LAMJUNG: As the earthquake-damaged road awaits repair, earthquake victims of Nar and Fu villages in Manang have started carrying daily essentials by themselves.

The April 25 temblor and subsequent aftershocks coupled with rainfall had damaged the only mule trail in the area beyond use after landslides buried the trail at many places. Since the road has been completely damaged making transportation impossible, residents of the remote villages nestled on the foothills of the Himalayas in the north have started to carry food items themselves.

Nar and Fur do not grow any crop, so residents of the places have to buy food items all the way from Chame, the district headquarters.

Due to excessive cold, most of the villagers there migrate to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Besisahar, and Chitwan for about three months during winter.

“In the past, they used to transport foods during April/May by using mules. However, since the quake and landslides damaged the road this year, the local folks have no other option but to carry food items themselves,” said Nar VDC Secretary Devraj Gautam.

LDO Gopal Aryal also mulled over the problems the district folks have faced this year. Meanwhile, the security forces’ attempts to bring the trail back to its original shape have been hampered by heavy rainfall.