Darchula, January 19

Chhangru-Tinkar settlement has worn a deserted look after the locals migrated to the district headquarters Khalanga to avoid the  bone biting cold.

The settlement in Byas Rural Municipality-1 borders India and China. Even security personnel deployed on the border have left. Some development projects are under construction in this remote settlement, but these projects have also been left in the lurch due to adverse weather conditions.

Although India and China have maintained strong security by deploying border security forces on their side of the border, the Nepali side is unmanned. Nepali police personnel deployed for security at the border have moved to Dumling in Ward No 2 of the same rural municipality.

There are 65 households at Tinkar and 105 households at Chhangru, the two settlements located at an altitude of 12,000 feet above the sea level. These families have migrated to Khalanga to evade winter. The entire village is covered with snow at present.

“The security of the village is now left to the snow and god, “ YashodaTinkari, a woman leader of Tinkar, said.

“China and India have deployed security forces at the border points in Tinkar. However, the Nepali side has not been able to deploy security forces at the border,” she complained. There is not even single security post in the settlements which have a population of nearly 1,000.

India increased the size of its security forces and mobilised India Tibet Border Police in the area. India has stationed its security posts at five places from Dharchula to Kalapani.  ITBP has set up its weapons garrison at Ghattabagar, established camps at Gabryang, Chhyalek and Gunji and the Indian Army camp at Kalapani.

But on the Nepal side security personnel are deployed only at Tinkar transit point of Darchula for just six months in a year. Security personnel stay at the border police post only for six months in summer. “We cannot station the police personnel at the Tinkar border during the winter due to unfavourable weather,” officiating chief of the Darchula Police Hikmat Bohara said.