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Collection of yarsagumba or Cordyceps sinensis has been affected after Manang district witnessed snowfall.

With the snowfall in the region, the collectors have returned for failing to collect yarsagumba.

Milan Tamang, a collector from Dhading district, said they are now back towards lowland after a snowfall in Bhatrang hill.

Likewise, Yekka Tamang( 46) of Dhading shared that the collectors have returned to Chame after food shortage and facing hardships in the highland while staying there for almost one and half months.

The collectors shared that a contractor has hired them to collect yarsagumba and are paid Rs 400 per piece. Generally, March to first week of June is considered an appropriate time for yarsagumba collection in the highlands of Manang district. The medicinal herb is collected through organisation after submitting the approval letter given in the last fiscal year.

The collectors have said they plan to return to the highlands by taking foodstuffs once the snowfall is over.

Collection of yarsagumba, the medicinal herb, is also one of the key income sources for the people in Manang.

Earlier on April 6, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Area Office in Manang had decided to issue approval for the collection of yarsagumba through a committee.

For the local people from Manang, approval for yarsagumba collection is issued by submitting their citizenship or other official documents in case they have migrated from Manang.

A passenger bus met with an accident in Salyan on Friday.

The bus (Na 3 Kha 3884) was heading towards Dang from Patihalna of Bagchaur Municipality-9, Salyan when the incident occurred at Shardha Khola in Bagchaur Municipality-2.

The details of the incident are yet to come.

At least six houses were reduced to ashes when a fire broke at Chinnamasta Rural Municipality-5 in Saptari on Friday. 

Ward Chairman Jaya Prakash Thakur said that the fire that started from a mosquito coil destroyed the houses of six pets including Mahendra Kamait.

The District Police Office, Saptari said that properties worth around Rs 2.3 million were destroyed in the fire.

Chairman Thakur said that the fire was taken under control with the help of locals after three hours.

Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale has requested European Ambassador to Nepal Nona Deprez to lift ban on Nepal from the EU's safety list.

A discussion was held between Minister Ale and Ambassador Deprez regarding the matter at the ministry today, according to the minister's personal secretary Manoj Adhikari.

Minister Ale reminded the EU ambassador that Nepal's aviation sector was safe now.

He further said Nepal's score was 70.1 per cent on implementation of safety in eight categories set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which Minister Ale argued, was above average.

"Nepali aviation is safe as per the ICAO's indicators.

Now, the EU is requested to lift the ban on Nepal's aviation," he underscored.

The EU had blacklisted Nepal's aviation sector reasoning poor safety eight years ago. However, the ICAO has already lifted the ban on Nepal with its improved safety indicators. The EU had demanded further qualification and training of Nepali pilots to meet international standard.

On the occasion, Director General at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, engineer Pradip Kumar Adhikari informed the ambassador that Nepal had managed training and qualification of pilots in line with the international criteria.

Currently, Nepal Airlines, Buddha Air and Himalaya Airlines are ready for international flights and are awaiting the EU's nod.