Bhotkhola faces food crisis

BY DHYAN KULUNG,Sankhuwasabha, May 11: Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, which used to import daily groceries from Tibet of China, is facing food crisis after the Kimathangka border crossing between Sankhuwasabha and China has been closed. 

The food crisis has mainly started in Kimathangka, Thudam, Ridak and Chumsur villages of Ward No. 2 of the rural municipality. After the crisis started in these villages, the Koshi Provincial government has sent 90 quintals of rice as per the demand of the rural municipality. 

Chairman of Bhotkhola Rural Municipality Wang Chheder Bhote informed that the rural municipality had already distributed the grant rice to the villagers which would last for about two months. He said that they had demanded the District Disaster Management Committee to provide grains since the current grant would not last for long. 

Shiva Kumar Karki, chairman of District Disaster Management Committee (DMC) and Chief District Officer, informed that 2,800 quintals of rice had been requested to the provincial government as transportation subsidy as per the demand of the rural municipality. He said that they had demanded with the provincial government to bear the cost of transportation and provide rice at the price that the villagers had been paying earlier. 

Similarly, he informed that the DMC was under preparation to deliver 350 quintals of rice under Nepal Food Corporation in the rural municipality. 

The residents of the rural municipality had been facing various problems due to closed border. The border was closed after the coronavirus pandemic. Although the local government and locals have repeatedly requested to open the border, the border has not been opened yet. 

Karki said that the rural municipality had already written a letter requesting to open the border to the district administration office and the administration office had communicated with the higher ministries including Home Ministry. But, there was no progress, he added.

Bhotkhola Rural Municipality is the most remote area of Sankhuwasabha. Even the headquarters is not connected to the road network due to geographical difficulties. Although it is the shortest crossing of the country connecting three countries, the track of North-South Koshi Highway has not yet been opened. According to the locals, the corps produced there suffice only for about three months. Mainly millet and potatoes are produced in these areas.