Traditional Bajura springs drying up

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, May 19: Traditional water springs, locally known as naula, are rapidly drying up in different parts of the Bajura district, causing growing concern among local communities.

These natural water sources, long used by older generations for drinking water, are now disappearing, worrying even younger residents.

Local Datta BK said the springs once provided easy access to water for both herders and livestock staying in highland cattle sheds. “When we used to take cattle to the upper pastures, we drank water from these traditional springs that had been used by earlier generations,” he said.

He added that as the springs dry up, it has become increasingly difficult even to provide water for livestock. The problem is not limited to one area alone. Residents across all nine local levels of Bajura are facing similar difficulties.

People in the district traditionally take sheep, goats, cows and buffaloes to highland pastures during grazing seasons, where these natural springs served as reliable water sources. However, many of those springs have now begun to dry up, making life difficult for herders staying in the highlands.

Locals said uncontrolled road construction and frequent landslides are among the major reasons behind the disappearance of water sources. Older residents believed that the use of bulldozers during road construction has destabilised the land, while landslides have further damaged underground water systems, causing many springs to dry up completely.

Suresh Chandra DC, Chief of the Division Forest Office Bajura, said unplanned road construction and deforestation are gradually contributing to the depletion of water sources in rural areas.