Author: space4knews

Nepali fashion designer Kresha Koirala has carved a unique identity in the global fashion industry through her multifaceted professional journey in New York. Leaving Nepal at the age of 19 to pursue higher education, Kresha could hardly have imagined that one day her creations would shine on the runway of New York Fashion Week. Today, she stands as a prominent designer linking Nepali heritage with the global fashion scene.

Currently based in New York City, Kresha Koirala works across various domains including luxury fashion, commercial fashion, production, licensing, runway presentations, fashion weeks, and costume design, establishing herself as a versatile designer. She firmly believes that becoming an excellent designer requires more than crafting exceptional designs—it necessitates understanding every aspect of the industry.

In May 2025, Kresha graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design. She also completed a minor in fashion merchandising and product development. As the president of the Fashion NIC student organization during university, she organized various events and learned how collaboration can amplify creativity.

In the summer of 2022, Kresha volunteered at New York-based luxury brand Adam Lippes during Resort Market Week, where she realized that beyond beautiful design, combined efforts in production, merchandising, sales, and marketing are essential. In August 2025, she joined lifestyle brand J.Crew as an independent assistant designer, actively contributing to CAD development, technical sketches, and product development within the men’s apparel, shirts, and accessories department.

Kresha’s personal brand, KestByKresha, represents far more than just a fashion label—it embodies her entire life journey, values, and forward-thinking vision. She has never confined her career to a single domain; experiences spanning luxury fashion, licensing, production, costume design, runway presentations, and commercial fashion have collectively shaped the unique identity of KestByKresha today.

Project Overview

The dam construction for the 900-megawatt Arun III Hydroelectric Project under development in Sankhuwasabha has surpassed 80 percent completion. However, the expansion of the transmission lines has been delayed due to local resistance, difficulties in acquiring public land, and legal complications, according to the Ministry of Energy. Nepal will receive 21.9 percent, or 197.1 megawatts, of the project’s electricity free of charge, with the project to be transferred to the Nepalese government after 25 years.

July 26, Kathmandu – The dam construction for the 900-megawatt capacity Arun III Hydroelectric Project, being developed in Sankhuwasabha, has progressed by over 80 percent. While the overall physical progress of the project is satisfactory, the construction of transmission lines to connect the generated electricity to the national grid has encountered various legal and local challenges. According to Shaligram Bhandari, Assistant Spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, although the hydroelectric project is advancing rapidly, the expansion of transmission lines is hindered by local obstacles, public land acquisition issues, and legal disputes related to land boundary demarcations.

“Disputes related to the transmission line corridors and rights of way (RoW) remain unresolved,” he stated. “Approximately 1.8 kilometers of the Dhalkebar–Sitamadhi transmission line section towards India has been constructed, but progress on the Nepalese side is stalled due to rights of way issues.” According to him, a 220 kV transmission line requires a corridor of 30 meters on each side, and compensation is provided for only 10 to 20 percent of this area, which has made it difficult to reach an agreement with local communities.

The Ministry, Nepal Electricity Authority, and other concerned agencies are coordinating efforts to resolve these challenges. The government has prioritized the construction of the 400 kV cross-border transmission line connecting Dhalkebar and Sitamadhi to export electricity produced from the Arun III project to India. At the 13th Joint Steering Committee meeting between Nepal and India at the energy secretariat level held in Pokhara on June 14, an agreement was reached to increase the import capacity from 1,000 MW to 1,400 MW and the export capacity from 1,100 MW to 1,650 MW through this transmission line.

Loan borrower Lalkaji Gurung from Civil Cooperative has barred representatives appointed by the troubled cooperative management committee from entering the Civil Mall premises. Vishnu Prasad Ghimire, one of the representatives appointed by the committee, stated that they have been unable to work as the Civil Mall office has been locked. Following the Supreme Court’s interim order to maintain the property and liabilities of Civil Mall as they are, both savers and the management committee find themselves increasingly uncertain. July 27, Kathmandu.

Borrowers of Civil Cooperative have obstructed the investment recovery process undertaken by representatives appointed by the troubled cooperative management committee. Lalkaji Gurung, a director of Civil Mall and borrower of Civil Cooperative, blocked these representatives from entering the mall. After the Civil Savings and Loan Cooperative became problematic, the responsibility to manage assets and liabilities was given to the committee. The government amended the Cooperative Act to empower the committee to recover loans even from the relatives of borrowers who defaulted on their payments.

However, borrower Lalkaji Gurung has locked the Civil Mall office to prevent appointed representatives from gaining entry. The committee appointed two directors to Civil Mall, which holds 50 percent of the cooperative’s shares. Representatives Vishnu Prasad Ghimire and Ashanadhwaj Khadka, who arrived with appointment letters, reported that the office was locked and closed. ‘The committee appointed me and Ashanadhwaj Khadka as directors of Civil Mall,’ said Ghimire, ‘but upon arrival, other shareholders had already closed the office.’

A technical review reveals that flooding during the monsoon season in the Maiti Ghar area is primarily due to engineering errors, sewer encroachment, and the destruction of natural water absorption zones. Narrowing of sewer pipes leads to blocked water flow and bottlenecking on roads, while reverse flow in the Tuku Cha river contributes to flooding. The report recommends long-term solutions, including constructing large underground water storage tanks and redesigning sewer capacities.

Kathmandu, July 24 – A study has identified the main causes of flooding in the Maiti Ghar Mandala area during the rainy season as technical faults in surrounding infrastructure, encroachment into water flow areas, and loss of natural water absorption zones. Following flooding after the onset of heavy rain, on July 19, an inspection team led by Sunita Dangol, Acting Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, along with heads and representatives of development partners and service management agencies, conducted an on-site review. Dangol instructed officials to submit a technical report based on their findings.

In compliance with the acting chief’s directive, a committee was formed under the coordination of Ram Bahadur K.C., Deputy Secretary and Head of the Response Branch at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The team included senior Kathmandu municipal engineer Jeevan Regmi, Department of Roads engineer Purushottam Bhandari, and Manager Ujwal Shrestha from Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Limited.

The report highlights serious engineering errors in the sewerage system of the Maiti Ghar Mandala area. The main inlet pipe measures 90 centimeters in diameter but narrows down to 60 centimeters in the lower section. The pressure from water entering through the upper, wider pipe cannot be handled by the narrower lower pipe, resulting in a bottleneck and water accumulation on the streets. Additionally, when the surface level of the Tuku Cha river rises, sewer water should flow into the river; however, backflow occurs toward residential areas and roads, exacerbating flooding in Maiti Ghar.

The report also identifies physical infrastructure, environmental factors, and urban development as contributing reasons for the problem. Previously, open spaces around Maiti Ghar square served as natural water catchment areas that facilitated underground absorption of rainwater. However, construction of large buildings such as the Kathmandu District Police Office and the Government Attorney’s Office in these areas has covered them with concrete, disrupting these natural absorption processes. This has led to excessive surface water runoff, which concentrates in the Maiti Ghar square, the technical team concluded.

Encroachment has also played a significant role in the flooding problem. During the inspection, it was found that some private and government structures have been built inside sewer channels, obstructing regular cleaning efforts. The presence of plastic waste, bottles, stones, and gravel blocking sewer pipes has led to restricted water flow. To address this, Acting Chief Dangol has instructed local administration and partner agencies to remove all such obstructions promptly.

The report suggests both immediate and long-term measures. In the short term, it calls for clearing obstructions from sewer outlets, raising the height of manholes, and prioritizing regular cleaning. For long-term solutions, it recommends constructing a large underground water storage tank on public land in the Maiti Ghar area or within the old Ministry of Health premises. This tank would temporarily store excess rainwater before gradual drainage.

Additional recommendations include installing non-return valves at the outlet of the Tuku Cha river to prevent backflow, conducting comprehensive GIS mapping of the entire valley’s sewer network, and redesigning the sewer capacity based on the Maiti Ghar catchment area. The report also emphasizes the necessity of improved coordination among road, water supply, sewage, and electricity agencies to end repetitive digging and construction, calling for the development of an integrated infrastructure management system.

Summary: A team from the Ministry of Labour discovered that the Skill Certification Center located in Basundhara, Kathmandu was charging fees from workers and issuing certificates without government approval. Following this, the center has been sealed. The ‘Skill Verification Program’ (SVP), which collects a fee of 50 US dollars per worker intending to go to Saudi Arabia, was being operated as a syndicate without official authorization, according to the inspection team. The ministry has decided to take further legal and administrative actions against the center for violating the law, based on the team’s report.

On July 24, preparations were underway to inaugurate the Skill Certification Program center in Basundhara, Kathmandu. The Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nepal was scheduled to formally open the Skill Verification Program (SVP). However, manpower agencies arrived at the center and vandalized banners and the entrance, disrupting the event. In response to business opposition, the Industry Training Institute (ITI), responsible for operating the center, announced the postponement of the SVP program. Despite this, some businessmen continued to oppose the center’s operation.

Meanwhile, Dik Bahadur Khatri, President of the Nepal Foreign Employment Association, and Hari Dangi, its General Secretary, along with officials from the Ministry of Labour, were investigating the situation. Officials from the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment mentioned they were seeking an official stance from the Saudi Embassy. Informally, they noted that decisions regarding the types of workers being sent and whether to conduct skill tests fall within the policy rights of the receiving country.

During this period, Labour Minister Ramji Yadav met with Saudi Ambassador Fahad Mohammed Al-Imnikhurabi. Minister Yadav specifically requested halting the SVP program. The ambassador assured that he would consult with the Saudi government and provide further information. Based on this assurance, the government concluded that the program would not be implemented immediately. However, shortly thereafter, the certification process began at the center.

Workers who paid a fee of 50 US dollars underwent a three-hour test administered by ITI, after which they were issued an SVP certificate. The Saudi Embassy in Kathmandu did not accept visa applications from workers lacking this certification. The Saudi authorities have been conducting skill tests mainly for laborers involved in tasks such as loading and unloading cargo, carrying loads, cart pushing, and construction work.

The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development had indicated that the skill certification program was conducted as a prerequisite for obtaining labor visas there. After implementation started, manpower companies began receiving emails requesting dollar payments. The email, sent through a private company named “Sai Vision Digital Pvt. Ltd.” in Samakhusi, instructed a payment of 50 US dollars. Upon realizing that the program was being operated without government permission or knowledge, a joint inspection team from the Ministry of Labour, Department of Foreign Employment, CTEVT, and Ministry of Education visited the center on July 21 to investigate. The team found that the center was charging workers 50 US dollars for skill testing and subsequently sealed the center.

During the inspection, it was found that ITI had only received permission from CTEVT to conduct skill training but was also performing skill testing and certification, which was against the authorization. Following directives from Minister Yadav, the team concluded that the program was issuing skill certification certificates in contravention of conditions laid down for foreign employment-bound workers. According to a member of the inspection team, the center was being operated like a syndicate, financially burdening workers.

“This is another form of syndicate. They did not obtain permission nor inform the government, yet have been imposing financial burdens on workers,” said the team member. “Since the program was being forcibly implemented, we have deemed it illegal and sealed the center.”

According to the official, charging extra fees for skill testing from ordinary workers who already take loans for foreign employment is an injustice to them. The inspection team is preparing to submit its report to the Ministry of Labour. The ministry stated it will take necessary legal and administrative actions based on that report.