KATHMANDU, APRIL 27
Water sources in Mustang, a trans-Himalayan district in Gandaki Province, are gradually depleting, posing severe challenges for farmers in managing water for livestock and agriculture.
Locals report that the region has experienced rising temperatures in recent years, which they attribute to the impacts of climate change. This shift has significantly strained local water resources, they say.
During recent gatherings held in Gharapjhong and Waragung Muktikshetra rural municipalities, residents voiced their concerns over the dwindling water sources, which are adversely affecting agricultural practices and livestock farming.
Deepak Sherchan, a member of the Local Water Consumers Committee in Jomsom, stated that the growing water shortage is directly linked to the depletion of natural sources.
"On the one hand, natural water sources are vanishing; on the other, the number of households in Jomsom is increasing," he said. "It has now become increasingly difficult to meet the water demands for domestic use, livestock, and agriculture." Sherchan urged authorities to explore alternative solutions to address the mounting crisis.
"Apple farming yields a good harvest one year, but production drops drastically the next," lamented one farmer, highlighting the unpredictable impact of water scarcity on agriculture.
A cattle farmer from Gharapjhong added that the highlands of Mustang have recently received little to no snowfall, hampering vegetation growth and severely impacting yak rearing. Moreover, due to the lack of vegetation, wildlife has increasingly descended into human settlements in search of food, raising further concerns among locals.
Although there are three glacial sources supplying drinking water to Jomsom Bazaar, these sources are depleting due to the effects of climate change, Sherchan said. Even though the water sources at Kungle Hill and Thini remain viable for providing drinking water to Jomsom Market, a shortage persists due to the drying up of snow-fed sources.
"The demand for drinking water is high because it is a commercial hub," Sherchan added. "As the water sources continue to deplete, there is an urgent need to explore long-term solutions and alternative water sources."
Rajendra Sherchan, a farmer from Gharapjhong-4, said that snowfall during the critical periods of apple and indigenous crop harvests has ceased.
Due to the absence of timely snowfall, unseasonal snow events, premature flower fall in orchards, rising temperatures, and an increase in crop diseases, the production and quality of key crops-including apples-have begun to deteriorate.
