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Did your list of resolutions for 2021 include eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting down on meat? And were you by the end of January back to your old eating habits—the apples you bought during your weekly grocery trip slowly rotting in the fruit bowl and your freezer stuffed with packets of all kinds of processed meats? Worse, did you have a strong sense of déjà vu—you had done this before, last year and the year before that?

Supriya Bhattarai, clinical nutritionist and co-founder, Mitahara, says she has many clients who are striving to make the switch from a non-vegetarian lifestyle to a vegetarian one. She too has been trying to cut down on meat for the past six months. There are good days and there are bad days. It’s definitely not easy.

Supriya Bhattarai

But there are a lot of upsides to a vegetarian diet and therein lies its allure, says Bhattarai. A vegetarian diet, she adds, lowers the risk of many non-communicable diseases, like stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal issues, as well as various cancers. Studies suggest a meatless diet could also help slow down aging.

“A plant-based diet is particularly good for those with heart problems. Removing meat from your diet is great for overall wellness,” she says.

Bhupal Baniya, nutritionist at Nepal Police Hospital, too recommends a vegetarian diet. He says if you can, you should definitely give up meat because its consumption comes with a fair share of long-term health issues.

The problem with meat today is that a lot of poultry and animals are bred and raised to be slaughtered. Animal cruelty aside, they are given hormones and antibiotics which we ultimately end up consuming.

“There are many antibiotics that were earlier used to treat diseases in humans, like tetracycline, that we are now resistant to. That’s because we consumed drug-fed poultry,” says Baniya. A meat-rich diet could potentially lead to kidney, liver, and heart problems, he adds.  

Bhupal Baniya

“It’s not just meat, how we consume it is also problematic,” he says. Most of the times, we grill or deep fry meat (think sizzling barbeque or chicken lollipops). This coats your food with carcinogens.

Take it slow

Dr Ruby Bajracharya, dietician, ayurvedic doctor, and founder of Lotus Ayurdeva, supports Baniya’s claims. She says a non-vegetarian meal is acidic in nature and an acidic diet is what causes health problems, including cancers. On the other hand, a vegetarian diet, if you keep it as colorful as possible, could help prevent many illnesses.

“Try to include different kinds of vegetables in your diet. If possible, eat different things for lunch and dinner every day of the week,” says Dr Bajracharya. It would also be a good idea to have foods in their closest natural states, which is possible with fruits and vegetables.

According to the ayurvedic doctor, a simple home-cooked meal can be your key to wellness. If that doesn’t include meat, all the better. But she stresses on the need to be practical about your eating habits. If you have been eating meat, say daily, for as long as you can remember then you probably wouldn’t be able to give up cold-turkey. And neither should you.  

Dr Ruby Bajracharya

“What you can do is reduce the frequency or the portion size and then slowly try to eliminate it from your diet. This is a far more sustainable way to give up meat in the long run,” she says.

Nutritionist Bhattarai agrees that if you want to give up meat it’s important not to rush it. The mantra here is to cut back and work on making meat less tempting. For instance, you could opt for pan-grilled meat instead of the fried version which is more addictive, making it harder for you to give it up altogether. You will, over time, find meat less palatable when you come to associate it with bland dishes.

The body, she adds, takes time to adapt to new foods and flavors. By lessening the quantity of meat and increasing the portion of vegetables, you will slowly develop a taste for vegetarian food as well.

“Start by paying attention to how you are eating meat and try to change that. You could also try abstaining from one item, like mutton, to start with,” she says. It’s what she has done: she has first given up red meat.

Find your why

Experts agree that it helps if you are clear about why you want to cut out meat from your diet. Is it because you love animals and want your meals to be cruelty-free? Is it because you are concerned about the meat industry’s impact on the environment? Or do you think a vegetarian/vegan diet is healthier and want to feel good in your body?

When you have a solid reason for doing something—especially something that requires a lot of discipline and behavioral changes—you are more likely to see it through.

Founder of Vegan Diary Nepal Kajol Sethia says she turned vegan because she loves animals. A plant-based diet has made a lot of difference in how she feels. Besides losing weight, a diet rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals has made her more energetic. Bloating, something she struggled with earlier, isn’t an issue anymore. She claims she is fit enough to run a 5k or 10k marathon and still not feel drained out. For that, she credits her food choices.

 Kajol Sethia

“Many people think being vegetarian or vegan is difficult as it limits your food options. But, in fact, it’s about removing certain things from your plate and replacing them with something else,” says Sethia.

For instance, if you are a non-vegetarian transitioning into vegetarianism, you could simply remove meat from your plate and replace it with eggs, cottage cheese, or mushroom. Similarly, if you are trying to go vegan then use oil in place of ghee and have tofu instead of cottage cheese. 

The passionate vegan believes it has never been easier to find alternatives—with the concept of mock meats (a meat-like substance made from plants) and many online businesses delivering any fresh produce you could want at your doorsteps. Also, a dish is tasty because of the spices we use to temper it. Anything can be made mouth-wateringly delicious with the right technique.

Arm yourself with information

However, Sethia confesses that earlier she was ignorant about her food habits and consumed a lot of junk food. That took a toll on her health. Since 2015 she has made it a point to educate herself about food and nutrition, which has helped a lot. It is what she advises everyone to do before embarking on a new diet.

“You have to be aware of what you are putting in your body and how that can affect you. So, do your research to figure out what works for you,” she says.

But Google can be a rabbit hole, with a lot of myths and false claims. Where your health is concerned, you can’t afford to take chances. Consulting an expert at the start of your vegetarian or vegan journey might be a good way to go about it. A dietician or nutritionist will give you specific information and tailor a plan for you.

“You run the risk of nutritional deficiencies when you go plant-based or if you have been a vegetarian for a long time,” says nutritionist Baniya. You have to be especially careful about monitoring your vitamin B12 levels, ensure you are getting the needed essential amino acids, and meet your protein requirements through adequate intake of lentils and grams.

Making sustainable changes

Experts’ unanimous opinion is that these are minor hiccups that can be easily addressed. These days supplements are easily available to meet your nutritional requirements. A handful of nuts and seeds daily—like walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, to name a few—can be a good source of healthy fats that might be lacking in a vegetarian diet.

For a transition into vegetarian or vegan lifestyle to work, the best thing you can do is make small, sustainable changes that can become habits over time. Dr Bajracharya suggests making a change and diligently sticking to it for 21 days (three weeks) to build a habit and then for 49 days (seven weeks) to make it a part of your lifestyle.

Bhattarai suggests being a little more mindful about food and letting your body adapt to new flavors and ways of eating. For Baniya, a slow and steady approach is the best way. If you consume 10 kilos of meat a month, try having only five kilos for the next few months and then further reduce that, to eventually get to zero when you feel you are ready.

Sethia swears by cultivating a healthy relationship with your body and food. Food, she says, should make you feel good and be light on your body and conscience.

“If you want to follow a more plant-based diet but haven’t been able to do so, you haven’t found the right reason and approach yet. Work on them. And find innovative ways to include more greens in your diet,” she concludes.

The development expenditure of the Sudurpaschim (far-western) provincial government, which was not able to exceed 70 percent in the last two fiscal years, has been low this year as well. Only 20 percent of the development budget has been spent till February of the current fiscal year, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General's Office, Kailali.

“Only 20.73 percent of the budget has been spent on the capital side and 22.85 percent on the current side,” informs Basudev Joshi, province comptroller. “Although there has been some improvement on budget spending compared to last year, it has not been as expected.”

Joshi also informs that as of mid-February last fiscal year, the development budget was 17.26 percent, but this year it reached 20 percent around the same time. “It cannot be said that it has improved much, but it has increased on a percentage basis,” Joshi says. Two ministries in the province have been vacant for two months after the dispute in the ruling communist party over the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta had dismissed the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Pathan Singh Bohara claiming that he was in favor of Prime Minister KP Oli. Shortly afterwards, the state's economic affairs and planning minister, Jhapat Bohara, resigned. Bohara is also a central member of the Oli faction.

“The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development is responsible to spend the major part of the capital budget. It has no minister right now,” complains Ran Bahadur Rawal, parliamentary party leader of Nepali Congress. “The chief minister has not been able to appoint a new minister, nor has he been able to run it himself or regulate how the development budget is implemented.”

Rawal further accuses the provincial government of not having a vision for development. “The provincial government has employees and subordinate bases, but why only 20 percent of the expenditure? This government is a failure. It has no mission or vision,” Rawal says.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, which is allotted the largest budget, has achieved 25 percent financial progress by mid-February. In the development budget of Rs 11 billion, the ministry has been able to spend only Rs 2.82 billion.

Other large-budget ministries too have not been able to make financial progress in the province. The Ministry of Social Development has a capital budget of Rs 2 billion. But it has been able to spend only Rs 360 million by mid-February, which is only 17 percent of the allotted budget. The Ministry of Social Development covers health, education, women's development, and sports.

“Now the problem is, 83 percent of the budget cannot be spent within the next four months. There is a tendency in Nepal to remain silent for ten months and rush to do everything in June and July, the last two months of the fiscal,” says economist Shivahari Mudbhari. “It seems this trend of budget spending will not change.”

Total 450 million in capital budget has been allotted to the office of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers alone. Of that, only Rs 18 million—a mere 3.98 percent—has been spent till February.

In April 2017, Kathmandu Valley was declared a ‘no horn’ zone. Traffic police fined vehicles honking unnecessarily, and even removed pressure horns on buses and trucks. The police also penalized bikers who modified their silencers to create loud sound. Within a few months, traffic noise was reduced significantly and valley streets became quieter and more disciplined.

But four years down the line, traffic noise is increasing again. Although there has been no recent research on the valley’s noise pollution level, the CBS’s Environment Statistics of Nepal 2019 shows that areas with heavy traffic, commercial areas, residential areas, and industrial areas inside Kathmandu valley all exceed their respective WHO noise pollution limits. Most places in the valley exceed the WHO limit of 70 decibels A (dBA) for ‘High Traffic Area’. For instance, the Balaju industrial area records a maximum of 78 dBA at day-time.

The WHO threshold for high noise pollution is 90 (dBA), after which the noise can cause serious harm to human health. But the harm can set in even at lower levels.

Research apart, the general public feels an increase in noise pollution. The ApEx office, at Teenkune, is exposed to deafening sounds of vehicles—specially buses and trucks—all day, every day.  

At Teenkune chowk, Surakshya Shrestha waits for her bus, visibly perplexed by the loud traffic noise. Originally from Dolakha, the recent high school graduate is in Kathmandu to pursue higher studies. “I came here to meet a friend and am waiting to take a bus back to my residence at Sukedhara,” Shrestha says. “As I wait, I see buses and microbuses compete to overtake each other and honking so loudly, and so often. I am not used to this.”

Public health professional Shashi Dev Shah is mainly concerned about the effects of noise pollution on students. “Prolonged noise exposure can have long term effects on our physical and mental health, and in Kathmandu we get exposed to them pretty young,” Shah says. “Most academic institutions here are located in the busiest areas, which might be a problem in the long run.”

Citing a report published in the International Journal of Recent Scientific Research in 2019, Shah says most students in the valley are exposed to noise pollution on a daily basis. The joint report of Raju Chauhan and Sijar Bhatta states that “along with the problems like air pollution, water pollution and solid waste, noise pollution is emerging as a threat to the inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley.”

The research shows over 90 percent educational institutions in Kathmandu Valley are in noisy areas that exceed both national and WHO noise thresholds. Institutions located in high traffic areas have highest noise exposures. The six-hour average noise level for educational institutions located in different zones are as follows: High Traffic (70.1 dBA),  Commercial (66.2 dBA),  Low Traffic (65.7 dBA), and Residential (56.3 dBA).

Mangala Devi Secondary School at Gaushala (101 dBA) was found to have the highest noise level of all education institutions, followed by Pashupati Multiple Campus in Chabahil (100.4 dBA) and Trichandra Campus at Ghantaghar (99.9dBA). The Tribhuvan University central campus at Kirtipur (22.4 dBA) recorded the lowest noise level.

“It is surprising that our academic institutions open and operate mostly in high traffic and commercial areas,” Shah says. “How can students concentrate in studies when they have to listen to loud horns and traffic noise all day?” Easier way to control noise is to restrict horns in the valley, Shah suggests.

Dr Leison Maharjan, ENT specialist at Patan Hospital, warns of the repercussions of prolonged exposure to noise pollution. “The effects of noise pollution, or loud noise, vary according to its intensity and duration,” Maharjan says, “Generally, for the human ear, noise level above 80dBA can be harmful. You can see noise as a toxin, the effects of which are in proportion to the intensity and duration of exposure.”

Giving example of a field visit to a hydropower project where most workers complained of hearing problems, Maharjan adds that noise pollution can cause many such occupational hazards. “The direct health effects are ear-related problems like tinnitus and hearing loss, which can be temporary or permanent,” Maharjan adds. “Noise pollution can also lead to anxiety, irritability, stress, poor concentration, mental fatigue, sleep disturbance, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.”

ApEx contacted the Ministry of Health and Population to inquire about the problem. Its spokesperson, Dr Jageshwar Gautam, gave a nonchalant reply. With the same energy he displayed during the government’s televised coronavirus briefings, Gautam informed that the ministry does consider noise pollution in Kathmandu a problem and also sees vehicle horns as the major culprit. But then he says it is not for the ministry to solve the problem.

When asked why the ‘no-horn’ policy exists on paper but has been poorly implemented, Gautam replies, “You should put someone out on the street and have them report the honking. Sensitize people and other stakeholders. We are not a regulatory body, and this is out of our jurisdiction.”

The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division is more receptive of our queries. Its spokesperson SP Shyam Krishna Adhikari explains that right after the lockdown, there was a series of political protests and gatherings as well as VIP movements. That occupied the limited human resources of the traffic police.

“We understand that vehicle horns are a major source of noise pollution in the national capital,” Adhikari says. “We are already trying to dissuade motorists from blaring horns haphazardly and are starting an operation against honking starting this week. We will also be looking out for modified vehicles that cause loud noise”.

Street smarts

Sushila Dahal, 42, Housewife

We need peace and silence everywhere. And on the roads, we need to be extra careful. Honking disturbs and irritates people, which actually contributes to accidents.

Laxman Ghimire, 44, Teacher

I think reducing noise pollution will help cure many problems. These loud horns are making people short-tempered.

Binayak Bhattarai, 24, Student

I don’t think ‘no-horn’ refers to a total ban on honking. Reducing unnecessary noise should be the prime concern. Does anyone ever think of the traffic police’s mental health?

Kamal Karmacharya, 45, Microbus driver

I don’t get the idea of declaring the valley a ‘no-horn’ zone. You can’t apply it. Instead, restrict the rule to certain areas and make people follow it.

Sujita Koirala, 47, Credit cooperative officer

My office is located right beside a wide, straight road and there is no need to honk there. Traffic lights control the jam. Still, I listen to bellowing horns all the time. The commotion is so loud, we can’t even talk on the phone. People should themselves be aware of the disturbance they are causing.

Rohit Chaudhary, 22, Tootle/Pathao rider

I understand that blowing horns stresses people on the road but sometimes it becomes imperative to avoid accidents.

Sakar Lamsal, 31, Engineer

Nepalis sometimes behave like a herd of sheep. If one starts to bleat (honk), everyone follows, without a reason. It is a matter of common sense.

Kamala Karki, 28, Traffic constable

Blow horn only in emergency. Otherwise, it is illegal and we might penalize you.

Samundra Karki, 26, Engineering student

The extremist policy of ‘no-horn’ is absurd. The goal should be reducing horn-use, not its ban. Vehicles have horns for a reason.

Rabi Shrestha, 42, Taxi driver

People, mainly youth, walk carelessly on the streets, often with headphones on. This usually invites accidents. In these situations, honking can’t be avoided. But the ‘no horn’ policy can be partially applied.

A road being constructed through Nuwakot, formerly known as West No. 1, will be a crucial trilateral road for Nepal, connecting it with China in the north and India in the south.

The Raxaul-Birgunj-Galchi-Trishuli-Rasuwagadhi-Kerung road is being constructed with the aim of connecting China's Kerung, via Nepal’s Rasuwagadhi all the way down to Birgunj, to India’s Raxaul border point. The construction of the road—one of the 15 special priority projects of the government—is in full swing currently with 65 percent of the work completed by now.

According to the Galchi-Trishuli-Malung-Safrubensi-Rasuwagadhi Road Planning Office, Nuwakot, the road is being widened as well as blacktopped with retaining walls wherever required. Currently, work is underway simultaneously on 15 different sections of the road. Chief of the office, Narayan Dutta Bhandari, informs that the work of cutting through the hills of Budhsinghghat and Dhurpure of Devighat has begun while cutting through the Kalchaude Bhir of Galchi-Trishuli section has been completed.

According to Bhandari, the company given the responsibility of upgrading the road from Galchi to Malung— Kovek-Tandi-Rasuwa JV— has expedited the construction work so as to complete the blacktop within the next three months. The width of Galchi-Trishuli-Malung-Syafrubensi-Rasuwagadhi road section will be 30 meters, but only 11 meters are to be blacktopped for now, Bhandari informs, also adding that the most difficult rock cutting of the Galchi-Trishuli section has been completed. The construction company has mobilized nine rock breaker machines, more than 20 technical workers and five trippers daily to cut the 500-meter cliff. Around 200,000 cubic meters of the cliff has been cut off already.

The Galchi-Trishuli-Malung-Safrubensi-Raswagadhi road project is being constructed by dividing it into three sections. The working period of the road has been extended till mid-July due to various reasons. The first section—Bidur-Betrawati-Malung road—is 46 kilometers long.

The planning office informs that more than 25 kilometers of the road has been tarred so far. The construction work of the 19-kilometer Malung-Safrubensi road segment under the second section was signed last July. This section is being widened and walled. So far, only 12 percent of the road has been completed.

Preparations have also been made to upgrading the Syaphru-Rasuwagadhi section; the actual work is set to begin in April. Electricity poles along the road section will be removed by April, immediately after which the upgradation work will begin. The work of moving the electricity poles, which began more than a year ago, is being overseen by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Dhunche Distribution Center which states that there has been a problem in shifting all the electricity poles due to compensation issues which has resulted in obstruction by the locals. Besides some geographical difficulties, the Covid-19 pandemic also caused some delays in completion of the shifting, the NEA claims. The Galchi-Trishuli-Malung-Syafrubensi-Rasuwagadhi road project states that 55 percent of the 325 poles in the road section have been removed. The expansion of this section is estimated to cost Rs 15 billion.