Navin Shakya

worklife

  • Working underground

    Working inside a hydropower tunnel is always a challenging and often uncomfortable experience, but it becomes even more difficult when working with certain Chinese contractors. Their disregard for health and safety protocols can be beyond comprehension. Over the years, we’ve witnessed numerous tragic accidents inside these tunnels, many of them fatal, due to the lack… More on this

  • A near-death experience

    My visit to the Upper Seti hydropower project will forever be etched in my memory, but for the most terrifying reason – I almost lost my life. This site visit, which was meant to be routine, turned into a harrowing brush with death in the unforgiving waters of the Seti River. Located about 20 km… More on this

  • Life on instant noodles

    This time, work took us to the remote northern part of Sankhuwasabha district for feasibility study of a hydroelectric project. As I remember, there are only very few sites as rugged and physically demanding as this one. It took us a solid six days from the time we landed at Tumlingtar Airport to finally reach… More on this

  • Scariest flight

    Tumlingtar Airport was blanketed in thick fog all morning, and as the hours passed, our hopes of catching a flight began to fade. We were eager to leave Sankhuwasabha after completing one of the toughest site visits for a hydropower project, but the weather seemed determined to keep us grounded. Miraculously, after a four-hour delay,… More on this

  • Crossing the Arun River

    A permanent bridge is under construction at present at Dobhan near Num that connects Khandbari, the district headquarters of Sankhuwasabha with the remote northern parts of the district. Track has been opened to connect those remote locations, and the only way for vehicles to cross the Arun River is via ferry which is operated by… More on this

  • Crossing the Solu River

    Geotechnical investigations are among the most challenging aspects of hydropower development in Nepal due to not only the country’s complex geology and outdated technology, but also difficulty in accessing those remote sites. The difficulties in reaching these locations often feel like adventure sports. In this instance, we crossed the flooded Solu River using a rope… More on this

  • An accident

    Sometimes the extraordinary events happen that define our life and death.  We were cruising along the highway when, out of nowhere, our driver lost control of the vehicle. It skidded off the road and crashed into a nearby drainage canal. In that split second, everything went blank. One of our team members was seriously injured,… More on this

  • Leech bites

    I’m telling you, I don’t like leeches, but they sure seem to love me! The other day, four of us went trekking to check out a dam site. It was rainy, and of course, I was the only one who ended up with leech bites. They were all over my body, and I stopped counting… More on this