Madan Wagle

Tanahun, March 11:

Dhan Bahadur Dura is a relieved man. He no longer have to carry agriculture products like yam, mas, lemon and seasonal vegetables to Damauli for sale. The road link to the village of Ramthumki in Ghansikuwa VDC-6 has been a boon for villagers like Dura. Dura earns Rs 8,000 a year from the sale of yam only. Nani Maya Dura of Simalchaur also has the chance to use the transportation facility from her doorsteps. “We are spared of travel now. Vehicles can come to our village. We can return home from the market after selling them in a single day”, Nani Maya said. Rural people got the chance after locals decided to repair the three kilometre-long Ghansikuwa-Ramthumki road from Sera in Byas municipality-3 to Barbhanjyang VDC-9. For it, they have made a labour contribution worth Rs 50,000 making the plying of jeeps possible.

The road has benefited thousands of people in VDCs of Barbhanjyang, Mandre, Dhungade, Bhagatipani, Samdanda, Tamangtar, Tatopani, Sera, Ramthumki and Simalchaur, informed Ghansikuwa-Ramthumki road users’ committee secretary, Buddha Singh Gurung. According to him, locals did not wait for the government but decided to complete the project independently, toiling from dawn to dusk. Former principal of the Chandeshwori Lower Secondary School, Bijay Raj Bhattarai said hundreds of farmers were finding it easy to send their products including mas, yam, lemon, orange, green leaf, radish, cabbage and other seasonal products to the market now. He added the main source of income for local farmers are yam and mas.

Gurung sold Rs 3,000 worth of yam this year. He said he was earning Rs 15,000 to 20,000 which is allowing him to support his family and educate his two sons and three daughters.

Meanwhile, accessibility to market has attracted unemployed youths towards agriculture.

A local jeep driver Changra Dura says he is happy to help villagers in his way. He, too, has a good income from the service. Dal Bahadur Dura, a local said that agro-products from the area are being sent to as far as Pokhara, Damauli, Chitwan, Lamjung and Gorkha.