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Two persons are reportedly missing in an avalanche that occurred between the camp II and III of the Annapurna Peak. 

They have been identified as Rima Sherpa and Nima Tashi Sherpa from Solukhumbu, according to Seven Summit Trekking Agency's proprietor Ningma Sherpa.  They have been missing since this morning. 

It is said other Sherpas on the base camp are searching for them and a rescue helicopter from Kathmandu has been sent here.  According to the Department of Tourism, 30 males and 12 females of four expedition teams have been granted a permit to climb the Annapurna in this spring season.

Nepal is grappling with a severe environmental and public health crisis linked to growing plastic pollution and poor waste management practices. The problem has come into sharper focus in recent weeks as air quality deteriorated dramatically across the country.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data from April 2025, Kathmandu’s AQI crossed 250—classified as very unhealthy. A visible haze over the valley, largely attributed to vehicle pollution, wildfire, dust and open burning of waste, especially plastics, in urban and semi-urban areas impacted the public. Many social media users reported eye burning problems and difficulties in breathing. 

“With limited landfill space and ineffective plastic waste collection, many local governments resort to open dumping or burning of plastic, releasing toxic pollutants into the atmosphere,” says Ujjwal Upadhyay, an environmental expert.

This burning is not just an environmental hazard—it’s a public health emergency. Scientific research now confirms that microplastics are being inhaled, absorbed into the bloodstream, and accumulating in human organs—including the brain.

A startling investigative article by NBC News on Sept 2024, citing a study published in JAMA Network, reported that researchers in Brazil had discovered microplastics in the olfactory bulbs of deceased human subjects. The olfactory bulb, located just above the nasal cavity, is directly connected to the brain. Scientists suspect that airborne microplastics are entering the body through the nose and accumulating in this region, raising alarm about potential neurological effects.

A separate study conducted at Cukurova University in Turkey found that microplastics could constitute up to 0.5 percent of the human brain’s total weight. These revelations underline the urgency of addressing airborne microplastic pollution.

According to the World Bank’s 2020 estimates, Nepal generates around 60,000 metric tons of plastic waste annually, of which approximately 20,000 metric tons end up in rivers. With many landfill sites located near waterways, heavy rainfall or improper dumping leads to significant plastic leakage into rivers, eventually flowing into the Ganges in India and further into the Bay of Bengal, polluting marine ecosystems.

Plastic, once hailed as a “wonder material” for its durability and low cost, is now proving to be an environmental curse. “It is non-degradable, breaks into microplastics over time, and is now found in drinking water, food, air, and even in salt,” says Upadhyay, who is also a team lead at Project CAP (Collaborative Approach for Preventing Plastic Leakages in Rivers). “A study by Dungel and Maharjan, published in Heliyon, found 80 to 1,040 microplastic particles per kilogram of salt sold in Nepal.”

“Completely banning plastic may be impractical, but immediate steps can be taken to phase out single-use plastics and strengthen plastic waste management,” he says. “Recycling, public awareness campaigns and behavioral change are key to reducing plastic pollution. Waste management systems must be modernized with support for circular economy models, turning plastic waste into reusable raw materials.”

According to Upadhyay, sanitation workers—often the backbone of waste collection—must be supported with proper safety gear, training and fair compensation. “Scaling up recycling infrastructure and connecting informal waste pickers to plastic recovery supply chains can contribute to both environmental protection and economic upliftment.”

“There is a high chance of rainfall on Wednesday, which might clear the pollution, and everyone will forget about it,” says Upadhyay. “But that should not be the case—every stakeholder must treat this as an emergency and take action.”

Fire incidents in Nepal are increasing by the day, spreading into settlements and destroying homes. Yet, the government has failed to control them. State mechanisms lack adequate equipment and trained manpower to effectively respond. The Nepal Police, often the first responders in such emergencies, are struggling due to a shortage of resources and skilled personnel.

In the past five fiscal years, fire-related incidents have caused damages worth Rs 12bn across the country. According to the Nepal Police Disaster Management Office in Samakhusi, Kathmandu, 79 people lost their lives in fire-related incidents in the fiscal year 2020/21. In 2021/22, the number rose to 92, followed by 109 deaths in 2022/23, 137 in 2023/24, and 59 deaths reported up to Falgun of the current fiscal year.

During this period, 2,054 people were injured, and one person remains missing. Fires have destroyed 72 industries of various types and 5,776 houses across the country. Additionally, 2,942 cowsheds were completely destroyed, displacing 288 people. Police data also shows that three schools and 19 government offices were lost to fire.

With the onset of this year’s summer, two houses were destroyed by fire in Baglung after a forest fire entered a settlement in Amalachaur, Baglung Municipality-12. The homes of local residents Neel Prasad Regmi and Dandapani Regmi were completely damaged. Though locals managed to bring the fire under control, they could not prevent the damage.

In total, three community forests in Baglung have caught fire this season. According to Man Kumar Chhantyal, Forest Officer and Information Officer at the Division Forest Office, Baglung, 46 hectares of Deurali Community Forest in Nisikhola, three hectares of Mauribhir Community Forest in Dhorpatan Municipality, and the Tarebhir area of Jalukepatal Community Forest in Jaimini Municipality have been affected.

In Pandanda, fires completely destroyed the three-storey zinc-roofed house of Lok Bahadur Thapa, the hut of Rail Bahadur Thapa Magar, and the hut and toilet of Tilak Bahadur Rayamajhi. The fire, which broke out in the scorching afternoon heat, was brought under control by a combined effort of the Nepal Police, Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Forest Office, and the Sandhikharka Municipality fire brigade.

A major challenge in managing and controlling disasters lies in the demographic shift in villages—now largely populated by the elderly and children, with most youth having migrated. Locals say the lack of manpower makes it difficult to control fires, even in neighboring houses. Although local governments have made efforts, they are unable to cover all settlements, and fire brigades rarely reach remote villages. The problem has continued to grow due to the lack of prioritization in disaster management.

Rudra Pulami, ward member of Baglung Municipality-12, shared his concerns about the absence of young people in villages during emergencies. “There’s no manpower in the village. The elderly and children are not capable of putting out fires, even in their own homes,” said Pulami. “We’ve suffered great losses due to the absence of a nearby police post.” He added that the government only seems to respond during disasters, showing negligence at other times.

The Nepal Police are the primary responders during fires and other disasters. With proper training and equipment, they could effectively manage such emergencies. However, security agencies—including the police, who work around the clock—constantly face shortages. Due to budget constraints, the police are unable to provide fire-control training or sufficient equipment for their field personnel.

“The entire budget can’t be spent just on equipment and manpower,” said Taradevi Thapa, Office Chief and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) at the Nepal Police Disaster Management Office, Samakhusi. “Our office currently has 50 ready-to-deploy personnel.”

According to her, a total of 125 trained police officers are stationed across the seven provinces, ready for deployment in fire emergencies. However, she admits this number is not sufficient. Thapa urged the Nepal government to allocate a larger budget for disaster management in the upcoming fiscal year. “Basic training alone is not enough,” she said. “The government should focus on developing both manpower and procuring necessary equipment.”

Thapa also shared that the police are currently working on a fire control action plan. Under this plan, awareness programs are being conducted by visiting forest settlements and at-risk villages. “We’ve been holding community-level programs with the participation of local governments, forest user groups, and residents,” she said. “These include door-to-door awareness campaigns and the distribution of informative pamphlets in fire-prone areas.” She also emphasized the need for annual training for police personnel involved in disaster response.

Thakur Bhandari, Central President of the Community Forest Users Federation, Nepal, blamed the government for the spread of forest fires into settlements. “If community forest groups were allowed to run industries based on forest products, there would be fewer forest fires,” he said. “Current industrial policies restrict such operations, leading to an increase in fire incidents.”

However, Bhandari also credited community forest workers with preventing many potential fires. According to federation data, Nepal has 23,266 community forest user groups managing 2.4m hectares of forest, directly benefiting 3.2m households and 16 million individuals. “Since our establishment, the federation has run grassroots awareness programs to prevent forest fires,” Bhandari said.

He also urged the state to facilitate industries based on forest products such as woodworking and furniture. Bhandari expressed disappointment that despite repeated requests to the Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Information and Communications to set up mobile phone alerts with fire warnings, no action has been taken.

The state-owned health institutions in Madhes Province have faced a shortage of medicines as the Health Supplies Centre failed to proceed with procurement on time.

It is said that frequent changes in the Director at the Health Supplies Centre under the Ministry of Health and Population of the Madhes Province and the subsequent disputes resulted in the delay in drug purchase.     

Officials have shared that patients from economically poor backgrounds have suffered for lack of drugs. 

Currently, the provincial hospitals in the districts of Madhes Province have provided services to patients by purchasing drugs from the hospitals' internal resources. However, the hospital authorities have shared that they have not been able to provide the drugs for free as promised by the government. 

Likewise, the laboratories established in 136 local levels by the Province Public Health Laboratory have faced challenges in running their services as they are running out of testing kits.

The Chief Minister of Madhes Province, Satish Kumar Singh, said that processes have been forwarded for the supplies of drugs and hoped that supplies will be ensured sooner. 

The government has promised to provide 98 types of drugs for free but currently, only half of the drugs are being given to the patients currently.