Housing occupies Martadi Jiulo farmland, locals express concern about food security

By Our Correspondent, Bajura, Jan 18: The Martadi Jiulo in Bajura district headquarters has rapidly filled with houses recently.

Once known for rice production, this tract of land is now getting steadily transformed into a residential area.

Situated in wards 8 and 9 of Badimalika Municipality, Jiulo historically produced large quantities of rice.

They protected the land and relied on it for food security, earning it the local recognition bhat khane jiulo (farmland that produces rice).

In recent years, younger residents have sold the land for housing and commercial use.

 As landowners sold plots and buyers constructed houses, settlement expanded rapidly across the Jiulo area.

Local resident Dhanakala Rawal expressed that the valley once occurred several hundred ropanis of productive farmland.

She stated younger generations shifted towards entrepreneurship and sold the land, causing rice fields to disappear.

Martadi functions as Bajura’s main administrative, commercial, and service centre.

Residents from all nine local governments have purchased land at Jiulo due to easy access to markets, government offices, and essential services.

Ward Chairperson, Chandrabahadur Thapa stated limited employment opportunities and developing urban aspirations pushed locals to abandon farming and sell land.

Currently, more than 5,000 people live in Ward 8 and over 2,000 in Ward 9.

As land transactions continue, housing has increasingly occupied fertile agricultural land, raising concerns about long-term food security.