Orange, yellow and brown. Sama Bajracharya fills the canvas with colours, her forehead creased in concentration and a smile playing at her lips. Sama is 47 and has <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/A-for-autism,270">autism</a>, a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. It took years for Sama’s parents to come in terms with and understand her challenges.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240416110452_d76000000456e391ebecd6304ca0352da0df367a097a24fba40845620bd0167e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240416110452_d76000000456e391ebecd6304ca0352da0df367a097a24fba40845620bd0167e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Autism awarness with art"> <figcaption>A colourful painting by Sama Bajracharya.</figcaption> </figure>  It was not until a teacher identified her difficulties – an inability to follow lessons, recognise letters and play with other students. She often withdrew and remained isolated. Her parents took her to a doctor who diagnosed her with autism. Because not much was known about the condition at the time, her parents held onto the hope that she would be cured. For 18 years, her mother Ratna Shova Bajracharya took her to traditional healers, dya majus and ayurvedic hospitals. “I did everything that I could, I just wanted to see her live like everyone else happy,” says Ratna Shova.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240416110456_3783e96dfaeb643383995c2bb37ef189a55c704889ea55ef769842526f132a3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240416110456_3783e96dfaeb643383995c2bb37ef189a55c704889ea55ef769842526f132a3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Autism awarness with art"> <figcaption>Sama with her mother Ratna Shova.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240416110456_a9006224a4e882de540cfc8ad3f9bb298c2b4fb66eaa8f2b48e4b83f68630126.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240416110456_a9006224a4e882de540cfc8ad3f9bb298c2b4fb66eaa8f2b48e4b83f68630126" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Autism awarness with art"> <figcaption>Sama with her sister Nima walking towards a bus station.</figcaption> </figure>  Upon learning there was no cure from a specialist, Ratna had to adjust their lives to accommodate Sama’s needs. This was not easy as sometimes Sama would exhibit aggressive behaviour including self-harm, throwing objects, breaking mirrors and threatening to jump off the window. A turning point came in 2005 when Sama met Sarita Dangol during an art event for people with autism. A senior artist, Sarita started mentoring Sama in arts and crafts. Art became a form of therapy for Sama, promoting mental and physical stability. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-art-of-healing">The art of healing</a>, Sewa Bhattarai Seeing the impact arts had on her, Sarita along with Sunila Bajracharya co-founded Mikha - The Creative Begins in 2022 to help empower other individuals like Sama by providing them a platform to explore and grow through art.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240416110456_da249677323f0b78b936809ea68be00dd17f6530c1f8028723d318c71faafb8e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240416110456_da249677323f0b78b936809ea68be00dd17f6530c1f8028723d318c71faafb8e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1015" loading="lazy" alt="Autism awarness with art"> <figcaption>Sama likes knitting.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240416110456_1dc69dfe3b36b094726ca5ee1fd63f5754a623d4ab8efc8d52e6b5b86a1945f9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240416110456_1dc69dfe3b36b094726ca5ee1fd63f5754a623d4ab8efc8d52e6b5b86a1945f9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Autism awarness with art"> <figcaption>Sama hugs her knitting mentor after her art classes.</figcaption> </figure>  Mikha has become a source of joy for Sama, she excitedly attends classes with her classmates Sabha and Ritu both of whom have been diagnosed with down syndrome. In 2023, Sama participated in the International Disability Dance and Art Festival in Delhi and showcased her artistic and dancing talents, instilling a sense of confidence in her.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240416110456_8c1556b05170bbe7cbb2f2a1959e26fe3ccfb294c3a86f4fc9b84ba225ccbffb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240416110456_8c1556b05170bbe7cbb2f2a1959e26fe3ccfb294c3a86f4fc9b84ba225ccbffb" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Autism awarness with art"> <figcaption>Sama with her friends Sabha and Ritu during their art class.</figcaption> </figure>  Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-mental-scars-of-violence">The mental scars of violence</a>, Sewa Bhattarai According to the 2021 Census, there are 4,886 individuals with autism in Nepal, out of 647,744 people surveyed. This is 0.8% of the sample population. In 2019, the Autism Care Nepal Society (ACNS estimated) that some 300,000 children were living with autism in Nepal. There has been a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/why-are-autism-cases-rising-in-nepal">worrying increase in autism among younger Nepalis</a>. Management and support systems, however, are sorely lacking.&nbsp;

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Here & Now

Autism awareness with art

For decades, water scarcity, subsistence farming and debt had been driving farmers away from the village of Aathrai in this district of eastern Nepal. The elderly here tell the true story of one lot of people who decades ago were on their seasonal migration down to Jhapa in the plains. In their four-day trek south, they were spending the first night under a tree by the banks of the Tamor River. As night fell, they heard a crowd of people with their livestock, coming down the path. They held flaming torches, talked loudly and their laughter carried across the river. The travellers thought they were seeing ghosts, and watched warily. The people on the opposite side filled their brass jars with water, the cows drank their fill, then they climbed slowly back up the steep path along which they had descended. &nbsp; The migrants watched the torches until they reached the top of the ridge and disappeared into Terathum district. The next morning they found out those were villagers who came down every night with their cattle to collect water because springs up the mountain had gone dry. That is when the people from Terathum realised that their home villages had it much better because the villagers of their district did not have to make nightly water ferry trips up and down the mountain.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412100444_18f42bb370b81af9e0d8b06c433b77e7e4986dd1aabb3fc8403ff42570051668.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240412100444_18f42bb370b81af9e0d8b06c433b77e7e4986dd1aabb3fc8403ff42570051668" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="795" loading="lazy" alt="people and mountains are thirsty in eastern Nepal"> <figcaption>Photos: GIRIRAJ BANSKOTA</figcaption> </figure>  More, but still not enough Till recently, wards in Chhathar village in Terathum used to have such a severe water shortage that families had to borrow water like they borrowed money. The nearest spring was two hours walk away, and there would already be up to 60 jars in the queue. It was the job of women to fetch water, and they would trudge home with two jars in baskets on their backs and two plastic containers in their hands. “This added to the drudgery of women, would delay the preparation of meals for the family and sending children to school, there was no time to clean the house, the livestock were always thirsty and would give less milk,” explains Tara Kharel Dhakal, deputy chair of Chhathar Rural Municipality.&nbsp; She adds: “There are settlements where water shortage is still acute, but we have managed to pipe drinking water to 90% of the households.” Ward 3 Chair Deuman Limbu agrees that drinking water is less of an issue now, but says lack of water is still affecting dairy and vegetable farming which would have improved nutrition and increased cash income of villagers. Chhathar’s water shortage was alleviated by building a channel from a stream 14km away. There are cliffs along the way where pipes have been laid, but these are often damaged by landslides, wildfires, and maintenance is difficult. In large parts of Nepal, including here in the east, the main reason people &nbsp;migrate out is because of the lack of drinking water. And although most people here remember the water crisis being much more serious in the past, there is still not enough in the dry season. There used to be a tradition in Nepal’s mountains that travellers could get free food and lodging for the night from villagers along the way, and this would be reciprocated when they themselves needed to stop for the night. It was the same with water: those walking along foot trails would be offered water for free since people believed it would earn them merit in heaven.&nbsp; But not in villages like Thoklung today, where travellers know how precious water is, and offer to pay for a drink. Springs are going dry across Nepal’s mid-mountains from east to west, partly due to erratic rainfall caused by the climate crisis but also because of over-extraction. Spring water used to be mainly for household use and the extra water would flow down the mountain, seep into the soil and recharge groundwater. These days, farmers pipe water to their homes from nearby springs to irrigate cash crops like cardamom or vegetables.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412100444_d9353b6fc297e5b547ac683814801bd57d460f2481be475c60c4f6d7e8f5c8d9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240412100444_d9353b6fc297e5b547ac683814801bd57d460f2481be475c60c4f6d7e8f5c8d9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="900" loading="lazy" alt="people and mountains are thirsty in eastern Nepal"> </figure>  “New roads drain water away, preventing recharge,” explains watershed expert Madhukar Upadhyay. “Paddy terraces used to store water that slowly seeped into the slopes, but with outmigration there is less rice being planted which in turn has affected the water table.” Read Also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/climate-crisis-drought-food-deficit-migration">Climate crisis → drought → food deficit → migration</a>, Mohan Mainali Power to pump water Necessity is the mother of invention, so desperate villages in eastern Nepal have adopted innovative new ways to ensure water supply. Thirsty families in the parched Kummayak village of Panchthar used to look down longingly at the blue-green waters of the glacier-fed Tamor River. They decided that instead of migrating to the Tarai, they might as well try to pump the water to their village. Nine years ago, they launched a project to dig a well near the river and pump the water up the mountain and distribute drinking water to 2,000 of the 3,200 households in Kummayak. &nbsp; But chronic drought has reduced the dry season flow in the Tamor, and villagers had to divert the river’s channel closer to the well to maintain water supply. The Tamor Drinking Water Pumping Project is now digging another well at a cost of Rs10 million to augment supply.&nbsp; Learning from Kummayak, 11 other projects are planned to pump Tamor water up to mountain villages. Some villages that would have benefited, like Aathrai, have just heard the bad news that the federal government does not have the budget to fund their Rs20 million well and pumping station.&nbsp; Part of the reason there is not enough money is because budgets are also being misused. For example, the central and provincial government are working at cross-purposes and duplicating drinking water schemes. The federal government has a Rs3.5 million pump project in the same place where the Kosi Province has set aside Rs2 million also to lift drinking water. &nbsp;&nbsp; The water shortage is even more severe in Dhankuta district, where in Chaubise village Ward 3, a Rs80 million project is underway to pump water up from a spring down the mountain.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412100444_d0f87ea50060253998ef932e5c6f30f20912d8733c40014cef4cc8c16e8270ae.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240412100444_d0f87ea50060253998ef932e5c6f30f20912d8733c40014cef4cc8c16e8270ae" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="795" loading="lazy" alt="people and mountains are thirsty in eastern Nepal"> <figcaption>Before lift pumped water was distributed in Syabrumba of Panchthar district, villages had to wait for their quota of water. Today 60% of the household has piped drinking water. Photo: GIRIRAJ BANSKOTA</figcaption> </figure>  All these districts of eastern Nepal have lost more than a third of their population in the past 20 years, and local governments see improved water supply as a way to bring their people back. The population of Thoklung village of Terathum was 40% less in 2021 than what it was in 2001, so its municipality is working on a pumping scheme to lift water from the Tamor to distribute every household in Ward 7. Ward Chair Rohit Kandengwa, however, is worried that the project’s electricity bill would mean that the household water tariff will be too high.&nbsp; Indeed, spring water can flow down to a village by gravity. But pumping water from a river to a ridgetop village can be expensive. The Kummayak project, for example, has an electricity bill of Rs600,000 per month.&nbsp; “Water has value. We charge 10 paisa per litre of water and that could be expensive to those who are used to free water, but it is better than no water at all, and it is cheaper than water from tankers,” says Nirmal Ghimire, chair of Kummayak Ward 5.&nbsp; But there are other non-monetary benefits from water pumps, like in curbing outmigration. For the past two years, no families have migrated out of Kummayak village since it got regular water supply. To be sure, ensuring water supply alone will not stop people since there are other push factors at play: difficulty to access medical care, low quality of public schools, lack of jobs, the government’s low priority for agriculture driving people away from farming. “Farmers here used to sell milk, but they have not been paid for their milk since nine months,” says Chhathar Ward 4 Chair Pushpa Karki. “They cannot sell their goats, middle men fix the price for cardamom and ginger.” The chhurpi and ghee industries have dried up, and dairy farmers have no place to sell milk. It is also a seller’s market, and farmers have to buy everything, without credit, and cannot determine the price of their produce.&nbsp; Lack of connectivity is another reason people migrate from these remote districts. It has been 12 years since construction began on the bridge at Lumughat across the Tamor River that would have linked Terathum and Panchthar, making it easier to take produce to market towns. &nbsp; Better roads would also improve the quality of instruction – the other reason many families move to Dharan or Kathmandu. Accessibility would motivate teachers to stay in villages. There is also a herd mentality that drives migration. If one household moves out, the entire neighbourhood ups and moves. Ten of former school principal Hari Narayan Bhattarai’s neigbours locked up their homes and moved down to the Tarai partly due to lack of water. Bhattarai lost the support of next door families that he used to rely on, so he also moved to Birtamod of Jhapa in the plains. Households in the mountains need each other to survive. Neighbours help neighbours to plough, plant and harvest.&nbsp; And then there is the litany of woes that all Nepalis face: the delays in getting driving licenses, work permits, and other services. People move to where life is easier. &nbsp; Outmigration also makes pre-existing problems of the mountains worse. Where forests are growing out of fallow terrace fields, with no one to forage for dried undergrowth fire risk has increased, crops are damaged by wildlife, and the decline in livestock has reduced soil fertility. &nbsp; “The main reason for outmigration is lack of water and low productivity,” says Chhathar Deputy Chair Dhakal whose village announced grants of up to Rs500,000 to start up agrobusinesses. Thirty families did return. However, there were no takers for Dhakal’s offer of Rs10,000 to households farming their fallow fields again.&nbsp; Even if rural municipalities find the money to install well and pumps for water supply, paying for maintenance or repairs of broken pipes or pumps can be a problem due to lack of budget. Watershed expert Madhukar Upadhyay concedes that pumping water from a river to villages in the mountains is only a short-term fix, but not a sustainable solution. “Over the long-term we must think of reviving traditional system of ponds near springs where water can collect and re-charge groundwater,” he explains. “That way we address the thirst of both the people and the mountains.” &nbsp; This is the second of a 3-part series supported by Barbara Foundation.The third and last instalment will appear on the 26 April edition.&nbsp;

People and mountains are thirsty in eastern Nepal

Nepalis looking to splurge on a new car for the new year might want to think about electric or hybrid options. Gone are the days of small, claustrophobic EVs, there are now battery-powered cars that are as green as they are cool.&nbsp; If you have been out on Kathmandu’s roads these days, and with the air quality being what it is this week we understand if you have not, there seems to be a lot more battery-operated vehicles on the streets. As range improves, there are a lot more EVs even on the highways, negotiating the mud and dust.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_ff293ae4da0a697a030334ccb1f9d723ef20b4d902a5153e9f95c8252d95afa5.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240412120436_ff293ae4da0a697a030334ccb1f9d723ef20b4d902a5153e9f95c8252d95afa5" data-rendition-name="original" width="956" height="726" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  The numbers back this up. By March, nearly 6,500 electric vehicles had been imported into Nepal in the six months of the fiscal year. During the same period last year, this number was only 2,198.&nbsp; The battery-powered cars in Nepal are imported from China, India, Indonesia, the United States, South Korea, and now from Germany. Import numbers of electric three-wheel taxis also show an increase of 54% from 5,380 to 8,303.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_de4ba3e82f7af336a34d5c590b28a109eef625441b88b164c8a0a09ec46e3ee7.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240412120436_de4ba3e82f7af336a34d5c590b28a109eef625441b88b164c8a0a09ec46e3ee7" data-rendition-name="original" width="857" height="551" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  This means the contribution of vehicular emissions to air pollution levels in Kathmandu Valley is going down, although the other sources (wildfire smoke, roadside dust, and transboundary pollution) are getting worse. The bigger change can be in Nepal’s petroleum import bill, which makes up nearly a quarter of total imports. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) reports that petrol and diesel demand has gone down slightly, but there will have to be a lot more electric public transport and private cars to make a dent on the trade deficit.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_d9b2c5e2ad232d224065605813ea6c1558dcaac5c1ed7513493f4ed0f6270080.png" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240412120436_d9b2c5e2ad232d224065605813ea6c1558dcaac5c1ed7513493f4ed0f6270080" data-rendition-name="original" width="833" height="654" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  Besides fully battery-powered cars, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are also available, although the numbers so far are tiny. Only 17 hybrids were imported in February-March, and 21 in March-April.&nbsp; Hybrids tend to be more expensive than fully electric cars, and they also need more specialised maintenance backup since they have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_0d7f8b2559c78646a518c09a1faa7231216d502fb988e91a8b27ba40ee4e04cf.png" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240412120436_0d7f8b2559c78646a518c09a1faa7231216d502fb988e91a8b27ba40ee4e04cf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1282" height="675" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_057a1a2ba625c116b47cfca4e50fbb18dcd985b29763cc62dcd8492d786e071b.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240412120432_057a1a2ba625c116b47cfca4e50fbb18dcd985b29763cc62dcd8492d786e071b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1012" height="782" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  The difference between regular hybrids and the plug-in hybrids is in how the battery is charged to power the electric motor. Regular hybrids charge their batteries while driving, and there is regenerative braking which means the motor turns into a generator to charge the battery. Also, when the petrol engine is producing more power than the car needs, the car’s computer routes the extra energy to the battery.&nbsp; Plug-in hybrids have these capabilities as well, but can also be plugged in to wall sockets for charging. While the electric motors in regular hybrids only assist the gasoline engine, plug-in hybrids can run entirely on the charged battery just like in EVs, and switch to gas when it runs out.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_4230544724483b7898da0d610247ecb439e199c116fcbdab4c876654823e7593.png" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240412120436_4230544724483b7898da0d610247ecb439e199c116fcbdab4c876654823e7593" data-rendition-name="original" width="1099" height="829" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120436_8d674ca57678d7f707970a8c900883e60a811a0c86b78f4e58c52eb8c3cf405e.png" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240412120436_8d674ca57678d7f707970a8c900883e60a811a0c86b78f4e58c52eb8c3cf405e" data-rendition-name="original" width="852" height="751" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  Regular hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles all save fuel and are better for the ecology and economy than petrol or diesel cars. There are, however, trade offs in choosing any one kind. &nbsp; A fully electric vehicle will use no fossil fuels at all, so it is the best in reducing emissions. But they can be expensive up front, and are limited by range because of the lack of charging infrastructure. Charging is slow, which is not ideal during long trips.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240415090428_d7345578eb15e0834e03f0fa50a14ad7256a1f23c60a82fd8f7b9f6afb279703.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240415090428_d7345578eb15e0834e03f0fa50a14ad7256a1f23c60a82fd8f7b9f6afb279703" data-rendition-name="original" width="674" height="356" loading="lazy" alt="Audi electric"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_539206ecb44998657426ef1b0cdc54774c5c6e1a61cd6053a1da4c731e3a275c.png" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240412120432_539206ecb44998657426ef1b0cdc54774c5c6e1a61cd6053a1da4c731e3a275c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1049" height="857" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  Electric cars have not been around as long as regular ones, so maintenance experts and replacement parts are harder to come by. &nbsp; A regular hybrid does not need to be plugged in at all, so there is no range anxiety. However, it is going to use more fuel, leading to a higher running cost and some emissions. There are more components, so there are more things that can go wrong.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_4efd199719ebc37050c7b4d8ccc6711d64fe8cd0c508e6bee8e30f48a416f9e3.png" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240412120432_4efd199719ebc37050c7b4d8ccc6711d64fe8cd0c508e6bee8e30f48a416f9e3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1093" height="554" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240415090428_f650e2834b231ec2550e3862dd3804791367fad4e6f6133e1fcd093e1e24bd62.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20240415090428_f650e2834b231ec2550e3862dd3804791367fad4e6f6133e1fcd093e1e24bd62" data-rendition-name="original" width="640" height="507" loading="lazy" alt="Tata Nexon"> </figure>  A plug-in hybrid offers the most flexibility as it can run on either electricity or fuel. However, the battery capacity is limited and fuel is the option on longer drives. The price tags of these cars are much higher. &nbsp; There is some debate about battery-powered cars not being as climate friendly as claimed because of the lithium, cadmium and other raw materials needed for batteries and electrodes have to be extracted through energy-intensive methods.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240415090428_8cefbd01237b1e3803588125c79412233460b3056290610a6a9a157ce0f50b32.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20240415090428_8cefbd01237b1e3803588125c79412233460b3056290610a6a9a157ce0f50b32" data-rendition-name="original" width="701" height="503" loading="lazy" alt="Subaru hybrid"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240412120432_c6fedf87a122a94bce272b1f5d98165a945851171ff060d30e00800d9ece334e.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20240412120432_c6fedf87a122a94bce272b1f5d98165a945851171ff060d30e00800d9ece334e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1036" height="840" loading="lazy" alt="EV"> </figure>  A lot more lithium and other resources goes into making fully electric cars simply because they need higher capacity batteries. The same lithium could be used to make many more gas-electric hybrids or plug-ins, leading to a lower carbon footprint over the lifetime of the cars. A Toyota document states that 90 hybrids can be made with the resources to make one fully electric vehicle, reducing carbon emission by 37 times over their lifetime, compared to the electric car.&nbsp; Whatever you choose to buy, there is a range of choices of models and propulsion systems. BYD, Tata, Hyundai, Tesla, and Audi all offer fully electric vehicles. Toyota and Subaru have popular hybrid options.

Vishad Onta

EVs, Hybrids, and Plug-ins

A trip to Bhadgaon is a commitment. You need to get on that Arniko Highway, and race Enfields and micros zooming eastwards at 80kmph. Bhaktapur is only 11km from the Ring Road, and 20 minutes away at night. But at rush hour, there are bottlenecks that make it seem farther than it is.&nbsp; This is the week of Bhaktapur’s biggest chariot festival, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/biska-celebrations-begin-in-bhaktapur">the Bisket Jatra</a>, the first day of which is known locally as Dhwo kwabijyaigu or ‘the god carried downwards’. It might be a good idea to extend the day trip to see the festival and stay overnight to really get to know the city of devotees. By evening, most of the tourists and visitors will have left, and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/bhaktapur-world-heritage-site-nyatapola,1376">Bhaktapur</a> once more belongs to its residents. A good place to hang out to watch the goings-on in the Darbar Square is from one of the window seats at the Temple View Restaurant, popular for its Newari menu but also Chicken Thali complete with masala tea and juju dhau at Rs795.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110444_63cf46c7dff59414109d5f44b2fe7802dfa0c133d9c0fdf7545b7168fe6585c2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240411110444_63cf46c7dff59414109d5f44b2fe7802dfa0c133d9c0fdf7545b7168fe6585c2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110448_d0644ce851a3a0a5aa76543b23c4799b35b98a6d490041e65f8bda0abdfc5441.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240411110448_d0644ce851a3a0a5aa76543b23c4799b35b98a6d490041e65f8bda0abdfc5441" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>  &nbsp;Nearby is Taumadhi Square, dominated by Nepal’s highest temple Nyatapola. This sturdy five-roofed temple withstood the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes, perhaps because it is guarded by five pairs of stone bodyguards. It is in the evening that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nyatapola-alight">Nyatapola</a> looks even more impressive, glowing in the light of the square and standing out against the darkening sky. Climbing the long stairs, one gains a vantage point overlooking the square and the town beyond the surrounding rooftops.&nbsp; There is usually an evening puja going on in the Bhairavnath temple to the east of Nyatapola, with chanting and cymbals, a great soundtrack to the bustling, busy square as well as a reminder that temples are not only selfie spots for tourists, but also places of worship.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110444_08df42b25422fa41b0c2c3757986eb3fef7d25dc7c16091c31781ce72cf982a8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240411110444_08df42b25422fa41b0c2c3757986eb3fef7d25dc7c16091c31781ce72cf982a8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110444_64988e88c264361d9e4138a8af7187590030b9c251d669cd5c497526379c0bfa.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240411110444_64988e88c264361d9e4138a8af7187590030b9c251d669cd5c497526379c0bfa" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>  Despite it being night, motorbikes race diagonally across Taumadhi, so be prepared to dodge these easy riders as you make your way to our next night-time attraction: Dattatreya Square.&nbsp; The street there is lined with curious passages that must be stooped through into courtyards. Down a narrow lane off to the side of the square is the famous peacock window, and the first floor of a house opposite offers the best eye-level view. The light and shadows of the night make the carved wooden window look even more delicate and exquisite. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-tug-of-tradition">Bhaktapur is loyal to traditional ways of life</a> and architecture. The styles of buildings are consistent and well preserved. The restaurants and shops, at least the ones in the main squares, are housed in centuries old heritage buildings.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110448_71e8993546835129c90df4187e8d060a4059eff7e75988e9045567b0048cb45b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240411110448_71e8993546835129c90df4187e8d060a4059eff7e75988e9045567b0048cb45b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110452_4f8b7bfdac926e47eb36d7d9bbf7075c1c5298016edd515688a39cc1fa845b01.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240411110452_4f8b7bfdac926e47eb36d7d9bbf7075c1c5298016edd515688a39cc1fa845b01" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>  &nbsp;It is at night that Bhaktapur brings out the best of itself, radiating art and culture. Many new cafes have opened, and shops that sell souvenirs and intricate thangkas. The red brick roads give the town elegance and character different from the tourist haunts in other parts of the Valley.&nbsp; Many businesses on the streets play music, prayer hymns, and burn fragrant incense. There is always a procession going past, giving night time <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-traditional-seismic-resistant-designs">Bhaktapur</a> a spiritual ambience.&nbsp; By late evening, there are fewer motorcycles and the pedestrians start shuffling home. Community dogs take over, guarding the guardians of the gods on Nyatapola’s steps. In a neighbourhood falcha, some elderly devotees are still chanting hymns to the gods. Clouds towering over the mountains to the north are lit up by the pink neon of silent lightning.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110448_79e373b228c194410dd6a7c02a97185a83fee28a6d2dce152b9c86e2f2ba586a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20240411110448_79e373b228c194410dd6a7c02a97185a83fee28a6d2dce152b9c86e2f2ba586a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110448_71d51751230e8769bcbcdb5730d9b1246d127c082c0b9b4265056b8277f50ce4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20240411110448_71d51751230e8769bcbcdb5730d9b1246d127c082c0b9b4265056b8277f50ce4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110448_4481a5fae6b464df1355cc7f223fd3eb08d511360f555118c8e1c7033ce9699d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="20240411110448_4481a5fae6b464df1355cc7f223fd3eb08d511360f555118c8e1c7033ce9699d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>  &nbsp;Bhaktapur is not just a town, it is a way of life.&nbsp; ---- Places to Stay Peacock Guest House Located near the Dattatreya Square, this guest house is simultaneously a hotel, café and handicraft shop all rolled into one. The café is what you walk into, with seating extending into a courtyard. It is all very compact and tasteful. A man who appears to be the owner sits at one of the tables and is drawing.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411130412_3d539ef65ad9559abcf8163f0567e13039b88dc0df2ce5f6a5db021e05277b54.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20240411130412_3d539ef65ad9559abcf8163f0567e13039b88dc0df2ce5f6a5db021e05277b54" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Peakcock guesthouse Bhaktapur"> <figcaption>Breakfast at Peacock Guest House.</figcaption> </figure>  Peacock Guest House is Bhaktapur in a microcosm in the way it incorporates heritage. It has narrow wooden staircases and doors, intricate windows, and a copper water jar. The rooms are cosy, and come with a bookshelf featuring interesting titles. There is a traditional carved window in each room that must make guests feel like the Kumari. The second floor has a large showroom with many statuettes and carvings. On the roof terrace, the evenings are cool and quiet. Rs7,000&nbsp; Dattatreya Square&nbsp; (01) 6611829 Milla Guest House&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411110448_a41255ab6bca5a2d96a5a0211b1e0f88f8663e80fea85243c25c673cdc4b0ba6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="20240411110448_a41255ab6bca5a2d96a5a0211b1e0f88f8663e80fea85243c25c673cdc4b0ba6" data-rendition-name="original" width="680" height="454" loading="lazy" alt="One night in Bhadgaon NT 1"> </figure>  A five minute walk away from Dattatraya Square, Milla Guest House is a bed-and-breakfast designed by<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/kathmandu-s-legacy-is-goetz-hagmueller-s-legacy"> Götz Hagmüller</a>, architect of the Patan Museum and the Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu. The hotel uses brick, wood, and terracotta tiles and balances modern with traditional designs. Rooms have attached bathrooms, and two of them come with balconies. On the top floor is a terrace and kitchen, and breakfast is complimentary.&nbsp; Rs12,000&nbsp; Dattatreya 9817849759 The Nanee  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240411130416_1b729a528446d5ad6249f593b4a284531ffc5ef2ba9e2fcecf1fdb6f78e1ff28.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20240411130416_1b729a528446d5ad6249f593b4a284531ffc5ef2ba9e2fcecf1fdb6f78e1ff28" data-rendition-name="original" width="680" height="453" loading="lazy" alt="The Nanee"> </figure>  A luxury boutique hotel located just before you get to the Darbar Square, The Nanee is an ‘immersive lodging experience,’ with detailed tours of Bhaktapur led by local experts, as well as food tours of traditional dishes and restaurants. The rooms and lobbies are expertly designed with fusion pieces of traditional art with modern twists. There are suites on offer as well.&nbsp; Rs21,000 onwards Itachhen (01) 5915110

One night in Bhadgaon

Like many Nepalis, Surendra Dhami left his home village in Darchula for Malaysia in the hope of improving his family’s quality of life.&nbsp; He returned in a few months because the work and pay were not what he had been promised by the recruiter. But there were no jobs in Darchula, and farming in the rugged arid mountains would not feed his family. So, like many other mountain farmers Dhami, 36, migrated with his family down to the Tarai to settle in the village of Gharkheda in Kailali’s Chure Rural Municipality. It was a good move. He sold 10,000kg of oranges last year, and Surendra and his wife Bhaka have diversified into vegetables.&nbsp; “So far, we can make a living with our farming. At least, it is better than in Darchula,” says 30-year-old Bhaka Dhami.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404110448_465a967ef1604772e7cc00f1decb97323b77f28d10834d785ac472a1fdb1359f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240404110448_465a967ef1604772e7cc00f1decb97323b77f28d10834d785ac472a1fdb1359f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Families that farm together stay together Page 9 NT #1206"> <figcaption>Surendra and Bhaka Dhami</figcaption> </figure>  Neighbour Krishna Devi Kandel and her husband Devendra have involved all five of their children in their farm. The orange trees are not doing well because of infestation, and the failure of winter rains affected crops.&nbsp; “We do not have irrigation and do not get as much rain as we used to,” says Devendra. Chure village is full of families who have moved down from Darchula, Baitadi and other mountain districts to the north. But even here, erratic rains due to the climate crisis have impacted farming.&nbsp; Diversifying crops is the best way to cope, which is what Pabitra Sapkota has also done. After her orange trees died, she has moved to vegetables.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404110448_938c7c0c69d85899ecbd2a77e1acaa9b318eba2d0072f2f033e1dda057e21ab5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240404110448_938c7c0c69d85899ecbd2a77e1acaa9b318eba2d0072f2f033e1dda057e21ab5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Families that farm together stay together Page 9 NT #1206"> <figcaption>Pabitra Sapkota</figcaption> </figure>  “The tomatoes that my son planted in this greenhouse are nearly ripe,” she says, clutching a lush bunch of mustard greens. &nbsp; The Chure range in western Nepal rises to elevations of 2,500m, unlike in the east where it is less than 500m. It is the youngest, lowest and weakest of the folds that form the Himalayan range, and the first ridges to rise up from the plains. The Chure covers nearly 13% of Nepal’s area, and runs through 37 of the 77 districts from Jhapa in the east to Kanchanpur in the west. It is a fragile range, where deforestation has led to frequent landslides and floods.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404110448_5e15ae431ab995109fdeac871bae4e769d0c979bc67a02fc2785d6098229fe53.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240404110448_5e15ae431ab995109fdeac871bae4e769d0c979bc67a02fc2785d6098229fe53" data-rendition-name="original" width="1777" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Families that farm together stay together Page 9 NT #1206"> <figcaption>Aftermath of a flood</figcaption> </figure>  “The Chure watershed is deteriorating and there are frequent droughts, further declining farm productivity,” explains Sushmita Dhakal of the President Chure Terai-Madhes Conservation Development Board set up in 2014.&nbsp; One way recent migrants from the mountains to Chure are adapting to the crisis is through family farming, without hired labour for better food security, nutrition and to protect the environment. The United Nations declared 2019-2028 a Decade of Family Farming to preserve traditional agriculture, increase the involvement of youth, recognise women’s leadership, promote sustainable agriculture and improve livelihoods. In doing so, family farming also protects households from the climate crisis by &nbsp;diversifying crops. It is also an antidote to water-intensive commercial farming with its use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. &nbsp;&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404110448_94b4e92d15a772e0f6e538221aba1f60a610d95e2580daf26fffda20fc8aef9c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240404110448_94b4e92d15a772e0f6e538221aba1f60a610d95e2580daf26fffda20fc8aef9c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Families that farm together stay together Page 9 NT #1206"> <figcaption>Devendra and Krishna Devi Kandel</figcaption> </figure>  At one point, more than 80% of Nepal’s population depended on agriculture, and most were family farms. But the figure has come down to 62%. Agriculture now contributes only 25% to the GDP. Agronomists say that family farming can reverse the decline by making agriculture profitable again. Vegetable farmers of Lisbeli village prove that: their products have a ready market in the towns of western Nepal.&nbsp; Dammari Bhatta works on her vegetable patch with her family and does not hire anyone else. The cabbages, cauliflowers and tomatoes are enough to feed her family all year around, and she sells the surplus to pay for the education of her children.&nbsp; Her husband Madanraj Bhatta leads the Lisbeli Farmers’ Group which sold 1,700kgs of cabbage and 700kgs of tomato this winter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404110448_a74b7748e4f0ede7eb6f8a76c5fe786d9801738c70325a3aaae84ba1c5cd1c00.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240404110448_a74b7748e4f0ede7eb6f8a76c5fe786d9801738c70325a3aaae84ba1c5cd1c00" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Families that farm together stay together Page 9 NT #1206"> <figcaption>Dammari and Madanraj Bhatta</figcaption> </figure>  None of the 30 families here in Lisbeli use chemical fertilisers, and apply organic manure instead. This in turn has reduced pest infestation and diseases in the crops all the while restoring soil quality. &nbsp; “Home fertiliser has increased harvest, and made the soil more fertile,” says Manju Jagriti, an ex-teacher, now a full time farmer. “The whole family farms, and we do everything together,” says Manju proudly. Family farming is nothing new in Nepal, it has been the traditional method of agriculture. But many families moved away as commercial farming using agrochemicals took over. Now, families are moving back to the old method of growing food.&nbsp; Says agriculture scientist Binayak Bhandari: “We need to go back to our old sustainable farming ways, protect the environment and find the fine balance between nature and livelihood, especially to adapt to the climate crisis.”

Families that farm together stay together

There are certain activities that demand absolute focus. The surroundings blur as vision narrows, tension rings in the ears. The closer to danger, the more exciting it gets.&nbsp; Thrill is what adventure sports like mountaineering, canyoning and white water rafting are all about. Now, a new kind of outdoor activity is taking advantage of Nepal’s vertical terrain and scenery: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/wheeling-in-the-woods">mountain biking</a>. The sport is going viral as passionate, trailblazing Nepalis turn what used to be trekking paths into biking trails, and post GoPro videos of their adventures. Now, the sport is going international and at the forefront is Phaplu Mountain Bike Club that held its second <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/yak-attack-single-track-edition">Enduro</a> Ratnange Race in March. “Last year was all about proving the viability of the event. We worked hard to figure out every single detail,” says club founder Ang Tsering Lama, who this year got support from the local government and sponsors.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020452_bbe3d7448ec3463a0bffa747ca008bdfbecad75d0b5361e5aeabf4a24975ea91.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240406020452_bbe3d7448ec3463a0bffa747ca008bdfbecad75d0b5361e5aeabf4a24975ea91" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal pushes mountain bike tourism NT 1"> </figure>  Some of the best mountain bikers in the world attended, among them acclaimed French rider Rémy Absalon, who told us: “Ratnange trails are some of the best in the world, the mixture of loam and dust is just awesome to ride on. I have travelled a lot, but never seen a country like Nepal where we are so well received.”&nbsp; The Ratnange Trail Center is a network of 13 routes spanning 60km used solely for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/bicycling-in-waling">mountain biking</a> with a selection of narrow, technical, wide, or single tracks that need the complete concentration of riders. The rest stops offer stunning views of the Everest region. Lama designed the route on existing foot trails, and works with the local community to maintain them. He raises funds by renting out paths to private companies, who name trails after their brand for Rs20,000 a year.&nbsp; Explains Lama: “The trails roll through the forests and the route is designed based on what you want it to be. Do you want it to flow? Do you want switchbacks? Drops? Jumps?”&nbsp; Flowy trails have kind curves that allow bikers to maintain momentum and a smooth speed, while switchbacks are zig zags built into a steep trail to reduce speed on descent. Drops are where the trail falls away. Jumps consist of takeoffs and landings, and vary in the time the rider is airborne. &nbsp; When blazing a new trail, a good road must always be close by for urgent medical attention. The risk of serious injury is ever present. Safety precautions include helmets, knee and elbow pads, and chest and back guards. Even then, concussions, fractures, discolations, and broken wrists are common.&nbsp; Lama advises matching ability to the choice of trail, but riders always want to push their limits. One way they train, is at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/kathmandu-gets-first-pump-track">pump tracks</a>, which are artificial dirt circuits. The bike club built one of these in Phaplu where young ‘rippers’ learn to control bikes.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020456_fdee77cb19a67c56aa8e9e6aaef197f57e1d53c00b056ae8477d843fc253320c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240406020456_fdee77cb19a67c56aa8e9e6aaef197f57e1d53c00b056ae8477d843fc253320c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal pushes mountain bike tourism NT 1"> </figure>  Another way to train for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/downhill-all-the-way">the downhill</a> is actually the uphill. “The uphill builds the mental endurance needed for the downhill,” explains Lama. It also builds physical strength. Riders need strong, endurable legs, a sturdy core, and a solid grip. “But on the downhills, a state of complete focus and presence washes over you, and all of your sensations and abilities are heightened. It is taxing on the body, but still meditative.”&nbsp; Lama runs The Happy House in Phaplu, a family lodge where Edmund Hillary used to stay and call his “happy place”. When he formed Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, Lama wrote to bike shops and friends, who donated two-wheelers. Before long, local young children started coming in after school to zoom around the track.&nbsp; Club members did well at <a href="https://enduroratnange.com/">Enduro Ratnange</a>, inspiring a new generation of young riders to dream of careers as mountain bike athletes or biking guides, who make $25 an hour to a trekking guide’s $15.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020456_d083b2b6b2f8632e5befa8ec775dcbebdaf5b38e28c9a7b1293f13f37191055f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240406020456_d083b2b6b2f8632e5befa8ec775dcbebdaf5b38e28c9a7b1293f13f37191055f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1125" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal pushes mountain bike tourism NT 1"> </figure>  Despite the popularity of the sport and possibilities to compete at higher levels, the bureaucracy, government ignorance, and a lack of infrastructure are setbacks. &nbsp; The club makes sure that it is inclusive: there is no membership fee, and bikes are set aside exclusively for girls. The main trainer, Mingma Yangzi Sherpa, is a woman.&nbsp; <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/pedalling-for-life">Mountain biking is also good for the soul</a>, says Lama. “Getting good at this sport requires discipline, and a sense of camaraderie. Bikers seem to develop a deep respect for the environment.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020456_a61ba3ac33c2daba9f8f516f4e1652051ef4a31788af290397779a67d0780fbf.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20240406020456_a61ba3ac33c2daba9f8f516f4e1652051ef4a31788af290397779a67d0780fbf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal pushes mountain bike tourism NT 1"> </figure>  Mountain biking tourists are great for Phaplu’s economy as well. Trekkers who pass through Phaplu stay for a day, while bikers may stay for four or five. Mountain biking destinations in Wales, Canada, and the Alps see millions of tourists every year. Nepal already has the terrain, the trails, the hospitality and unsurpassed views.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/phaplumtbclub/">Phaplu Club</a> is already looking forward to next year and hopes to organise Asia-wide events with top talents. There is also potential to stage Ratnange-like projects in Makalu and Ilam.&nbsp; Kathmandu to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/So-far-so-good/going-to-phaplu-in-winter,1107">Phaplu</a> is a now a nine hour drive on the Sindhuli Highway via Okhaldhunga, or a 30 minute flight to Phaplu. Riders can then pedal up to the start of the trail or take a shuttle for themselves and their wheels. Just so you’re not, you know, two tyred.

Nepal pushes mountain bike tourism

Rainfall data from eastern Nepal collected over the past 70 years point to a strong <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-waste-land">correlation between chronic drought and outmigration</a>. Repeated and more frequent monsoon failures forced more and more people to abandon villages.&nbsp; Terathum, Dhankuta, Panchthar and Taplejung districts lost more than 40% of their population between 2001 and 2021. Archival data of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology shows that rainfall was below the annual national average for almost every year since the 1960s in what is supposed to be the wettest part of the country.&nbsp; In Panchakanya village of Terathum 40% of residents left in those 20 years. A nearby village, Thoklung, lost 42% of its population. Across the Tamor River, 44% of the people left the village of Kurule. A third of the inhabitants of Symbarumba in Panchthar left for the plains or cities.&nbsp; “People are still leaving. Those who have not migrated are also thinking about going down to Dharan or Damak,” says Chathar Ward 4 Chair Pushpa Karki, who says there were 2,500 votes cast in this ward in 2017 and in the 2022 local election there were only 1,125 ballots.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-climate-crisis-is-a-water-crisis-in-the-himalaya">The climate crisis is a water crisis in the Himalaya</a>, Sonia Awale To be sure, there are other factors behind this exodus which is happening right across Nepal’s mountains, such as a dearth of well-paying jobs, poor health care, and few opportunities for higher education. But the main reason is that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/high-and-dry">droughts</a> destroy crops.&nbsp; “There was a severe drought in the summer of 2018, the maize plants dried in their stalks and turned to straw,” remembers Tara Kharel Dhakal, Deputy Mayor of Chathar in Terathum. “People ran out of food and were desperate. We declared an emergency.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020432_abeec2acd7e0b1986c5a101109365ea57f70e81925fb522a5e2edf191eefbd98.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240406020432_abeec2acd7e0b1986c5a101109365ea57f70e81925fb522a5e2edf191eefbd98" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate → crisis → drought → food → deficit → migration"> <figcaption>HIGH AND DRY, LOW AND WET: Parched fields above the Tamor River in Panchakanya village in eastern Nepal in March (above) and irrigated bamboo-fringed terrace farms in Taplejung.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020432_d56cdd7be3761fac279a5add402d766cceef89bf1a535066acd30576e81b8613.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240406020432_d56cdd7be3761fac279a5add402d766cceef89bf1a535066acd30576e81b8613" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate → crisis → drought → food → deficit → migration"> </figure>  Rainfall data for Terathum in 2018 corroborates that there was almost no rain in winter, and to make things worse, the district only saw half of its usual rain that monsoon.&nbsp; The rainfall gauges are located near the tops of mountains, where there is usually more precipitation. So the slopes below likely got even less rain than was recorded.&nbsp; Farmers had no irrigation systems to fall back on. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Recharging-the-mountains,3465#google_vignette">Springs are rare and have gone dry,</a> and the Tamor River is too far down the mountain.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020444_9d23945324a19dfcecf26cafe19a9ac9cc4a11abfde5bde9e4bbbea9c64ca916.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240406020444_9d23945324a19dfcecf26cafe19a9ac9cc4a11abfde5bde9e4bbbea9c64ca916" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate → crisis → drought → food → deficit → migration"> <figcaption>BROWN AND GREEN: Constrasting colours of fields in Terathum between those without irrigation (foreground, above), and with irrigation from a side stream. The glacier-fed Tamor River has plenty of water in the dry season (below) but it is too far down to be pumped up the mountain.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020444_d31629e168b47eb330543f3f3ac992778bccea52fe32446a776580194b143214.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240406020444_d31629e168b47eb330543f3f3ac992778bccea52fe32446a776580194b143214" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1018" loading="lazy" alt="Climate → crisis → drought → food → deficit → migration"> </figure>  Prevailing wisdom suggests that Nepal is drier the more west you go, and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/how-the-climate-crisis-adds-to-child-marriage-in-nepal">the Karnali and Sudur Paschim regions are most drought prone</a>. Outmigration due to water scarcity in Mustang district has emptied villages. But it looks like the climate crisis is causing dry spells even in the usually wet mountains of eastern Nepal.&nbsp; Only a quarter of arable land in Nepal is irrigated, and most of that is in the Tarai. Subsistence farmers in the mountains depend on rain-fed agriculture, so when it does not rain their only option is to migrate for work. Rainfall data from measuring stations over the past 50 years or more across the eastern mountains shows that winter rain and monsoon failures have become more frequent.&nbsp; y nly 80% of the normal annual rain fell in 2018 in Mulghat, and the corn and buckwheat harvests were reduced in nearby Kurule. The local government gave cash handouts to farmers, but this did not convince people to stay. <div class="embed-block"><iframe title="Tamor river discharge at Mulghat" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-8t8ts" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8t8ts/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="396" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}(); </script></div> In an average year, Jhapa and Ilam in the east get about 3,300mm of rain. Kathmandu Valley sees about 1,400mm, and Darchula in the far-west receives 700mm. The least precipitation is in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/mustang-forced-to-adapt-to-climate-crisis">Mustang</a> and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-change-is-a-disaster-in-the-nepal-himalaya">Dolpo in the trans-Himalayan rainshadow</a>, although even these districts have seen some freak rainfall of late.&nbsp; Even though the total annual precipitation may still be the same, often the quality of rain is different: there are damaging torrential downpours and then weeks of no rain at all.&nbsp; Watershed expert Madhukar Upadhya describes eastern Nepal’s micro-climates, where wide variations exist even within small geographical areas: “The clouds tend to drop most of their moisture on the southern slopes of the Mahabharat Range, so there is less rain on the other side.”&nbsp; Dharan, for instance, gets 1,700mm of rain, but 15km to the north in Mulghat, the annual precipitation is half that.&nbsp; Elderly farmers can recite from memory the years in which rains have failed: 1961, 1965, 1972, 1975, 1982, 1994. Their recollections tally with archival precipitation data for the region. For example, there was a downpour that dumped 385mm of rain on 23-24 June 1961, but for the next two months there was only 180mm. “I was young in 1961 and there was always either too much rain or too little, the fields were fallow and we had no food,” remembers Dikura Devi Thapaliya in Terathum. “Only those who had springs and could irrigate their fields had harvests that year.”&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/first-drought-then-downpour">First drought, then downpour</a>, Smita Magar Four years later, there was another drought that caused a famine, forcing families to forage for wild roots. In Iwa, the town council asked households that had extra grain to sell it to neighbours, but no one was willing. The villagers did not have food for the 10-day trek down to Dharan to collect government rations, so food was air dropped by the state.&nbsp; Even worse was the nationwide drought of 1972, when the British Royal Air Force helped Nepal with Hercules aircraft to drop grain by parachute in what it called Operation Khana Cascade. Some 52 tons were dropped on Taplejung and Terathum alone.&nbsp; This was the Panchayat era, and even the usually-understated government controlled news agency, RSS, filed a report from eastern Nepal about the terrible conditions: ‘The harvest of corn and buckwheat has failed in villages around Dhankuta. Rice harvests are one-third of normal. There is starvation in Terathum. Many have migrated to the Tarai or elsewhere, or are working as coolies along the Dharan-Dhankuta road.’ <div class="embed-block"><iframe title="The Rain in Dhankuta" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-gKSl5" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/gKSl5/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="423" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}(); </script></div> The next serious drought was in 1982, with Terathum getting a record low of only 254mm of rain – only 38% of normal monsoon precipitation.&nbsp; The Tamor had never been so dry before that, nor has it since. Hydrological data acquired by Nepali Times show that in September 1982 river flow was only 15% of mean for that month. Ninety percent of the maize crop in the east was destroyed, paddy wilted before it could be transplanted. The rice terraces were barren.&nbsp; Nepal’s two neighbours donated grain so that villagers would not starve. More than 2,500 farmers from Terathum made the four-day trek down to Dhankuta to collect 100kg sacks of wheat from India, or maize from China. Even the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated 5,000 tons of rice and 2,500 tons of wheat.&nbsp; Not much has changed in the villages of Terathum and along the banks of the Tamor since – except that there are fewer people. Farmers who remain still depend on timely and adequate rain to keep their soil watered.&nbsp; “If the gods send rain, we get to eat. Otherwise we starve,” Naramaya Tamang in Terathum puts it simply. Her farm grows enough food to feed the family for only half the year.&nbsp; Those who have property have sold it to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/unthinkable-in-the-current-climate">move to the plains</a>. The government has stopped food aid, citing new roads and letting market forces ensure supply. However, there are many like Naramaya who have fallen through the social safety net. The other thing that has changed in these mountains is that people are migrating not just to the plains, but overseas to the Gulf or Malaysia. The villages on both sides of the Tamor River are devoid of young men, and increasingly, young women. Every family has a member abroad. It is the money they send back that helps the elderly relatives survive.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240406020436_9619e4536523960ebe2edf86de43c389ba054b3dd32c5752e5bcc7d9fac9d83f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="20240406020436_9619e4536523960ebe2edf86de43c389ba054b3dd32c5752e5bcc7d9fac9d83f" data-rendition-name="original" width="640" height="713" loading="lazy" alt="Climate → crisis → drought → food → deficit → migration"> </figure>  Over the last 20 years, Panchthar saw the second highest number of permits to work overseas in proportion to the district’s population. Terathum ranks third on this metric and Dhankuta is sixth. The adjoining district to the west, Khotang, is number one.&nbsp; Dhanusha in the Tarai has the highest numbers of people migrating out, but most of those workers return. Here in Dhankuta, Terathum, Panchthar and Taplejung, when young people leave, most leave for good.&nbsp; The main result of the climate breakdown is the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/borderlines/grain-drain">lack of water</a>. Deficient rain and springs going dry are the main reasons why farmers are migrating, explains the Chair of Ward 3 of Chaubise village, Madan Tumsa.&nbsp; He says: “These are climate migrants. The soil is too dry to farm, and there is nothing to eat. People are not leaving to earn more, up to 80% are leaving because they cannot grow food due to the lack of water.”&nbsp; Research for this three-part series was supported by the Barbara Foundation. This is the first of a three-part series in Nepali Times analysing meteorological, hydrological and demographic data from eastern Nepal, showing the impact of the climate crisis on rainfall, farming and outmigration. The second and third installments will appear on 12 and 26 April respectively.

Climate crisis → drought → food deficit → migration

Only the most adventurous attempt to walk The Great Himalayan Trail (GHT), even fewer dare to run all of its 1,800km from one end of Nepal to another. And it is not just the horizontal distance – the trail is a vertical roller coaster from 1,500m to 5,600m. This week, 44 international and Nepali runners are joining The Great Himalayan Race that roughly follows the GHT in a 51-stage hyper-marathon that will take nearly two months.&nbsp; The Great Himalayan Race was first staged in 2017, and pushes the mind and body to absolute limits in a one of the hardest endurance tests in the world of sports.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120424_94dc99ebf4b70195fb6ac7bb062573d1716951321a49b9c223f6d9dad6e2a143.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240404120424_94dc99ebf4b70195fb6ac7bb062573d1716951321a49b9c223f6d9dad6e2a143" data-rendition-name="original" width="5028" height="3360" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runners carry heavy backpacks in which they food, sleeping bags, medical equipment, and jackets</figcaption> </figure>  What makes this race special is that every step of the way, they will have sunset and sunrise views that transform the snow peaks into purple and gold. The runners will be passing sacred, isolated Himalayan valleys rich in heritage.&nbsp; The particpants arrived in Kathmandu this week, and will fly out to Nepalganj and Simikot and then on to Hilsa on the Nepal’s northwestern tip bordering China to start the race on 9 April. On Thursday morning, race director Bruno Poirier, a tall, grizzly man, was briefing the runners in his French accented English.&nbsp; “Be prepared to change plans if the unexpected happens,” Poirier tells them. “It is an individual sport, but we also need to look out for each other.”&nbsp; The split between Nepalis and foreigners is about half and half, and most are middle-aged. &nbsp;Lean and fit with striated, veiny calves, these are obviously serious runners. They sport a wide variety of headwear: hats, visors, bandanas, snoods. Visitors are in shorts, but most Nepalis are in jeans with colourful running shoes. Many don wrap-around sunglasses.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120440_fe54e48b226ed874d280ba37cfdf292543ecba60c32a90c3d102bd23c55a52e3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240404120440_fe54e48b226ed874d280ba37cfdf292543ecba60c32a90c3d102bd23c55a52e3" data-rendition-name="original" width="909" height="542" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runners will follow the route, in red, west to east </figcaption> </figure>  There is no easing into this race. The first stage is 41km, virtually a marathon. From Hilsa at 3,650m, runners will climb to Nara Lagna at 4,580m, and drop back down to Taplung at 2,880m. The race will get as high as 5,694m at Ghami La in Mustang during Stage 15, on Day 22. Runners will get to Muktinath on Day 27, and Manang on Day 30, exactly halfway into the race. On Day 41, they will be at the Last Resort on the banks of the Bhote Kosi northeast of Kathmandu. On Day 60, Stage 51, they will finally reach Kanchenjunga Base Camp at 5,143m on 31 May if everything goes to plan.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120428_552ed7dba5b37ca1ff9a835c63e8c4d70fd8d5741727c1025963a4c3a14ba49a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240404120428_552ed7dba5b37ca1ff9a835c63e8c4d70fd8d5741727c1025963a4c3a14ba49a" data-rendition-name="original" width="6016" height="4016" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runner in the 2017 Great Himalayan Race below Mt Jannu </figcaption> </figure>  Nervous excitement is palpable among the runners. The race will take them through 27 high passes in the Himalaya, most of them above 5,000m elevation. Weather up there can change dramatically and suddenly, and participants will have to improvise, take new routes and even find places to take shelter. Vincent Minier from France completed the race in 2017, and tells us: “It’s like parachuting. The first jump is always the scariest.”&nbsp; French organisers of the race have a slightly laissez-faire approach to safety, attests Jagan Timilsana, winner of the 2017 race. Which means they will get along with the happy-go-lucky Nepalis. &nbsp; Greek couple Lazaros Rigos and Asimina Inglezou say the reason they signed up was because of the history and the mystique of the Himalaya. Also in the cohort are accomplished Nepali long distance runners Upendra Sunuwar, Bhim Bahadur Gurung, and Sher Tharu. While Sunuwar and Gurung also took part in 2017, it is Tharu’s first attempt in the competition.&nbsp; “It’s a hard race but when you finish it, it is the best feeling in the world,” says Sunuwar.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120440_c43beb3814090c8a5a2cedad1fecc0ac2c621fd00415bc2f18272db73e50a014.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240404120440_c43beb3814090c8a5a2cedad1fecc0ac2c621fd00415bc2f18272db73e50a014" data-rendition-name="original" width="4896" height="3672" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runners encounter numerous obstacles on their way</figcaption> </figure>  Swiss runner Jules-Henri Gabioud is in Nepal for the seventh time, and ran the race in 2017. He runs in the Alps and says the biggest difference is that the Himalaya is higher and rougher, the huts along the way do not have heating, and the food is basic. “I like dal-bhat but it can get a little monotonous,” he says.&nbsp; Lazaros Rigos from Greece agrees: “There are some ingredients missing: protein, vitamins and minerals. You have to supplement these, so your stamina holds up.” &nbsp; Rest and recovery after a gruelling stage consists of food, a wash, perhaps a couple beers, and good sleep. The runners also have to carry backpacks with sleeping bags, heavy jackets, meal packs, and first aid kits weighing upto 20kg throughout the race.&nbsp; Jagan Timilsina is from Sarangkot and won the 2017 race a whole 45-hours faster than anyone else. He now runs several businesses, including Himalayan Trail Running, and spends his summers teaching outdoor leadership in Alaska.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120448_00af08356dac7a6658eb66dca4d253409ab295a14d829cefa84f91b4ba782e9e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240404120448_00af08356dac7a6658eb66dca4d253409ab295a14d829cefa84f91b4ba782e9e" data-rendition-name="original" width="6016" height="3418" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>A runner in the trans-Himalayan Humla region of Nepal where the race starts on 9 April</figcaption> </figure>  He tells us, “The physical part of the race in 2017 was manageable, but as a Nepali for me it was an opportunity to see the culture and the beauty of the untouched and remote Himalayan valleys.” In 1983, British cousins Richard and Adrian Crane ran across the Himalaya from east of Kanchenjunga to west of Nanga Parbat, taking 100 days. Forty years since, Nepal is capitalising on the growing interest in ultra-running and adventure sports worldwide. Timilsina is familiar with the challenges of organising a trail race, and says Nepal’s bureaucracy is the biggest hurdle for adventure sports like the Himalayan race.&nbsp; He adds: “Visitors need multiple permits from multiple committees. Policies regarding running tourism are outdated, and arduous to change.” &nbsp;

Hurtling through the Himalaya

Aliya Bashar finished up her Grade 6 class exams and swiftly walked over to a room next door at her Kanya Mandir Secondary School in Kathmandu. Other students join in and together they offer namaz. This is an important time of year for Bashar, not only because of her annual exams but also because of the holy month of Ramadan. "It is a relief not to have to rush home for prayers at 1 pm," Bashar tells us later. "The school provides a space for namaz, making it easier for us to focus on exams." With a week left for the end of Ramadan, Muslims eat before dawn and fast throughout the day with afternoon prayers at 1pm. They break fast with a collective iftar feast after sunset. Recognising the challenges of its Muslim minority students, Kanya Mandir School provides a dedicated space for them to offer prayers immediately after the exams.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240402120448_48e2571556490b496061569a30d8935a7d358b2647feb0935d09cfbe2fb53cc4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240402120448_48e2571556490b496061569a30d8935a7d358b2647feb0935d09cfbe2fb53cc4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Kanya Mandir Secondary School"> </figure>  "Having a prayer room makes everything easier,” says Salma Khatun, a Grade 8 student. "And the school also allows us to dress in clothes we are comfortable in.” The school’s inclusive environment has helped students like Bashar and Khatun thrive. They participate in sports wearing the hijab, something not possible at many other schools. Read Also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/guest-column/moving-to-the-mainstream">Moving to the mainstream</a>, Chandra Kishore Jasmin Shaikh in Grade 7 says she faces no hate and discrimination at school. “Students of all religions are treated equally here,” she says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240402120448_7d674a06c7ebaf6e5a35f8d19595b55a9f5710bee41fb2243abd9a54a24422d8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240402120448_7d674a06c7ebaf6e5a35f8d19595b55a9f5710bee41fb2243abd9a54a24422d8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Kanya Mandir Secondary School"> </figure>  Muskan Khatun says being allowed to wear the hijab in class makes her feel safe and supported. Khatun who is originally from India says she feels a sense of belonging at the school. “There are no restrictions here, even the school feels like home,” she says, smiling. The Kanya Mandir School’s commitment to inclusiveness extends beyond Ramadan, and extends to the cultural practices of students from all faiths, including Hindu, Buddhist and Christian.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240402120448_e2f7573555a66f363ec2927588488ac85b97bbf0d36fa5f95140eeb833c6ac73.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240402120448_e2f7573555a66f363ec2927588488ac85b97bbf0d36fa5f95140eeb833c6ac73" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Kanya Mandir Secondary School"> </figure>  "The hijab does not hinder the students in any way," says Assistant Principal Bhagwan Babu Adhikari. “In fact, our top performers are girls from the Muslim community." The welcoming environment has boosted the school’s appeal, and some 245 of the 1,170 students at the school are from Nepal’s Muslim minority.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240402120448_47c4d1d60e34acf8be892a28a643edb4eebb0f8b6d3c2887396072705dc2adcf.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240402120448_47c4d1d60e34acf8be892a28a643edb4eebb0f8b6d3c2887396072705dc2adcf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Kanya Mandir Secondary School"> </figure>  "School is where children develop compassion, tolerance, good behaviour," says Principal Ghanashyam Neupane. "We are simply trying to create an environment that fosters these values."&nbsp; This approach promotes respect for different religions, cultures, and traditions, inculcating a sense of camaraderie among students when young, he adds.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240402120448_b14ec82030a573a5bf31ed7d4d2bdb8e46568c9fcd3020686261057632b1c014.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240402120448_b14ec82030a573a5bf31ed7d4d2bdb8e46568c9fcd3020686261057632b1c014" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Kanya Mandir Secondary School"> </figure>  Nepal’s Tarai plains bordering India where there are more Muslims have more traditional madrasa schools which focus mainly on religious studies. Students say they prefer mainstream schools so it helps them get into good colleges.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/nepali-muslims-on-the-margins">Nepali Muslims on the margins</a>, Prakriti Kandel Not all madrasa have Nepal’s educational accreditation, and this limits career options for students. Many Muslim girls prefer public and private schools, but not all have a welcoming environment like Kanya Mandir.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240402120448_0cca122211c649b5c57cdad51fbbd2bc41d63abf55dbbd7f2007b21a93873d68.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240402120448_0cca122211c649b5c57cdad51fbbd2bc41d63abf55dbbd7f2007b21a93873d68" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1366" loading="lazy" alt="Kanya Mandir Secondary School"> </figure>  "We must uphold the constitutional rights of every child and ensure schools become inclusive spaces," says Seema Khan of the Muslim Mahila Kalyan Samaj. “They should follow Kanya Mandir’s example and adopt an inclusive education policy that reflects Nepal's rich social tapestry."