Water crisis forces upper Mustang villagers to relocate

By Harikrishna Sharma,Mustang, Nov. 21: Chhiring Dhukke Gurung of Dhye village of Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality-5, Upper Mustang, has been forced to leave his home after the local water source dried up due to temperature rise.

Like him, 28 families, including those of Jhwawang Wangchuk and Dindu Gurung, have moved to Thangchung. 

Dependent on agriculture and yak herding, the residents of Dhye were left with no choice but to shift their settlement after the traditional springs they relied on for irrigation and drinking water dried up.

Local Dindu Gurung said that six families have now resettled in Thangchung to earn their livelihoods while searching for reliable water sources. “We had to leave the village due to the lack of drinking water and irrigation. Climate change has displaced us,” he said. 

According to him, snowfall in winter has become rare, while rainfall during the monsoon has increased significantly. Although Dhye has abundant arable land, the fields have remained barren as the irrigation canals have run dry.

Dhye lies at an elevation of 4,000 metres and was formerly Ward No. 9 of the then Surkhang VDC. Locals have struggled with water shortages for nearly 15 years. During the monsoon, many still return to their old village with their livestock, staying temporarily in their traditional homes and sheds. 

Ward Chairperson Pasang Gurung said that the settlement was relocated years ago through the initiative of the former District Development Committee, but financial constraints meant the community had to rely on government and donor support to rebuild in the new location.

“Climate change forced us to abandon our village, yet our calls for compensation have gone unanswered for years,” said Gurung. 

Around 500 ropanis of land was allocated for the relocated settlement in Thangchung, where residents now cultivate apples and other fruits and have enough pastureland for their livestock.

Thangchung, situated on the riverbank at an altitude of 3,700 metres, receives annual budget allocations from the ward for essential infrastructure development.

The ward spans 574 square kilometres and includes Tangya, Dhekola and the old Dhye village, with a total of 50 households.

In recent years, Mustang has experienced unusual rainfall patterns with frequent floods and landslides in Upper Mustang, and growing impacts on water, land, forests and weather conditions. Despite the hardships brought about by climate change, locals said the issue has yet to receive adequate attention at the national or international level.