SURKHET, Dec 14: Incessant snowfall in the hill districts over the last two days has badly affected life in the Karnali region.
Flights have been halted in Humla and Dolpa districts where there are no road networks.
Similarly, examinations of school students in the highlands have also been postponed following the snowfall and rain.
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“Cold, snowfall and rain have badly affected life here. Very few people were able to carry out their normal activities,” said Devendra Budha, a farmer in Jumla. “But for crops, the snow is not bad. We were expecting it,” he added.
Snowfall during the winter is necessary for the winter crops to grow. Farmers also store snow to irrigate their fields during the summer.
Snow on Friday almost covered Dolpobuddha, Chhakartangsong, Shey-Foksundo and Kaile rural municipalities and Dunai. Lower Dolpa, Jufal, Thala, Pahada, Likuchu and Dapu, among other places also look white due to snow.
“Dolpa and Humla, both have received heavy snowfall,” said chief district officer of Dolpa, Mukesh Kumar Keshari. “Work at public offices also got affected. There were almost no service seekers owing to the cold,” he added.
Meanwhile, Binod Parajuli, acting chief at the Meteorology Department, Surkhet, reported that the temperature was minus 8 degree Celsius in four of the 10 districts of Karnali on Friday. In the night, the temperature could drop even further. “There is excessive cold. In four of the 10 districts of Karnali, the temperature has plummeted to as low as minus 8 degrees Celsius. In Surkhet and Dailekh, around 50 mm rainfall was recorded till Friday evening,” he said.
