Mercury drops to minus 16 degrees in Manang

Water frozen inside the water pipes has made the taps dysfuctional, in Manang, on Monday, January 8, 2017. Photo Courtesy: Naveen Lamichhane
Water frozen inside the water pipes has made the taps dysfuctional, in Manang, on Monday, January 8, 2017. Photo Courtesy: Naveen Lamichhane

MANANG: At a time when the whole country is facing extreme cold weather, the temperature in Manang district has dropped as low as minus 16 degrees.

With the mercury plummeting, life in the district has been affected largely. For the past one week, the temperature of Manang has fallen down to minus 16 degrees at night and minus 12 degrees in day time. Cold breeze blows after 12:00 pm and locals are seen warming themselves in the sunlight or by the fire.

Flowing water is hardly visible in the small rivers and waterfalls. The sources of water have frozen due to the extreme drop in temperature. Water has stopped dropping from the taps as well because the water has frozen inside the water pipes.

According to Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Panta, movement of people has been restricted while government offices only see a very small flow of service seekers. Only one or two people have been seen in the government offices to acquire their citizenship cards.

Apart from them, nobody has been found going to any other offices for services. Locals stay inside the closed doors of their homes to shield themselves from increasing cold.

Only labourers and few government office employees are seen in the district at this time.

Most people of Manang, where it is cold all year round, go to other places during the winter time to escape the extreme winter temperatures. Those who can afford migrating temporarily to relatively warmer places are leaving the district. Only those who look after the yaks and other such helpers stay behind.

The local residents temporarily migrate to relatively warmer places like Lamjung, Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan in Nepal, and places like Bodh Gaya in India to escape the extreme cold.

Locals also use this time of travel for business purposes by taking with them various regional herbs such as Dhupi, Jimbu, and Panchaunlen to sell them.

Educational institutions in the upper parts of the district also remain closed for three months during the winter, said District Education Officer Tukaraj Adhikari.