With the water level in Nepal’s snow fed rivers drying, the power cut of over 12 hours a day in urban areas may worsen. However, the situation in the rural areas, which are moving towards the alternative energy sources, will heave a sigh of relief. After the introduction of bio-gas, solar, micro-hydro and biomass and similar sources of energy, Nepal’s overall energy supply situation has changed. It has also increased the access of the rural population to sustainable energy sources, contributing to improve their livelihoods. Although Nepal’s position in terms of energy security is still low or close to the bottom in the global energy index, the recent census report has indicated certain changes in the use of energy sources.  Although over 64 percent population relies on wood as a source of energy for cooking, 2.41 percent people use the bio-gas. Over 67.2 percent of the population uses electricity for lighting, an increase from 39.8 percent of 10 years ago. This indicates that alternative energy sources like solar are bringing major changes. In this edition, we have taken up the state of alternative energy as the cover story. As Nepal is celebrating the Earthquake Safety Day, we have made efforts to look at the state of disaster management in the country. Other regular political and economic issues form part of our routine coverage.