Poverty forces people to leave homes

By Ser Bahadur Sharki,Bajura, May 14: Bajura ranks 77th on Nepal’s Human Development Index. The district still faces widespread poverty, illiteracy and a lack of well-equipped health facilities.

Although the area has fertile land, there have been few effective efforts to make proper use of it. As a result, many locals are now being forced to leave their homes and migrate elsewhere in search of a livelihood.

Man Bahadur Lohar of Budhinanda Municipality-7 said poverty had forced him to leave his beloved birthplace and abandon his land.

“Everyone loves their birthplace. Everyone wants to stay at home and live happily there. But poverty neither allows us to survive in the village nor lets us avoid migrating,” he said.

He added that he had spent many years away from home just to feed his family. His situation is not unique. People from Himali, Swamikartik Khapar, Jagannath, Budhinanda, Badimalika, Gaumul, Budhiganga, Triveni and Khaptad Chhededaha are facing similar hardships.

Although people own land, there is little irrigation facility. Even when crops are produced, they do not reach the market on time. When there is demand, there is often no production. These ongoing problems have pushed many villagers to leave their settlements and migrate.

Bajura has changed compared to the past. Earlier, locals had to travel to markets in Kailali even to buy daily essentials, a journey that took nearly a month. Goods then had to be carried from Sanjhe Bagar in Achham using sheep and goats, taking several more days.

Today, even remote villages are connected by roads and daily necessities can be delivered by vehicles directly to homes. Despite this, many villages are becoming deserted. Houses are collapsing as no one remains to look after them, while fertile land capable of producing abundant crops is lying barren.

Locals said the local government has failed to create opportunities for young people to earn a living in their own villages. If such an environment were created, many youths could stay and work at home. Representatives say many young people are leaving in search of better income and a more comfortable life.

According to Jasiram Sahani, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Bajura, the district has 230,037 hectares of land, but only 22,000 hectares are cultivable. Of that, only 5,235 hectares have year-round irrigation facilities.

“Most farmland lacks irrigation, and young people are losing interest in farming. As a result, much of the land is now left barren,” Sahani said.

Gobinda Bahadur Malla, Chairman of Himali Rural Municipality, said efforts were being made to create employment opportunities for young people within the villages.

“There are many unemployed youths in the villages and the economic condition is weak. The local government alone cannot solve this problem. The federal government also needs to create an environment that encourages young people to stay and work in their villages,” he said.