It was 1994, Nepal had a new democratic constitution, the media had just been freed and there was hope that the country would take a great leap forward in development. The newly-formed Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) aired its first episode of Aankhijhyal on Nepal TV on Kathmandu’s haphazard garbage collection and waste management system.
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The show immediately created waves. By breaking through the clutter of political news and light entertainment shows, Aakhijhyal looked beyond social and environmental problems to the governance and political issues that lay at the core. Over the next 23 years, in episode after episode, the video magazine showcased community forestry, sand mining on river beds, Kathmandu’s garbage problem, the proliferation of plastic, and wildlife conservation. It spotlighted government negligence, but also found solutions.
