Jang village in Humla empty as last two families leave

By Rajan Rawat,Humla, Jan. 11: Jang Village in Limi, located in Namkha Rural Municipality-6, has become completely deserted. The last two families who stayed in the village during the monsoon too left for Kathmandu this winter, making the village empty.

Kunjo Tamang, a local from Halji Village in Limi, said that the two families who stayed in Jang Village until October moved to Kathmandu in November, leaving the entire village empty.

 With no people left in Halji Village, it now appears deserted. Last winter, while two families still lived in the village, their relatives in Kathmandu pressured them to leave the village. This year, they finally decided to move.

Citing a lack of services and facilities, Kunjo Tamang said that both local and federal governments need to address such issues seriously. The villagers who left have taken their valuable belongings with them to Kathmandu.

Paljor Tamang, the ward chairperson of Limi, said that Jang Village, which once had 63 households, is now completely uninhabited. He added that all houses are locked, and only horses can be seen grazing near the village. Even the monastery in the village looks deserted.

He expressed concerns about the potential loss of the village’s identity, as residents have abandoned their movable and immovable properties, locked their doors and moved to Kathmandu. He further said that the younger generation has no intention of returning, forcing the older generation to also leave the village.

Once renowned for its yak and sheep farming, Jang Village in Limi has now reached a state of being uninhabited, which is a tragic development. Despite the ward’s suggestion to stay in the village, locals did not comply, highlighting the need for the government's attention to launch campaigns encouraging people to return, Tamang said.

Although Jang Village was considered fertile for crops like barley, arable land has remained fallow since last year. With no children in the village, the local school was closed a year ago and its teachers were reassigned elsewhere.