Life returning to normalcy but at cost of safety

For Asesh Nakarmi, life is finally getting back on track. The 29-year-old has gone back to work, his father’s hardware store is open and doing decent business and his younger sister is preparing for high school admissions. “It is nice to be returning to normalcy after a period of upheaval,” he said.

Experts say coronavirus spreads not by air but by airborne droplets

In a letter published on Monday in Clinical Infectious Diseases, an international journal of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, two scientists from Australia and the USA wrote, “Studies have shown beyond any reasonable doubt that [COVID-19] viruses are released in micro-droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air." This got interpreted by many people to mean that the coronavirus could be transmitted by air which is certainly not the case, said Dr. Khem Bahadur Karki, professor at...

Life during lockdown was experience of transformation

Bit by bit, the country is starting to emerge out of lockdown and life is starting to inch back to normalcy. For many Nepalis, being locked it for nearly three months was a completely new experience that brought many changes in their lives. The Rising Nepal talked to three people who recounted how the nationwide shutdown affected them.

Lockdown records numerous breakdowns of laptops

It was April 28. A month had passed since the lockdown began. Nitika Silwal, 27, was in the middle of teaching Social Studies to her students through the virtual meeting platform Google Meet when her laptop screen suddenly went dark and subsequently turned off. She tried turning it on numerous times in vain. She showed it to many of her friends who tried to fix it to no avail.

Solar eclipse culturally charged in Nepali society

Nepal witnessed its first solar eclipse of the year on Sunday. It was a partial eclipse that began at 10.54 AM in Kathmandu, 10.52 AM in Pokhara, 10.52 AM in Bhadrapur, 10.56 AM in Janakpur and 10.54 AM in Mahendranagar. The eclipse was visible from all over Nepal and blocked out 81 per cent (in Bhadrapur) to 93 per cent (in Limpiyadhura)of the sun over the country’s sky, according to information provided by BP Koirala Memorial Planetarium, Observatory and Science Museum (BPKMPOSM) Development...

Shop owners cite resource limits to fully embrace precautions

After more than two months of closure, shops are reopening slowly across the country. But the lifting of restrictions does not mean that the coronavirus outbreak in the country is over. As of Wednesday, Nepal had 7211 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 20 deaths.

Lockdown boosts bird population in Kathmandu

The lockdown shall be associated with a lot of things – raging coronavirus pandemic, thousands of people in quarantine, economic hardships and the disruption of normal life. But the one thing it might not be associated with is birds.

Initially a feeding partnership, Jorpati group expands to other social activities

The lockdown, in its most restrictive form, lasted for more than two months and this hit people hard. Many workers, especially daily-wage earners, lost their source of livelihood and could be seen suffering in the streets of Kathmandu. This was unbearable for a group of more than 30 youths from Sundar Tole, Jorpati, who took it upon themselves to feed the poor and underprivileged groups in their area. At their peak, they were feeding more than 900 people daily. The Rising Nepal (TRN) also covered...

Guardians, students happy over SEE cancellation

The Secondary Education Examination (SEE), which was the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination until 2016, is an institution in itself. Started in 1934, the exam, dubbed the Iron Gate for Nepali students, has been held every year for the past 87 years without interruption.

Made in heaven, marriages are getting undone in lockdown

When Ambika Gautam and Ashish Pokharel got married five years ago, they thought that their relationship would last forever. Having dated each other for nearly eight years before tying the nuptial knot, they were truly in love when Ashish went to Ambika’s parents and asked for her hand. They also had their first child last year and planned to spend the rest of their lives together, but then came the lockdown. “The first week was good,” Ambika said. “But then, we started to get on each other’s...