest fires consuming acres of greenery or house fires wreaking destruction in urban areas. Though seasonal, these incidents leave lasting impacts on ecosystems, livelihoods, and resources. They serve as sobering reminders of nature’s power and our vulnerabilities. In Nepal, as in regions like California, forest fires are an annual occurrence, forcing us to confront not only the immediate aftermath but also broader implications for climate, biodiversity, and public safety.

Nepal’s diverse landscape, ranging from the low-lying Tarai plains to the rugged Himalayan hills, makes it particularly prone to forest fires during the dry season. Regions most at risk include the Terai belt, Siwalik hills, and mid-hill areas, where dense vegetation, prolonged dry spells, and windy conditions create ideal conditions for fire outbreaks. These vulnerabilities are exacerbated by the combination of flammable vegetation and human negligence.

Topography, climate, and vegetation significantly influence the frequency and intensity of forest fires. The dry season, stretching from January to April, brings low humidity and rising temperatures, which dry out undergrowth and make forests highly susceptible to ignition. Human activities such as slash-and-burn agriculture, careless disposal of cigarettes, and unregulated land clearing often act as triggers, further escalating the problem.

The consequences of forest fires in Nepal are wide-reaching, affecting both the environment and society. Environmentally, they lead to significant biodiversity loss as countless plant and animal species perish or lose their habitats. Soil degradation hampers forest regeneration, while the release of carbon emissions contributes to climate change. On the social front, fires exacerbate health issues, with air pollution increasing respiratory illnesses. Communities may face displacement as fires destroy homes and disrupt livelihoods, underscoring the urgent need for effective prevention and response measures.

Parashuram Poudel, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Forests, stated, “In Nepal, forest fires are an annual menace, exacerbated by human negligence and traditional practices. We’ve been organizing campaigns like ‘Ban Dadhelo Niyantran Saptaha’ to educate communities about fire prevention. Careless behaviors, such as discarding cigarettes along roadsides, often ignite dry vegetation. Poachers also play a role, deliberately setting fires to trap and kill wildlife.”

“In hilly regions, people burn dry grass and leaves, believing it fosters new growth. While this tradition is deeply rooted, it poses significant risks,” Poudel added. “We’ve been working to raise awareness about climate change in villages, but people’s livelihoods are intertwined with nature. Animals depend on these forests, and the lack of rainfall this season has worsened the situation.”

Mahabharat in Kavre is one of the hardest-hit areas, where containing fires at early stages remains a challenge. “Despite deploying firefighters and equipment, limited manpower is a critical issue,” Poudel said.

Meteorologist Ujjwal Upadhyay noted that there is no indication of rainfall in the coming week. “Compared to the last two years, the pattern hasn’t changed significantly. However, over the past 4–5 years, we’ve observed notable shifts, such as consecutive winters without rainfall during this period. Previously, occasional rainfall was more common.”

Upadhyay explained that the absence of rainfall has led to rising temperatures and increasingly dry conditions. “In Gandaki Province, the risk of forest fires is heightened by factors like extensive forested areas and less frequent human activity, which allows dry leaves to accumulate. In contrast, in Madhes, frequent forest visits for leaf collection and grazing prevent such buildup, reducing fire risks,” he said. He cautioned that from late February onwards, fire incidents are likely to increase due to the combination of prolonged dryness, rising temperatures, and accumulated dry leaves.

Addressing the growing threat of forest fires in Nepal requires urgent and coordinated efforts. The devastating environmental and social impacts underscore the need for proactive measures. Solutions include awareness campaigns, sustainable forest management, and enhanced firefighting resources. Effective action demands collaboration among the government, local communities, and international organizations. By adopting sustainable strategies, Nepal can protect its biodiversity, safeguard livelihoods, and mitigate the destructive impact of forest fires.

A 102-point advisory has been issued to protect government websites, data and networks.

The National Cyber Security Center has issued a cyber security advisory to protect the information technology system of government offices and to shield them from potential cyber threats.

The advisory includes various security measures related to the use of government offices' websites, applications, servers, networks, desktops, laptops, mobile devices and social networks.

Center's Director Raj Kumar Maharjan said that the advisory has been issued after problems like cyber attacks on and information theft from website of the government offices were seen.

"Serious cyber problems are being created due to general ignorance or negligence. If we inform the users about this, we hope that the problem will be reduced. This advisory is not only for the employees of this government body, but for all citizens,” he said.

The Center has also written to all ministries, commissions and departments to determine the focal person to contact if there is a problem in the government website or application.

For website and network security, it has been advised to update the website regularly, conduct security tests and implement a business continuity plan by keeping regular 'backup' of data.

Similarly, instructions have been issued to update antiviruses, databases, application libraries and operating systems and to implement multifactor authentication.

The advisory has suggested using only licensed software for desktop, laptop and printer security, and automatically updating the system and bios, and to take measures to keep printers out of internet access.

For password management, it is recommended to keep password that cannot be easily inferred, to change it at least once in three months, and to use multifactor authentication to maintain privacy.

For internet browsing security, use of secure browsing methods, of updated browsers and sharing personal information only on unauthorized websites has been suggested.

The advisory warns against posting unauthorized content on social media and to use a limited amount of personal information in it and it has emphasized that attention should be paid to the updated operating system for the security of mobile devices, downloading the app only from reliable sources.

The Center has also urged to make arrangements for regular cyber security training to the concerned employees for effective implementation of these measures.

The Center has stated that cyber security can be strengthened by focusing on website updates, data backup, secure passwords, multi-factor authentication, network segmentation and antivirus updates, among others.

Center Director Maharjan said that these security measures are expected to protect the government system from cyber threats and increase citizen awarenes

The Disaster Authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs has called attention of the Chief District Officers (CDOs) towards the effective implementation of the action plan to be safe from cold.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA)'s directive comes in the wake of increasing cold wave in most of the districts in the Tarai and snowfall taking place in the mountainous region as well.

Stating that the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has even issued a special bulletin noting intensifying cold wave in the Tarai region which will continue for some more days, NDRRMA spokesperson Dr Dijan Bhattarai said letters have been sent to all the CDOs for implementing in a more effective way the Cold Wave and Snowfall Preparedness and Risk Reduction Action Plan, 2081 BS.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said a mild cold wave is prevalent in the eastern region of Madhes Province and the Tarai region of Koshi Province at present. Fog and haze have occurred in many places of the Tarai while snowfall is taking place in several places of the mountainous region.

The NDRRMA has issued and executed the Action Plan.

According to the meteorologists, there is a possibility of cold waves and snowfall in various parts of the country from mid-November to mid-March.

According to NDRRMA spokesperson Dr Bhattarai, there is a risk of cold wave in Tarai and inner-Tarai districts during this period, while in the high hilly and mountainous districts, the temperature decreases significantly and there is snowfall, increasing cold.

The Action Plan states that the poor are most affected by the cold wave, extreme cold and snowfall and there may be an outbreak of respiratory diseases during this period; therefore, especially the elderly, children, new mothers, persons with disabilities, chronic patients need special protection in the areas affected during the cold wave and snowfall, and so the necessary relief and rescue materials and the required preparations and response should be planned targeting the affected population.