By Our correspondent, Nepalgunj, Apr 8: The supply of essential food items to hilly districts of western Nepal has increased considering the possibility of food shortage with the extension of lockdown period.

Both roadways and airways have been used to supply the essential food items to hilly districts of Karnali from Nepalgunj and Surkhet.

According to office of Food Management and Trading Company Limited in Nepalgunj, the company has started to supply rice to Humla district by air following the shortage of rice in the district.

Humla is still not connected with the national road network.

Besides, the company is also supplying rice to other districts by roadways.

Bharat Khaniya, chief of the office of the company in Nepalgunj, said that around 1,800 quintals of rice had already been supplied to Humla by six planes of Sita Air, Tara Air and Summit Air in a week.

“Following the closure of only one means of air transport to Humla due to lockdown, the district has experienced shortage of rice. To address this problem, we are managing 15 to 20 flights daily to supply more than 225 quintals of rice for the last one week,” Khaniya said.

The company has also transported around 2,200 quintals of rice to other districts of Karnali State by road networks.

According to the company, 510 quintals of rice has been sent to Rolpa district, 270 quintals to Jumla and 1,100 quintals to Mugu districts after the enforcement of lockdown.

The company informed that it has a stock of 36,300 quintals of rice in its Nepalgunj office and additional 20,000 quintals is in the process of being purchased.