Submit your Article

The government’s disaster response efforts to the recent floods and landslides that swept across Nepal proved woefully short. The tragic loss of 233 lives, with 22 still missing, paints a grim picture of the magnitude of the catastrophe triggered by heavy rainfall. The government's sluggish and inadequate response compounded this natural disaster into a crisis of governance.

Close to the Capital, a family of four was swept away by a rain-swollen Nakkhu river while waiting for hours for help to arrive. As many as 35 people were crushed inside their vehicles when landslide debris fell on them while waiting for the road to clear, a mere few kilometers before reaching the Nagdhunga entry point to the Kathmandu Valley. The bodies could be recovered only after two days. In Timal village in adjoining Kavre, it took three days for authorities to start the search for people buried under the debris. These incidents show this is not merely nature's wrath but a damning indictment of our disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

Though the Weather Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had forecast heavy rainfall, the authorities did not take any proactive measures. No effort was made to relocate people living on river banks to higher grounds. As a result the capital city, supposedly the nation's most developed area, crumbled under three days of incessant rains. Hundreds of people were displaced in the capital alone as houses near riverbanks were waterlogged, exposing deep-rooted issues in our urban planning and infrastructure development. This is not a new problem though. Successive governments have failed to address it comprehensively. 

The economic toll of this disaster is mounting with preliminary studies estimating losses at over Rs 18bn. Agriculture, one of the largest contributors to gross domestic production (GDP), was among the worst-hit with crops ready for harvest destroyed by floods and landslides. Roads have been washed away at multiple locations. As we approach Dashain, a time for family reunions, the government faces the daunting task of restoring connectivity and ensuring a safe passage for millions of people. The immediate need is for efficient rescue and relief operations, followed by swift infrastructure restoration. 

Transfer of officials for their alleged failure to effectively respond to the crisis alone is not sufficient. The country needs a paradigm shift in disaster management. The government must invest in robust early warning systems, strengthen emergency response capabilities, implement stricter building codes and urban planning regulations, and train its employees on disaster preparedness. We must prepare well as climate change is certain to exacerbate such extreme weather events in the coming days.

The festive season is here but it’s been a sobering week for the country. Floods and landslides, triggered by heavy rainfall early this week, caused unprecedented damage to lives and properties across Nepal. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 242 people lost their lives and dozens are still missing. A preliminary government assessment estimates that the disaster caused damages worth over Rs 6bn in damages to the agricultural sector, with paddy crops suffering the most, accounting for Rs 3.5bn in losses.

Floods and landslides affected 58,476 hectares of paddy fields across districts such as Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Nawalparasi East, Baglung, Khotang, Jhapa, Kailali, Lamjung, Parbat, Kaski, Syangja, Makwanpur, Kavre and Sindhuli. The actual extent of the damage may be even higher, as many affected areas remain inaccessible. 

Natural disasters are unpredictable and occur worldwide, but last week’s events in Nepal offer important lessons for the government. A single agency must take a more proactive and prepared approach to minimize the damage. Additionally, the government needs to take environmental concerns seriously, as unchecked development at the local level and excessive exploitation of natural resources are contributing to increased landslides and floods. 

The government’s response after the disaster was also slow, with delays in rescuing trapped people and providing immediate relief. Although the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority was established a few years ago to handle such crises, it has come under public scrutiny for its poor management. Prime Minister Oli admitted that the country was unprepared for disasters of this scale. There is still a lack of coordination and communication among state agencies and the three levels of government.

Erratic rainfall patterns, exacerbated by climate change, are expected to bring more floods and rainfall in the future, and the government must enhance its preparations. Key security forces, such as the Nepali Army and the Armed Police Force, need better equipment and training to respond effectively to natural disasters. Unfortunately, history shows that we tend to forget these disasters quickly and fail to prepare adequately. The Melamchi flood of 2021 should have been a wake-up call, yet little has been done since then. Amid this crisis, the Dashain festival, the largest and longest in the Hindu calendar, has begun. Many are hopeful that the government will expedite the repair of major highways to ensure smoother travel during the festivities. 

In other news this week, Prime Minister Oli recently returned from an extended visit to New York, where he addressed several United Nations programs and held bilateral talks with leaders from other countries. While in New York, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba met with senior US officials to discuss bilateral relations. Nepal and the US have established a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism to discuss key issues annually. However, Prime Minister Oli faced criticism for being abroad while the country was in the midst of a crisis caused by floods and landslides. In contrast, opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the CPN (Maoist Center) stepped into the spotlight, calling an all-party meeting to discuss the disaster and visiting flood-affected areas. 

Prakash Man Singh Rawat is set to become Nepal’s next Chief Justice after being endorsed by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee, as current Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha retires this week. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nepal Bar Association, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, is facing contempt of court charges in the Supreme Court over comments related to judicial appointments. 

This week, the Supreme Court also sentenced the publisher Yubaraj Kandel and executive editor Nabin Dhungana of the online portal Sidhakura.com to three months in prison for contempt of court. On April 26, the news portal had published a fake news report, claiming that the leadership of Annapurna Media Network and Kantipur Publications were part of a secret meeting involving sitting and former Supreme Court justices and senior lawyers to dismiss more than 400 corruption cases. 

On the economic front, there was some good news this week. The World Bank projects that Nepal’s economic growth will accelerate to 5.1 percent in 2025, up from 3.9 percent in 2024, driven by a recovery in tourism, increased hydropower production and improved paddy yields. The World Bank projects 5.5 percent growth for Nepal by the fiscal year 2026. The International Monetary Fund also issued a positive outlook for Nepal’s economy last week. The private sector is expected to benefit from the central bank’s more relaxed monetary policies and eased regulations. 

However, there are significant risks to this outlook. The financial sector faces vulnerabilities, including a rise in non-performing loans, which could limit credit growth for the private sector. Delays in capital spending could slow infrastructure development, and regional instability and trade disruptions could hurt tourism and domestic demand. Additionally, recent natural disasters may impede Nepal’s economic recovery.

That’s all for this week. Stay safe

The route for electricity export from Nepal to Bangladesh has officially opened. With the signing of an electricity sale agreement between three companies from Nepal, India and Bangladesh on Thursday, Nepal is set to export electricity to a third country for the first time. Nepal has been exporting electricity to India for the past three years.

A tripartite Power Sale Agreement (PSA) was signed between the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN) during a program held in Kathmandu. As part of this agreement, Nepal will export 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh in the first phase.

The agreement outlines that Nepal will sell the electricity, which will be transported through India’s transmission lines, and Bangladesh will purchase it. NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising, BPDB President Rejul Karim and NVVN CEO Renu Narang signed the agreement.

The signing took place in the presence of Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka, and Bangladesh’s Minister for Forest, Environment, Climate Change and Water Resources, Syeda Rizwana Hasan. The Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, was also present at the event.

Although the tripartite agreement was originally scheduled for July, it was postponed due to political protests in Bangladesh.

NEA Executive Director Ghising described the agreement as a milestone in South Asia’s energy cooperation, stating, “This is the culmination of our shared vision. It will open doors for subregional and regional cooperation.”

According to the agreement, NEA will export electricity to BPDB at a rate of about Rs 8.64 per unit (6.40 US cents).

For the export to Bangladesh, BPDB will pay a ‘wheeling charge’ to NVVN for using India’s transmission lines.

Nepal will install an electricity meter in Muzaffarpur, India, where the amount of electricity exported to Bangladesh will be recorded. NEA will bear the technical losses incurred up to that point, while Bangladesh will cover the technical losses from Muzaffarpur to its border. As a result, the price of electricity will increase from 6.4 cents to 7.6 cents per unit by the time it reaches Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will receive electricity through the Brahmapur (India)–Bheramara (Bangladesh) 400 KV transmission line, which it currently uses to import electricity from NVVN.

The agreement, which is valid for five years, stipulates that 144m units of electricity will be exported to Bangladesh annually, Ghising stated. He also noted that around Rs 1.21trn worth of electricity will be exported to Bangladesh each year.

The export will begin after receiving the necessary permissions from India, making Nepal the first country to export electricity to a third country, according to Ghising.

He added that Nepal aims to export 10,000 MW of electricity to India and 5,000 MW to Bangladesh in the future.

The NEA plans to export electricity generated by the 25 MW Trishuli and 22 MW Chilime hydropower projects—both built with Indian subsidies and owned by the authority—to Bangladesh. Both projects have received approval for electricity export to India.

For the next five years, the authority will sell 40 MW to Bangladesh during the rainy season, from June 15 to Nov 15 each year.

Bangladesh had previously decided to import 40 MW from Nepal. On Dec 20 last year, the Economic Affairs Committee of Bangladesh’s Council of Ministers under then Finance Minister Mustafa Kamal approved BPDB’s proposal to import 40 MW.

NEA and BPDB agreed on the electricity rate in late February. A tripartite agreement was prepared in Kathmandu on July 13, but it was delayed due to political unrest in Bangladesh.

On Sept 15, 6:08 pm, I was heading back home. A torrential downpour was imminent. I hurried to catch a bus to Narayantar. I spotted a bus that appeared to have empty seats from across the street. I rushed across the road near the Bouddha police station, using the zebra crossing. 

I boarded the bus just as the door shut, a chilling fear gripped my soul as I noticed only a few men inside, scattered throughout the bus. There were men of various ages, with the conductor seated at the front and some men in the front rows and others in the back. The door was already closed, and the bus began to move as the rain poured down. The only thought that haunted me was the terrifying and brutal 2012 Nirbhaya Delhi rape case. I was paralyzed, unable to move or react, so I took a seat by the door and opened my window wide. I saw men chatting and smiling, and once again, the horrific memories of 2024 Kolkata rape case of Moumita and Nirbhaya cases tormented me deeply. 

Should I exit the bus? I was torn, knowing I would get soaked mercilessly if I did. Then the conductor started closing all the windows one by one. The driver yelled from his seat to close them quickly to keep the water out. My heart raced uncontrollably. I steeled my heart and mind, gripping the window on my side, preparing myself defensively. I partially closed my window and kept my hand on the window lock, gazing outside the bus, hoping more people would board. I checked the door locks, counted the men inside, and held my bag tightly. 

I scrutinized the various faces of those men, feeling frozen and crippled inside, but I clenched my fists tightly, planning to jump out if things turned sour. Then a second thought crossed my mind: do any of these Nepali men possess humanity and morality? Or should I fear stepping outside in the evening, unlike in India? Such horrifying incidents like the Priyanka Reddy and Moumita cases in our neighboring country and the Nirmala case in our own have set a precedent that men wield ultimate power, and even the law, judiciary, and enforcement agencies can do little to punish these predators, demons, and vermin. They roam free, searching for their next victim. 

The rain began to ease, and some people boarded the bus, bringing a sigh of relief to my heart and soul. Thank God the men on this bus are not like those vermin outside as in the Nirbhaya case. I felt saved, thanking God and even those men for not having ill intentions toward a lone girl in the bus on this frightening evening. I expressed gratitude to my fellow countrymen, hoping they still possess some humanity. 

As my stop approached, I exited the bus, reflecting on the recent news of the sugar daddy case in Nepal, where a man posed as a sugar daddy, befriending young people in clubs, luring them, kidnapping them, and then torturing them in various psychotic ways. Drilling body parts, inserting needles, mutilating, and applying hot iron to the back. 

Just thinking about it sends chills down the spine. Why are people committing such maniacal acts nowadays? Is it due to extreme modernization or the unchecked content in the media, with the government seemingly indifferent? Each time the government changes, a new leader takes over the next morning to rule Nepal. Yet, despite the changes, no leader has taken steps to address these contemporary crimes, as we witnessed in the Nirmala Panta case. 

There are laws in place merely to show teeth to the public, demonstrating that the taxes paid by citizens are utilized on paper or perhaps in electronics nowadays. Thus, that evening's incident left me with many unanswered questions. That day, I represented the entire female youth of our nation, who harbor a constant fear of evolving crime types and a growing rage toward the leaders who claim to protect us. I would like to ask, who would protect me if I were a victim in such situations?