Panchthar, August 11

Locals fear food crisis after the newly planted crops started wilting in the field due to the prolonged drought in three wards of Tumbewa Rural Municipality in Panchthar.

Local farmers of ward No 1, 2 and 3 of the rural municipality looked very much worried after the drought damaged their crops. They said the crops started wilting due to lack of rainfall for a long time.

The farmers of then Aangna and Mauwa VDC’s Khairani, Hakpara and Chuwade have been affected as these areas have yet to receive monsoon rain this year. “Paddy plants, maize and millet, among other seasonal crops, have wilted following the same,” said a local farmer, Chandra Tamang. Tamang said the farmers might face famine as the crops had been damaged before the harvest. “The government has take initiation to distribute relief,” he said.

Meanwhile, rural municipality chair HomNathThapa said seasonal crops planted by more than thousand farmers had been damaged. He said the District Coordination Committee and District Administration Office had been urged to take necessary initiation to provide relief package to the farmers.