Out-migration empties Nawalparasi East villages

By Hem Raj Ranabhat,Gaindakot, Aug. 5: The villages in Nawalparasi East wears deserted look thanks to the high rate of out-migration.  

Statistics of Bulingtar Rural Municipality show that 60 per cent of the villagers have permanently migrated and 20 per cent are abroad, leaving only 20 per cent in the village.

Salikram Koirala, a sociology professor, said that, since 60 per cent population of two hilly local levels -- Bulingtar and Baudikali rural municipalities -- have already migrated to nearby cities, the villages will be empty in five years if the trend continues unabated.   

How many migrated?

The population of Bulingtar Rural Municipality was 19,122 as per the national census of 2011, but it dropped to 14,637 in a decade during the 2021 census. Dipendra Sonari, Bulingtar chairman, said that the village would be empty if an environment was not created to bring back the migrated ones.

Prakash Ojha, chairman of Baudikali Rural Municipality, said that the population of Baudikai was 19,122 in the 2011 census and it came down to 10,637 in 2021.

The rural municipality in its budget has announced to provide a house free of cost, Rs. 25,000 in cash and free education to the wards of anyone who returns to the village, but still more people are migrating to the urban areas than returning, said chairman Ojha. “It is extremely worrisome,” he added. 

The situation is similar in Hupsekot and Binayi Tribeni rural municipalities, both located in the hilly areas. Around 80 per cent population of wards 2, 5 and 6 of Hupsekot and ward 3 of Binayi adjoining the cities have left the village for urban areas, according to Padam Giri, ward 5 chairman. The statistics show most people are migrating to urban areas where people of their own municipalities have relocated. 

Professor Koirala said that more people are lured by the vibrancy of the cities and tend to migrate there.

“Although villages are connected by the road network, and they have schools and health posts, still people are migrating to cities en masse, leaving their houses deserted and farms barren,” Koirala added.

The population of Bulingtar and Hupsekot has significantly decreased in the past decade, whereas the population of Gaindakot, Devachuli, Kawasoti and Madhyabindu municipalities has increased significantly.  

According to the 2021 national census, the population growth rate is negative in Baidikali and Bulingtar. The population growth rate of Hupsekot is 0.56 per cent. The population of local levels along the East-West Highway is also rising.

The population growth of Kawaswoti Municipality, which is also the headquarters of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta- East), is highest in the district. According to the 2021 census, Kawaswoti saw a population growth from 62, 421 in 2011 to 86, 821 in 2021 – an increase of 3.17.   

Likewise, the population of Devchuli Municipality has reached 58,000 in 2021 from 42,603 in 2011, and that of Gaindakot Municipality has reached 79,349.

What are local levels doing to control migration?

Professor Koirala said that the local levels should take the increasing migration of people from villages to cities and near the highway seriously.

Along with building infrastructure, the local levels should work to develop employment based on agriculture to retain the people in the villages, said Tola Bhurtel, a sociology professor. “If we become able to bring about a revolutionary improvement in education and create employment through agriculture, people can be retained in the villages,” he added. 

“In order to check the migration, we have formulated a policy of positive transformation of education and focused on generating agriculture-based employment,” chair Ojha said.