People living in high altitude areas in Mugu and Humla districts have started moving southwards to avoid cold. Villages such as Mugu, Dolphu, Karti Kimri, Daura, Maha and Serogin Mugu wore a deserted look as locals moved to the low altitude areas with their cattle. Locals in Mugu VDC said that they could not live in the village after heavy snowfall. Around 12 households at Wangri in Dolphu VDC have also left for warm locations due to the chill.

 

Locals said some people in high altitude areas have started living in caves at Chirani Chaur, Chitai, Piladi whereas some others have traveled to Gamgadhi, Jumla Khalanga, Kathmandu or even India to avoid cold.

 

Chhorden Lama of Mugu village said water started freezing due to cold. Two dozen schools in 12 settlements east to Karan have been closed for a month as a majority of families in the area have moved to lower altitude. Mugu VDC Secretary Resham Bahadur Rawal said they are facing difficulty distributing social security allowances and carrying out development activities in the area as villagers shifted to warmer locations.

 

Likewise, people in several northern Humla villages have also started moving southwards. Local people in Til, Halji and Jangari villages in Limi VDC bordering China have moved to various parts of the country and India. There are around 181 households in the VDC and a majority of them have already left for warmer locations. 

 

Kodoma Lama of Limi said they have stored foodstuffs and other essentials such as firewood in their houses for winter. “Other family members left villages after managing daily essentials for those staying back,” Kodoma said, informing that there are only elderly citizens in the villages now. 

 

People in the high altitude areas have to heat snow to manage drinking water. Those who have left their villages will return in March.