Surkhet, October 7
Heavy snowfall has cut off the northern parts of Namkha Rural Municipality in Humla from the road network, leaving residents of the Limi and Hilsa areas struggling to travel and access essential supplies.
Up to three and a half feet of snow has accumulated at Nyalu and Nara La, blocking roads leading to Limi since the first week of October. With the routes closed, residents needing urgent medical treatment or other essential services have been forced to consider chartering helicopters.
The road to Limi through Nyalu in Ward 5 and Nara La in Ward 6 has been buried under thick snow. Paljor Tamang, ward chair of Namkha-6, said the snowfall has also made it difficult for residents of Humla staying in Taklakot to return home ahead of Dashain and Tihar.
“If someone falls sick in the village, there is no road to take them out immediately. We have to charter a helicopter,” Tamang said. “The snow needs to be cleared and the road reopened as soon as possible.”
Three feet of snow covers Tumling
Tumling Bazaar, a high-altitude settlement in Namkha-6, has been buried under heavy snow following snowfall about 10 days ago.
The settlement, located at an altitude of around 4,000 metres, received heavy snowfall from October 9 to 11, with locals reporting up to three feet of snow on the ground.
Kunjok Tamang, a resident of Halji village in Limi, said hotel operators, yak herders and other residents in Tumling have been struggling even to leave their homes.
“There is so much snow that even walking outside has become difficult,” he said. “People have been forced to stay indoors.”
The snowfall has turned the entire Limi area white, while thick layers of snow on roads and surrounding paths have disrupted daily activities.
Four-hour walk now takes two days
The journey from Tumling to Jang, which normally takes about four hours on foot, now takes local residents up to two days.
With roads and foot trails covered in snow, vehicles cannot operate and residents have been forced to travel on foot. Since Tumling also lacks communication services, residents have to reach Jang to establish contact with the outside world.
The disruption of both transport and communication has added to the difficulties faced by people living in the remote settlement.
Water sources frozen
The cold has also frozen water taps in Tumling, leaving residents without their regular supply of drinking water. With no alternative source available, locals have been melting snow to meet their daily water needs.
Residents say the need to melt snow for drinking water has made everyday life even more difficult. This year’s snowfall has also arrived unusually early compared with previous years.
Essential supplies difficult to transport
The closure of roads has disrupted the supply of food, firewood and other essential goods to Limi. With vehicles unable to reach the area, residents have been forced to carry supplies on foot.
Local hotel businesses have also been affected. Eighteen hotel operators in Til, 90 in Halji, three in Jang and 11 in Tumling are reportedly affected, while two hotels are operating in Takchi.
Nyalu La, located at an altitude of around 5,000 metres, is one of the main entry points into Limi. Heavy snowfall has covered the road there, preventing vehicles from operating.
Police post also struggling under snow
The snowfall has affected daily life at the police post in Sunkhani, Limi, where around three feet of snow has accumulated after three consecutive days of snowfall.
The lack of firewood has made cooking difficult, while frozen water pipes have created a shortage of drinking water. Firewood and food are being carried from Halji village to the police post.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Shankar Khadka of the District Police Office, Humla, said the Sunkhani police post was also facing difficulties due to the snowfall.
Communication services in Sunkhani are weak. Police personnel stationed there have to walk for about four hours once a day to reach Halji, where 4G service is available and information can be exchanged.
Ten police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, are stationed at the post.
Road through Nara La needs heavy machinery
Nara La, located at an altitude of 4,670 metres, has received up to three and a half feet of snow, blocking the Hilsa-Simikot road section.
According to Armed Police Force Inspector Kedar Sapkota of the border security post, clearing the accumulated snow manually would be extremely difficult and a JCB excavator would be required to reopen the road.
Pema Lama, operator of Mansarovar Hotel in Hilsa, has urged the Hilsa-Simikot Road Project to clear the snow and resume transport services.
The road closure has affected Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel stationed in Hilsa, as well as employees at the Yari border customs and immigration offices, hotel operators and local traders.
Heavy snowfall arrives unusually early
Local residents say Hilsa has experienced heavy snowfall from September 26 this year for the first time in around 15 years. In previous years, heavy snowfall generally began only after November.
Residents have attributed the unusually early snowfall to changes in weather patterns. With roads blocked just ahead of Dashain and Tihar, Humla residents staying in Taklakot are also struggling to return home.
Residents of Limi and Hilsa have urged the concerned authorities to immediately clear the accumulated snow and restore road connectivity to the region.
