BAJURA, SEPTEMBER 23

As the festivals are just around the corner, rice in almost all the depots of Bajura has started running out of stock.

It has been more than five months that the locals in Himali Rural Municipality have been living with acute food crisis. A local, Dhan Lal Rokaya of the rural municipality, said that the stocked rice in Kawadi depots has finished some five months ago and the people were living with the shortage of food in far-flung areas. The locals at Bichhaya of the rural municipality wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been facing food crisis as they did not receive any subsidised rice. Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Bajura, Chief Mekh Raj Ojha said that the quota of rice had finished some five months ago and there was no rice in the depots.

Similarly, the acute rice crisis in Muktikot Temporary selling centre has also hit hard the locals of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality.

Chairman of the rural municipality Bharat Rokaya said that some 500 quintal rice was sold some five months ago. According to Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Bajura, the process of supplying rice is under way. Rokaya said that acute food crisis has hit the locals hard. 'The villagers come to the office almost daily and pressure us to manage rice, but there is no way,' he added. Rokaya said that the food crisis had hit all the households of the rural municipality. The rice crisis has also hit Martadi. Ojha said that the rice may not reach the depots till Dashain if the same situation persists.

Acute food crisis hits Bajura every year during festivals. The local production cannot sustain for more than three months. According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Bajura, more than 11,000 metric tonnes rice is needed every year.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 25, 2023, of The Himalayan Times