DAILEKH: People from over a dozen VDCs in the district have been facing an acute food shortage for more than a month following the obstruction of the Karnali Highway -- the lifeline of the Karnalis-- due to the landslide.

Local Prem Prakash Shahi informed that Khadwada, Nepa, Shaktala, Shinsain, Sigaudi,Pipalkot, Rakamkarnali, Lakandra, Tilepata, Toulijaisi, among others have been facing actue sortage of food following the landslip.

Shahi informed that the food couldnot be ferried along the highway from Surkhet due to the obstruction. Chief of district food corporation Ram Bahadur Ban said the people of those areas were likely to face starvation as the food corporation depot is empty of supplies.Businessman of Ramghat Bazaar of Saktala VDC Tirtha Shahi said,' We are running out of essentials as the road has been obstructed for more than a month.'He added that the locals of the area were compelled to take out a hazardous journey to district headquarters which could be reached only by foot, taking the entire day, where they could purchase their foodstuffs.

Worse still, the Dailekh-Surkhet section of the road also got obstructed by lanslips bringing supplies to a grinding halt since four days. Hundreds of locals are compelled to take out a tiring day-long journey on foot after the obstruction of the road. CDO Baldev Gautam ruled out clearing the obstruction as rain is unlikely to subside .

The landslides combined with heavy rain also uprooted electric poles, cutting off electricity supplies. Farmers lament that the downpour completely destroyed their paddy. District Agriculture Office has warned of a severe food shortage given the large-scale destructu