The number of people leaving Bajura for employment abroad has been steadily increasing.
For generations, people from the district have travelled to India in search of employment, working as watchmen, hotel staff and porters.
In the past, many would spend the winter months in India and return home in time for the paddy planting season. This seasonal migration had become a way of life. However, the pattern has changed in recent years.
Many locals now leave their homes for work in India and settle there permanently as they are attracted by the relatively comfortable lifestyle and better access to food and amenities there.
As a result, many young people who left for India years ago have not returned, and their houses back home have gradually fallen into poor condition.
Homes built with investments worth hundreds of thousands and even millions of rupees are now lying abandoned.
Some have already collapsed completely, leaving no trace behind, while others are on the verge of ruin.
Nara Bahadur Rokaya of Budhinanda Municipality said he had migrated to India simply to earn a living, as there were no employment opportunities in his village.
“Who does not love their village? I even borrowed money from others to build my house because I wanted to stay and do something here. But there are no jobs and no other means of earning a livelihood. How can one survive by staying at home?,” he asked.
“One cannot live on an empty stomach. That is why I had to go abroad,” he added.
Rokaya said he had gone to India to repay the loan taken to build his house. “After clearing the debt and returning home, I found that my house had collapsed. Rather than rebuilding it, I am now thinking of settling permanently in India,” he added.
This is not the isolated case of Rokaya. Thousands of youths from Himali, Swamikartik Khapar, Jagannath, Budhinanda, Gaumul, Badimalika, Budhiganga, Triveni and Khaptad Chhededaha municipalities and rural municipalities share similar experiences.
Previously, local people reared cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats and practised organic farming in their villages. Only a few would travel to India to earn money for essential household expenses. Today, however, most working-age people are in India, while the elderly remain in the villages.
Many families now depend almost entirely on remittances from India to sustain themselves and educate their children.
Although access to drinking water, roads, healthcare and education has improved compared to the past, migration continues unabated.
As more people are migrating to India, many settlements are gradually becoming deserted. Local governments have yet to formulate effective plans to control migration abroad.
A large number of educated youths are also seeking employment abroad. While many young people have lost interest in farming, the government has likewise failed to create sufficient employment opportunities.
According to the National Population Census 2021, there are 24,443 households in Bajura district, including 3,446 in Badimalika Municipality; 3,350 in Triveni Municipality; 4,277 in Budhiganga Municipality; 3,452 in Budhinanda Municipality; 1,650 in Gaumul Rural Municipality; 1,722 in Himali Rural Municipality; 1,684 in Jagannath Rural Municipality, 2,223 in Swamikartik Rural Municipality and 3,174 in Khaptad Chhededaha Rural Municipality.
Of these households, around 35 per cent have homes that are either dilapidated or at risk of collapse. As many migrant workers fail to return in time, the number of abandoned and crumbling houses continues to increase.
Padma Nepali, a local of Budhiganga Municipality, said villages in the district are gradually being emptied because of unemployment.
Deputy Mayor Ram Bahadur Bohara of Budhinanda Municipality said that although improvements had been made in drinking water, roads, health services and education, local authorities had still been unable to create enough employment opportunities to keep young people in their communities.
