Hydropower For Speedy Growth

Nepal is a nation gifted by nature for its beauty. Within its small area, it has the lofty Himalayan range, which houses the tallest mountain of the world, Mt. Everest. Then it has the green hilly areas in the middle, where people of different ethnicity live with their own distinct type of culture and even languages. Down south in the lowlands, it has the lush Terai area, with more different people, and this area can virtually be called the 'bread-basket' of the country. Nepal has such diversity within a very short distance.

When we talk of the beauty of Nepal, we cannot make the mistake of missing out the name of Kathmandu Valley, which is not only rich in its culture, but also has its famous temples and historic monuments. In fact it is said many museums in the Valley are only a stone's throw away from one another in many places. It probably has the most number of UNESCO-recognised heritage sites within a very small area. This may sound like being repetitive, but like one cannot forget Kathmandu while talking about the beauty and attraction of Nepal, the Newar community cannot be forgotten when talking about Kathmandu, because of the rich cultural heritage, bountiful fields and unique cuisines of this city. People from all over Nepal come to Kathmandu to get a taste of the lip smacking cuisine of the Newar community here, which can be found in small side streets and also in expensive eateries at many places.

Rich heritage

In fact the rich cultural heritage, intricate handicraft and temples that adorn most parts of the city were mostly developed during the Malla dynasty of the Newar community. Whether some people like it or not, we must not hesitate to praise the kings of the Malla period for making Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur the heritage wise rich places they are now, centuries after the dynasty was replaced.

Now to come back to the present, it is not only now, but it has been several decades since the economy of the country has been seeing a downward trend. So this government alone cannot be blamed for the woes that the nation is seeing now. Many so-called experts even predicted that Nepal would turn into another Sri Lanka. But what they did not mention was that Sri Lanka as an island nation not only has access to the oceans from all sides, but it also has a sound infrastructure in all sectors so that it could quickly bounce back, though it saw some really hard times recently as far as its economy was concerned.

Nepal is a landlocked nation and the situation of this Himalayan country is almost exactly opposite to that of Sri Lanka. The steadily weakening value of its currency is an indicator that the nation's economy is suffering. So, it is high time that the top leaders, especially those who are in power, the bureaucrats and the planners accept the fact that hydropower and tourism are the two strong pillars of national economy, among others, which could make the weakening economy pull through and bring in better times for the majority of the people.

Nepal has already signed an agreement with India to export ten thousand mega-watts of electricity to that country within a period of ten years. It is further encouraging to learn that similar agreements are in the pipeline with Bangladesh and China as well, in fact, they are almost at a final stage. Such agreements and the ability to sell electricity to other countries would be of enormous help to reduce the huge deficits Nepal is still suffering in its trade with foreign countries. It is just that leaders and others should show more vision in tapping the huge natural potential Nepal possesses. 

Similarly, the country has also seen a leap forward in the arrival of tourists after the slump faced by the travel sector in almost all countries of the world due to the Corona virus. Kathmandu sees the arrival of many foreign airlines bringing in passengers from all over the world. However, the public-private partnership has not been able to take off. Just some officials going abroad in the name of tourism promotion is simply not enough. Similarly, the private sector which makes a tidy profit from tourism must also contribute in making more successful this enterprise. 

Job opportunities

Tourism is in fact a sector, which could not only benefit the government and make the economy strong, but it could also keep back the thousands of youths who are presently going out of the country for better job opportunities abroad. Tourism would also contribute largely for the accumulation of our foreign currency reserves which the country needs badly because it relies heavily on foreign imports.

Like the hydro-power and tourism sectors, agriculture also has a huge potential in Nepal, as has been proved by many individuals who have come back to their own country and invested here. This would also be able to provide much opportunities to youths and they would prefer to stay back in their homes while earning a comfortable income as well. The small scale industries and local level enterprises also cannot be overlooked, as they are enabling thousands of people to make a living and also providing service to consumers which other economically failed states have not been able to provide. However, it is important for the government to prioritise its focus on the above mentioned sectors, which could help the nation get out of the present economic problems it is facing now. 

(The author is former chief editor of this daily.)