People living in Chure face numerous hardships

By Our Correspondent,Dadeldhura, Feb. 9: People living in the settlements bordering Chure mountain range in the Dadeldhura district are facing an acute shortage of drinking water and lack other basic facilities like electricity and transportation. 

 These settlements, which have religious, historical, traditional and cultural significance, lack basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, roads, healthcare and education.

The Malas area of Dadeldhura, which borders Kanchanpur, is only about 13 kilometres away from Mahendranagar market but is approximately 110 kilometres away from the district headquarters, Amarghadi. 

Malas area of Parashuram Municipality-7 is about 30 kilometres away from the municipal office in Laldhunga. Although the area is not remote in terms of distance, its location in the Chure region makes life difficult for its residents due to a lack of essential facilities.

Malas consists of 12 settlements with around 250 households and a total population of approximately 4,000 people. Although the area was connected to the road network a few years ago, regular transportation services are still unavailable. Even light rainfall causes road blockages. There is still no electricity in the village. 

The area has one secondary school and a health post, but for higher education, students have to travel elsewhere. Similarly, for medical treatment, residents have no option but to book a vehicle, which costs at least NPR 10,000, to reach hospitals in Mahendranagar or other places. 

According to one local, Janak Dhami, "There is no electricity, so we use diesel-powered machines to grind wheat. When roads are open, it costs Rs.7 per kilogram to grind wheat in Mahendranagar and bring it back. However, during the four months of the monsoon when roads are blocked, the price rises to Rs.11 per kilogram."

Transporting one quintal of goods from Mahendranagar to Malas costs Rs. 1,000. Currently, only one vehicle operates between Mahendranagar and Malas. Dhami also mentioned that transporting a goat or sheep from Malas to Mahendranagar costs Rs. 300 in vehicle fare. In some cases, passengers are charged the same fare as livestock.

It takes a whole day to reach the municipal office. Seventy-nine-year-old senior citizen Dattu Bohara said, "It would be better if this area was merged with Kanchanpur. That would make things easier for us. We could go in the morning and return home by evening." 

Since opening a bank account was required to receive the social security allowance, he had to travel to Mahendranagar to open an account as he couldn't do so in Jogbuda. He added that receiving the allowance would be much easier in Mahendranagar.

The Malas settlements also suffer from drinking water shortage, and there is no irrigation facility. Due to a lack of water, crops and fruit plants, including lemon trees, have dried up, Bohara said.