DARCHULA, FEBRUARY 16
Apihimal Rural Municipality in Darchula is grappling with food shortage. Last year's prolonged drought is said to be among the major reasons for the food crisis in the village.
The village, which is home to 7,000 people, lacks access to road connectivity.
It is largely characterised by sloping lands and the local agriculture production here is too meagre to meet the food requirements, said Prem Singh Dhami, a local. "Production is hardly sufficient for three months. Now we have run out of food stock."
As a result, the village relies heavily on food import and lack of easy means of road transportation means the cost of food import is obviously high. Moreover, the villagers failed to add to their income from yarshagumba harvesting as the production was not good this year.
Besides, the Food Management and Company Limited has cut the quota of subsidised rice for the village. "Until two years ago, we used to receive 2,500 to 3,000 quintals of rice for the village each year, this year we were just given 1,000 quintals and the supplies have already finished," shared Khandeshwori-based Food Depot's Narbhan Singh Thekare. Though the village is likely to receive additional 500 quintals following efforts from the local government and the District Administrative Office, it is not going to minimise the risk of hunger, it is said.
"Demand for rice and wheat is excessively high in the village and it is likely to be gripped by hunger soon. "The food crisis is already unfolding," he added.
Rural municipality Chair Dharmanada Manyal said the authority concerned remained unresponsive to their appeal to supply additional 5,000 quintals of rice for the rural municipality. "The rural municipality folks are likely to suffer due to hunger soon."
A version of this article appears in the print on February 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
