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The Ministry of Health and Population reported 121 new cases of coronavirus from across the country on Wednesday (April 12), against 106 cases on April 11, 124 on April 10 and 55 on April 9. Per the latest report of the ministry, 11 people are under treatment at intensive care units of hospitals in the country, whereas three are under ventilator support. The number of active coronavirus infections has reached 445, the ministry said on Wednesday, adding that one patient had died in the past 24 hours, making it the second consecutive 24-hour period that saw a coronavirus death. Keeping in view a steady rise in the number of coronavirus infections of late, ApEx talked to Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku about. Excerpts: Why do you think coronavirus is increasing lately? With the restrictions put in place across the world lifted, people are traveling. This has increased the number of infections. People have stopped wearing masks and taking other safety measures. Amid this, a new Omicron variant of coronavirus—XBB.1.16—has been spreading in India. Uninterrupted cross-border movement has been attributed to the rise in cases in Nepal. The XBB.1.16 sub-variant was confirmed in 10 of 24 swab samples of the infected on which whole-genome sequencing was carried out in Nepal recently. People having Covid-19 symptoms are not testing and isolating themselves. Election campaigns and rallies and religious festivals are being held in many places. All these are responsible for the increasing number of cases. How infectious is this variant? The new variant is comparatively less lethal. It spreads quickly but does not cause serious complications. However, people with underlying health conditions, the elderly population and individuals with respiratory conditions are prone to the infection and its severity. Runny nose, fever, sore throat, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort and headaches are some of the symptoms of the XBB.1.16 variant. The hospital however has not seen a large number of cases. Though there are cases in the community, they have not reached the hospitals. Had there been severe infection, people would have visited the hospitals. Who could be under risk? Various reports suggest that this variant can evade immunity gained through vaccination. Patients with comorbidities such as elderly population, or with cardiac conditions, previous pulmonary issues such as asthma, tuberculosis, diabetic and chronic kidney disease patients are at high-risk of infection. There is no need to panic. We have had a mass vaccination program. Despite this, many have contracted the virus. However, one must continue to follow the Covid-19 appropriate behavior such as hand hygiene and masking. High risk population segments should take more precautions. What should be done to prevent infection? One must isolate themselves if s/he has symptoms of the disease and see the physician at the earliest to avoid any complications. It has been proved that vaccination prevents the severity of the infection. People must take booster doses of the vaccines apart from coronavirus appropriate precautions. People with comorbidities should take additional precautions. People should avoid congested, poorly ventilated spaces. They must wear masks. Those who have not received the vaccine should take the vaccine. What should be an individual and government’s role in controlling the infection? Precautions like handwashing, respiratory hygiene, proper ventilation at home and the workplace, and masking up in crowded places are crucial. An individual must practice them. These precautions will also shield individuals from the flu and other viruses. Caution should be taken while touching nose and mouth, and afterward. Those with symptoms of coronavirus must isolate themselves from others. The government must justify the importance of vaccines and vaccinate people.

The Pokhara International Airport (PIA) was inaugurated on 1 January 2023 by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal amid much fanfare. However, the business of the third international airport in Nepal has not been as expected since its inception which has put a question mark on the viability of the new airport.  Critics argue that the airport is a debt trap project as it was constructed with a $215m loan from China’s Exim Bank in 2017 and not a single international flight has been operated from the airport ever since its inauguration.

Pratik Ghimire of ApEx sat down with Bikram Raj Gautam, Chief of PIA to talk about the business the airport is up to. Excerpts: 

Can PIA make a good business?

Definitely. We have a target market. We can target the Indian and Chinese markets as many tourists from our neighboring countries visit Nepal and many of them come to Pokhara. Also, we can target Nepalis who are in the Gulf countries for employment. We can also connect to the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries where Nepali students go for higher studies. Data shows that around 40 percent of tourists who visit Nepal come to Pokhara. We have the opportunity to connect them directly to Pokhara. So, there is no question about the viability of PIA. I have spent around 26 months in this airport, and with my experience and research, I can say that there is enough space for business.

On the last World Tourism Day, we invited representatives of many international airlines operating in Nepal. We’ve found that they are positive about the opportunities and possibilities of PIA. They are also doing their part of the homework and research for their operation from PIA.

It’s not that nothing has happened.  It is natural for entrepreneurs to look for someone who can initiate operations in new business and others will jump by analyzing the initiation. The same thing is happening here. Moreover, a business is an environment. To run it smoothly, every small thing matters. From the legal policy to the behavior of flight attendants, everything matters to help PIA run smoothly.

Each of us should take ownership of this airport as it will help to boost the regional and national economy. Everyone should contribute to the maximum utilization of this airport. 

Has there been enough lobbying to run this airport?

Yes. All tiers of the government have been doing as much as they can. All other stakeholders concerned are also doing whatever they can do from their levels. But what I have felt is, we have to be united and have the same voice regarding the PIA, and then only the result will come. For example, the private sector and government should share their plans and problems with each other and should work together. 

Also, nothing is more effective than word-of-mouth promotion. For instance, for my foreign friend, my recommendation to visit Nepal is more effective than any kind of other promotional or advertising material. So, we should keep up to support PIA in these ways.

Critics say that the loan that Nepal received to develop PIA can actually turn into a debt trap for the country. How do you view this argument?

The construction of this airport cost around Rs 22bn. We won’t be able to make a profit instantly as it is a long-term investment. The profit of PIA should not only be calculated in terms of the airport’s earnings. But rather we should see how much help the airport provides in terms of services to passengers, small and large-scale tourism businesses and the development of Pokhara city, among other factors.

We provide domestic flight service from this airport for 18 hours a day. Around 3,000 passengers are getting services from here daily. From the domestic operation, we earn around Rs 300m annually. And as soon as we start a few international flights, we can easily earn Rs 1bn annually. So, the development of PIA is not a ‘debt trap’. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) also analyzes our business.

There have been issues with birds. Is the airport technically in a safe location? 

Pokhara is home to a lot of bird species. Among them, there are around 108 bird species around the PIA vicinity. We can’t imagine the sky without birds. It’s a part of nature and the same thing applies in all the airports across the globe. This issue is not with us only. We have to ensure that the planes fly at a distance from birds. 

We are doing our best in this regard. From regular patrolling to using scaring devices, reflectors and trimming grasses, we have been doing everything at our disposal. I think not many airports in the world use better systems for the management of birds like us. Since the start of the operation of the airport, the activities of birds have significantly reduced. However, we can’t have skies free of birds.

How do you ensure that PIA is among the technologically best airports in Nepal?

We have been using top-notch technology and equipment that an international airport needs to have. There has been no compromise in this respect. For example, we have Instrument Landing System technology in PIA that no airport in Nepal has used. The Gautam Buddha International Airport has this technology too, but they haven’t used it yet. Similarly, we have many other similar technologies with international standards.

Then why is the public negative about the airport?

It’s all due to sentiment. Initially, everyone was positive about this project. Not only the ordinary people but also the private sector, media, and all stakeholders supported us. But after the recent plane crash of Yeti Air, everyone started having second thoughts about the airport. Yet, there was no issue on our side. All of our technology, equipment and system are in perfect condition. Soon after the inauguration of the airport, people saw the crash near the airport which affected their sentiments to a great degree. But we are growing and everything will be better with time. 

Which international airlines are in contact with PIA for flight operations?

We are in regular touch with Korean Air, Jazeera Airways, Thai Smile Airways and Fly Dubai. Yet, there is nothing agreed upon as of now.  

Lucky Sherpa is a former Nepali ambassador to Australia. She is currently serving as a member of the international bureau of  CPN-UML. ApEx talks to her about the foreign policy challenges of the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. What are the foreign policy challenges of the current government? We are passing through a very difficult time, both domestically and internationally. In this difficult time, we need to carve out a clear and robust foreign policy, but this government has failed to come up with a concrete view even after 100 days. The common minimum program has some provisions regarding the foreign policy, but they are not sufficient to address the challenges. Plus they are full of ambiguities. This government hasn’t prioritized international relations. It has failed to even appoint the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the prime minister doesn’t have a foreign relations advisor. It is unfortunate because we are facing a lot of difficulties, including the economic crisis at home. Relation with neighbors prominently figures out in our foreign policy priorities. How should we conduct our relationship with our two immediate neighbors? We have to develop our country as a vibrant economic link between India and China. But we are failing to develop a relationship based on trust with both our neighbors. We have failed to make them confident and maintain an equidistance policy. Our leaders are exploiting the bilateral relationship to serve their personal and party interests. First, we have to define our national interests and we have to talk with other countries accordingly. For this, all political parties should come together. In other countries, political parties, irrespective of their differing political ideologies, come together on the issue of national interests and external relations, but this is not happening in our country. Parties should make a consistent view on foreign policy whether they are in power or outside the government. This lack of consistency has caused our state bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to become very weak. There have been a lot of changes in both the domestic and international landscape, so we have to think differently. Our traditional mindset needs to change. How do you see Nepal’s relationship beyond neighbors? First and foremost, we have to define our national interests and priorities before dealing with other countries. We have to identify the areas of collaboration with those countries to serve our national interests. Our relationship with Western and European countries are not on track. We have not seen long-term vision in our relationship with those countries. All major political parties should be on the same page when we engage with foreign powers. Take MCC, for example, where the political parties showed double standards. They instructed their cadres to hit the street against the US grant program, but the party leadership endorsed it. We failed to make a concrete position. Even after endorsing the MCC, the parties have not taken its ownership. You are a member of  the CPN-UML's international bureau, how do your party view the existing situation? What position our party takes on the issue of international relations doesn’t matter because we are talking about a national issue, which needs to be consistent and according to the consensus among all major political parties. The national interest is a common issue of all political parties. So the parties should not see foreign policy from their prisms. They should instead see it from the national interest’s perspectives. How do you evaluate the performances of our embassies? Ambassadors can play a vital role to serve national interests. Their main duty should be to enhance the economy. They can play a role to bring investment and assistance. The question is whether we have oriented our Ambassadors in a proper way. There should be close communication and coordination between government ministers and ambassadors. The reports submitted by embassies are always snubbed and we lack the agency to implement the suggestions made by the ambassadors. If the government is not supportive, ambassadors alone cannot bring results.

The CK Raut-led Janamat Party recently left the government. Abdul Khan had represented the party in the cabinet with the portfolio of the Ministry of Water Supply. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx caught up with Khan to talk about the party’s plans for the April 23 by-election and other political matters. Excerpts from the interview:   Why did you leave the government? Our impression is that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other coalition partners didn’t value our participation. We felt that several times. First, they promised to give us the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, but then they balked and handed us the reins of the Ministry of Water Supply instead. When the coalition changed, without our demand, Dahal publicly pledged to us the Ministry of Industry, only to eat his words later on. We felt humiliated and left the government. Like other political parties, your party has also started a power game, hasn’t it? If we were in the power game, why would we quit the government instead of bargaining? Our party is always committed to our values and we will never be a part of dirty politics.  Other Madhes-based parties enjoy the luxuries of Kathmandu and forget their constituencies. Isn’t your party on the same path? That’s not true. Our party chair and all of the parliamentarians visit their constituencies often and pay heed to the problems of local communities. Sadly, our performance is short of public expectations. How are your party’s by-poll preparations going on? The preps are going great. Our main focus is on Bara-2 where we enjoy widespread public support. Bara-2 is the pocket area of Janata Samjbadi Party. They won the Nov 20 polls there without a coalition. Do you think your party will be able to defeat Upendra Yadav this time, when he has a ruling coalition behind him? Our candidate Shivachandra Prashad Kushwaha is from Bara-2 itself (he is not an outsider), which is our main strength. He was defeated in the Nov 20 polls in the same constituency with only 400 votes. At that time, he was contesting from a different party. Our candidate has huge public support. What’s more, the people have already witnessed our commitment and it has become clear to them that we are different from other political parties. So, he will get more votes this time as he has joined our party. As for Yadav (the rival candidate), he failed to win from his home constituency in Saptari. How will he win in Bara-2 as a tourist candidate? We will win comfortably.