Editorial photo #13902875 Economy, Business and Finance

Farmers Protest Against Fast Track Alignment During National Paddy Day In Khokana, Nepal

Farmers protest against the proposed alignment and zero point of the Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Fast Track (Expressway) during the National Paddy Day (Ropain Diwas) celebrations in Khokana, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Demonstrators carry placards in paddy fields during the annual rice-planting festival, expressing concerns that the project could affect fertile agricultural land and the indigenous Newar community. They call for the government to relocate the project's starting point and consider an alternative alignment to protect farmland, sacred sites, traditional irrigation systems, Guthi land, and historic settlements. The dispute over the expressway alignment has been ongoing, with heritage conservation advocates and indigenous rights groups seeking consultation and preservation of Khokana's cultural landscape. (Photo by Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto)