Charikot, January 9:

People in Lamabagar VDC-1 of Dolkha have been facing the shortage of food as the road leading to Lapchi, from where they bring in food and adjoins the Tibet autonomous region, has remained disrupted for months.

Lapchi has been facing an acute shortage of food after the Chyadokhola river bank was washed away by flood in August. Locals tried to resume their movement by placing timber planks at different points of the Tamakoshi river to and from Lapchi which lies 64 miles far from Charikot. Lapchi was a five-day walk via Kukurraja incline, but it is impossible to cross the route during the winter.

Tirthalapchi Milarebi Santati secretary Milan Samuha Karma Sherpa said the starvation has gripped the area. Earlier, people used to bring

food from Tibet’s Falak, but later people there banned the entry of Nepalis and their yaks after an outbreak of cattle disease in the western part of Nepal, he said. 30 households, including 17, have moved from Lapchi to Khasa, 10 to Chhwangdi and three to Tasi, while 90 villagers of 16 households are still living in Lapchi.

Villagers here opt cattle herding — yak and horse-keeping — as the main occupation. With the land not being fertile enough, villagers only cultivate potato at some places which lasts just for a few days, locals said. In the absence of green pastures, one has to pay 1.42 litres of ghee to Tibet for grazing cattle there. Also, Nepali yak owners should pay a fine of Rs 20 per yak while taking bamboo loads to Tibet.

A recent meeting of the Lamabagar village council has allocated Rs 1,25,000 for proper arrangement of transportation in the area. A survey was also conducted recently at the initiation of locals for construction of the eight-km road from Lamabagar to Lapchi.