As students return, Rukum schools resume classes

By Our Correspondent Rukum East, June 22: Students who had gone to high pastures to collect Yarsagumba (caterpillar fungus) have started returning to their villages. 

Those who had gone to collect Yarsagumba in the areas of Pupal Lake, Purwang, Phulbari, Dangla, Panidal and Argija of Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality of Rukum East have started returning to the village. This has resulted in the reopening of the schools which were closed for lack of students.  

During the season, people of Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 go to high pastureland in search of Yarsagumba. This time, both students and teachers had gone to collect the precious herbs closing schools.

Hastiman Pun, headmaster of Putha Himalaya Secondary School, Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality-1, said that as students went to Patan along with their parents, schools were given leave during the Yarsagumba 

collection season on condition that holidays will be managed from annual vacation.

The five villages of the municipality became deserted after villagers started leaving for Patan from mid-May.

Pun informed that the season, which used to last for two-to-two-and-a-half months in previous years, has lasted only for one month this year. 

He said that people returned from Patan this time soon due to the decline in Yarsagumba production.