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Search and rescue efforts are going on for those who have gone missing in an avalanche on the foot of Mt Everest on April 12. Three Sherpa guides had gone missing after an avalanche buried them in a crevasse. The air and land search and rescue operations have continued in coordination with the local administration, the Mount Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), the Himalayan Rescue Association, the Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition and the Expedition Operators Association Nepal, according to a statement issued by the Department of Tourism. "It increasingly becomes difficult to search and rescue those buried in an avalanche. We are yet to get additional details about their whereabouts. The department is searching for them in coordination with the stakeholders," said the Department Director General Hom Prasad Luitel. The three identified as Dachhiri Sherpa, Pemba Tenjing Sherpa and Lakpa Rita Sherpa who were ferrying materials to construct and clear the route leading to the summit of the world's tallest peak were caught in the avalanche at Dam of Icefall area between the base camp and camp 1, it has been said. Three of them from Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-5 were deployed from the Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition Pvt Ltd. With the onset of spring season, the construction and clearance of the climbing route leading to Mount Everest is ongoing, said the Department. The construction of the trail up to the camp 2 has been over, said the SPCC. The Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition has undertaken rope fixing at the upper part of camp 2. So far, the total 197 climbers of 20 groups (31 women and 166 men) have taken permission to scale Mount Everest in this spring season, according to the Department.  

Tea diplomacy is the practice of using tea ceremonies and other tea-related rituals to facilitate diplomatic relations between different cultures and countries. It could simply mean organizing ‘high tea’ where people drink tea and eat snacks and socialize. It’s drinking tea while paying homage to one’s culture. Tea diplomacy uses tea as a tool to promote diplomacy and build relationships between people, communities, organizations, and nations. Sharing tea can boost camaraderie between communities. By sharing a cup of tea, people can connect with each other on a deeper level and build lasting relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. In many cultures, tea is seen as a symbol of hospitality and friendship, and the act of sharing tea is considered a sacred and meaningful ritual. The concept of tea diplomacy is centuries old. Today, a global organization convenes tea ceremonies to promote peace and help bridge cultural and political divides. Tea diplomacy is a type of cultural diplomacy, which is a subset of public diplomacy. Its basic premise is that the easiest way to win hearts and minds is through each sip of tea. Tea diplomacy can also involve the exchange of tea leaves, teapots, and other tea-related gifts as a symbol of goodwill and friendship. Through tea diplomacy, countries can come together to promote peace, understanding, and cooperation. At the very least, sharing tea can promote conversations and that can lead to problem-solving. This can include diplomatic gifts of tea, organizing tea ceremonies and events, and using tea as a way to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for diplomatic discussions. The practice is believed to have originated in ancient China and has been used by many cultures throughout history as a way to promote goodwill and understanding. Tea diplomacy refers to the use of a country’s tea resources to influence tea food markets and to influence international political and economic relations beyond the tea market. I would love to promote Nepali tea globally because Nepal has some of the most fragrant tea leaves. Nepal’s unique tea could be a tool to promote the country and its people. It’s believed that the first tea bushes in Nepal were a gift by a Chinese emperor to Nepal’s then Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana. Another story says that in 1863, Colonel Gajraj Singh Thapa, son-in-law of Jung Bahadur Rana visited Darjeeling and tasted tea for the first time. In 1959, he established the first tea plantation in a private tea sector in the tarai. The plantation was registered in the name of Bhudhakaran Tea Estate. Nepal Tea Development Corporation was established in 1966 by the government of Nepal to aid the development of the tea industry. Tea was assumed to be first popularized among royals, elites, and Lhasa merchants before it became common to the Nepali populace. So, Nepal’s foray into brewing tea as a beverage has a long history and an interesting narrative of how it became a beloved drink found in all corners of the country. Nepal has the world’s best quality tea to offer. Our tea is fragrant, rich, and delicious. It may not be native to Nepal, but we have made it uniquely ours. The aroma of the tea brings harmony and creativity. Tea has also become a symbol of our hospitality and culture. Nepal should promote ‘tea diplomacy’ as we are one of the best tea producers in the world. The credit of introducing tea to Nepal goes somewhat to the British who were very fond of tea. Tea wasn’t a common beverage in the early 1900s in Nepal. However, according to various accounts of the Ranas, tea was offered to guests, especially British guests or any foreigners. The English have the best tea culture in the world. ‘Afternoon Tea’ is very popular in Great Britain. Tea is one of those things that encapsulates ‘britishness’. So, it makes a lot of sense that we used tea as a medium to promote hospitality with foreigners, mostly the British. The tea diplomacy initiative can connect local farmers and entrepreneurs across communities and countries. Nepal can support farmers to grow the best quality tea. This can be promoted through marketing and campaigns among consumers throughout the world. Nepali tea can become the next branding initiative that promotes Nepal and its culture. Nepali leaders can also promote Nepali tea by gifting it to their counterparts on diplomatic visits. This would be a wonderful tactic as everybody loves tea. Tea diplomacy could be the next big movement by Nepal to carve a niche in world politics. The author is a London-based Nepali R&D chef

The inquiry commission formed by the government to probe the issues of loan shark victims is preparing the necessary paperwork to start the field study. A Cabinet meeting on April 3 had formed the commission under the leadership of the former Chairman of the Special Court, Gauri Bahadur Karki. Former Assistant Inspector General of Nepal Police Uttam Bahadur Subedi and former Deputy Attorney General Ganesh Babu Aryal are the other members of the commission. The cabinet meeting also decided to establish the office of the high-level commission in Janakpur, the capital of Madhesh Province, as it will be easier for the victims to share their problems. Most of the loan shark victims are from districts of the Terai region. “We are preparing the complaint form to be filled by the loan shark victims,” said a member of the commission. “We will soon open the office in Janakpur and start receiving complaints.” The commission member also said that during the investigation, the money lenders would also be given the right to provide their explanations regarding the complaints of the victims. “In order to take complaints, we also have plans to open complaint desks in different districts as well,” the member said. The commission has been given a three-month deadline to prepare a concrete and practical report and recommend solutions to resolve the problems of loan shark victims. The government’s decision came two days after it reached a five-point agreement with a group of loan shark victims on April 1. The two sides also reached an agreement to expedite the process to amend the laws to criminalize unscrupulous lending. They also agreed to recommend to the government the formation of a district-level coordination/facilitation committee led by the chief district officer to address complaints related to loan sharking. A senior official of the Home Ministry said that the Law Ministry is drafting an amendment law that would criminalize loan sharking, a promise that the government made to the agitators. Currently, loan sharking is essentially categorized as an offense under the civil code. In this condition, the victims have to fight the deep-pocketed loan sharks alone. However, the acts of blackmailing, extortion, and other exploitations in the guise of loan sharking fall under criminal offenses. A report prepared by a task force formed by the government last year after a similar agitation launched by loan shark victims pointed out how the case filed by the loan sharks against the borrowers put the borrowers at a disadvantage. According to the report, loan sharks tend to file court cases based on the documents borrowers signed on terms dictated by loan sharks. As the loan sharks seek to recover the loans legally, the victims are often denied access to the court process. Even though the state has guaranteed people’s access to legal services for free by introducing a law, the loan shark victims are unaware of such provisions, according to the report. While a group of the loan shark victims returned home after signing an agreement, another group of victims hit the streets of Kathmandu. The government is negotiating with them too to address their demands.  

At the moment the country is under the partial influence of local as well as Westerly winds. According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather will be partly cloudy in Lumbini Province and Sudur Pashchim Province along with the hilly regions and partly cloudy to mainly fair in the rest of the country today. Brief rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at one or two places of hilly regions of Koshi Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province, the Division says in its bulletin. Likewise, tonight it will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas and mainly fair in rest of the country.