Nepal, Jan. 31 -- Until a month ago, stones, boulders, and sand piles defaced the agricultural land near the Patne river in Bethanchowk, Kavre. Once lush with vegetables and other crops, these areas served as a supply line for Kathmandu Valley.

Heavy rains and ensuing floods and landslides in late September last year devastated the area, turning it into a riverbank and robbing farmers of their livelihood.

Now, farmers are slowly moving toward land recovery.

The land full of debris is being gradually reclaimed as farmland. Farmers are actively preparing the land, removing piles of stones and soil with earthmovers. Some are using tractors to level the field, while others plant potatoes.

The Patne river, once a source of irrigation, now ...