Sita Niraula

Taplejung, January 1

Recent snowfall has closed the only transit point in Olangchunggola.

Local businessmen of Lelep, Yamfudin, Papung, Tapethok, and Dhunsatole, who earlier

used to have some savings from their earnings from Tibet Autonomous Region of China during winters, are forced to go to district headquarters to search for jobs these days.

Traders who used to go and come back from Riu city of Tibet Autonomous Region of

China everyday are now compelled to go to the district

headquarters after a five-day long trek.

People go to Riu city, where shopping is much cheaper than in the district headquarters.

Angfuri Sherpa, manager of Kanchanjungha Preservation Area, said that the unexpected snowfall this year has led to the closure of the transit point.

Domestication of yaks had been a tradition for the locals who used to take carpets, ghee and hard cheese to Tibet Autonomous Region of China and get clothes, rice, pulse, salt and oil in return.

Kasang Sherpa who came down to Olangchunggola due to some official work said, "Snowfall and shortage of food at the same time has made life more miserable. Now we have to walk down to the headquarters to buy rice which cost Rs 25 per kg.”

“This would certainly increase our expenditure,” he added.

Being on the Sino-Nepal border, locals here prefer getting married to Tibetans since they

are more closer to Tibet Autonomous Region of China in culture and tradition than

the people of the Taplejung district.

Many locals have not even seen the district headquarters. The transit point was closed before also once.

SARS has forced the locals last year to close the transit point.