BAJURA, FEBRUARY 14

A huge swathe of farmland northeast of Bajura has been drought-stricken, posing the threat of food crisis.

According to Man Bahadur Malla of Budhinanda Municipality, Bajura, drought has left people in the region totally dependent on the market for food grains. "People in this region grew crops that would last as least 4 to 5 months in normal times, but we've had a drought for long. We have no option but to buy food grains from the market," Malla said.

Besides Budhinanda Municipality, Swamikartik, Pandabgupha and Himali rural municipalities have been affected.

In Swamikartik Rural Municipality, the entire farmland in Wai village has been uncultivated for the past four years. "We are around 400 families in the village, and the farmland where we grow crops is bound to remain fallow as there has been no rain for the past four years," said local Ishowri Giri. "We have the Karnali River flowing below our village, but there is no irrigation facility here and no rain, there is no way we can cultivate our lands," he said. Similar is the plight in Sappata and Jukot villages.

Himali Rural Municipality is known as a place which produces more crops than other north-eastern local levels. According to local teacher Man Bahadur Rokaya, the entire farmland in places such as Dhim, Faiti and Borta are uncultivated.

Meanwhile, drought has most affected Karnali's Humla, Mugu and Kalikot districts, where a large swathe of farmland is uncultivated.

Humla's Tajakot and Adanchuli Rural Municipality and Mugu's Khatyad and Soru rural municipalities are worst affected.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 15, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.