Home and neighbourhood: Everest, power to the people and Kashmir
Plastic ban on Everest
Climate change has climbed up the Himalayas. Increasing instances of melting of the Himalayan snow, Everest Brown Haze, glacial retreat and formation of glacial lakes and glacial lake outbursts (GLOF) with considerable losses downstream are some of the indications of an impending apocalypse on the lap of the Himalayas and far beyond, which will bring great perils if humanity fails to mend ways and live with the laws of the Nature.
Amid this gloomy scenario, there's some good news. Awareness of climate change and its impact on the fragile Himalayan ecology is also climbing up the mountains.
The Republica daily reports about the decision of the executive council of Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality to ban plastic items of less than 30 microns thickness in the rural municipality, which is home to Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Mt Sagarmatha, the world's tallest peak that literally draws a large number of tourists, who leave behind a huge carbon footprint. The ban will take effect from January next year.
That's indeed a small yet positive step coming from a local government of a country that has been at the receiving end of climate-unfriendly ways of biggest polluters, including the dear neighbours.
The report points that a similar ban imposed in 1999 remained on paper due to the government's failure to implement it and lack of cooperation from the locals.
But things may change this time, as public awareness on climate change and its devastating impact on the Himalayas has increased significantly.
The report quotes Ganesh Ghimire, the chief administrative officer of the rural municipality: “The locals are now really concerned about climate change issues and excessive pollution in the Khumbu region, so this time the ban will be effective.”
Power to ye all good people
One thing we are extremely good at is, you guessed right, planning. But when it comes to implementing all those lofty plans, we are lagging far behind than several other not-so-good planning countries. One needs no expert to say this much, our state of development, with grand plans gathering dust in the corridors of power, is a not-so-shining example of this.
Of course, this tendency has not deterred us, and should not deter us, from making some actionable plans.
The Himalayan Times daily reports that the power utility of the country, Nepal Electricity Authority, "will provide electricity through the national grid to all the households across the country within two years."
Quoting NEA's managing director Kul Man Ghising, who spoke on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the power utility, the report states they have made a clear plan for the electrification of all the districts through national grid connectivity.
Great planning indeed. Here's hoping that the plan materialises within the deadline.
On Kashmir
The chair of the comatose regional bloc, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, has finally spoken on the hot-button issue of Kashmir.
A Republica report quotes Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradip Gyawali, as saying in response to a query during a press conference: Nepal is always in favor of peace and stability in its neighborhood and it is in favor of peace and stability in this [Kashmir] region as well. We have a belief that any problems that surface can be resolved through negotiations.
It should be noted that while India has stated that Kashmir is an internal matter, Pakistan has taken it to the United Nations, which held a closed-door session on the same and India's representative to the world body responded to questions on the matter at a press conference.
Though a medium-sized country, Nepal provides jobs to lakhs of Indian nationals. Considerable number of Nepalis are working in India, which is also home to the Indians of Nepali origin, including in the hotspots of India-administered Kashmir.
We have relations spanning decades with the 'dear neighbour', relations that are unequal and unjust. For long, this country has stayed silent despite cartographic and demographic aggression from the dear neighbour, thanks to a subservient political leadership at home.
Here's hoping that we will learn from the Kashmir experience and do very bit to put our own house in order so as to prevent third-party intervention in our domestic/regional affairs.
This much for today, with a visual treat, of course.
PS: Forgot to tell you this - Any unauthorised use of this article and picture will invite action as per relevant copyright and intellectual property rights laws
Text and pictures: Devendra Gautam
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