Monsoon rain damages roads, life badly affected in Rolpa
Most of the rural roads in the Rolpa district are damaged due to flooding and landslips caused due to monsoon rain, making mobility very tough for the local people.
It was a beautiful day. Me and two of my friends were in a restaurant at Lalitpur having our moments when we decided to trek to Rolwaling Valley and explore Tso Rolpa and Dudhkunda Lakes and soon, we were in a local bus, fully geared, filled with enthusiasm and looking forward to the majestic landscapes of Rolwaling Valley awaiting to be explored.
As soon as we stepped to the foothills of Rolwaling Valley and started climbing uphill, it began to rain heavily. It was as if the Valley was taking shower and getting ready to welcome us. Something mythical was happening above the clouds and something magical in front of my eyes. Among many others, I was asking two questions frequently to myself. How would it feel getting to see and feel the aura of the valley, alpine and tundra forests and get to know about local people and their way of lives? What if it is nothing as I expected it to be? What if it is exactly the same as I imagined? With all these queries we spent that night at Simigaun — a sherpa village with colorful houses and thatched roofs.
Next day, we continued our hike. Rolwaling Valley, after the rain, was looking like a perfectly dressed bride with jewelries of Rhododendron, air was fresh and the weather was clear. Overall, the valley was in its best. Mt Gaurishankar and other peaks were playing hide and seek amid clouds in the horizon. Higher you go, the easier it gets to hike as the valley gradually opens up. Besides lush green forest and mammoth rocky terrains, it is the river (I have never seen a river so blue) that will never miss your sight throughout the trail.
After you reach Beding and Nagaon, typical sherpa villages, you will get a real taste of Sherpa culture and their way of life. One thing that fascinated me was that there were only women and girls in the entire village. Later, I came to know that men are engaged in trekking business and often stay away from their families. Despite all the hardships and isolation, people were happy, welcoming with a never fading smile in their face.
After spending a night in Nagaon, we packed our bags, filled our bottles with water and began our trip to Dudhkunda and Tso Rolpa Lakes. We were barely talking, our shoulders were heavy and so were our steps and breaths. Afterall we were hiking at an altitude of almost 5000m above the sea level. Higher we climbed, the better the view was. At the end, it was all worth it.
Despite being explored by only a few visitors compared to other trekking routes in Nepal, the trail in the Rolwaling Valley was so well managed. Throughout the journey, I rarely came across plastics and other waste materials which are common in other trekking trails in the country. People there have built resting places, provided drinking water facilities and built dumping sites.
At the beginning, I was afraid that what if it is not everything I thought it would be? What if it is? And, Yes, I found the Valley, Lakes, vegetation and people more beautiful and breathtaking than I had imagined. I guess that was the best part of the journey. I now get to imagine new places and look forward to new journeys.
ROLPA, September 6: Two persons have died when landslide buried their house at Bamla, Dhawang of Rolpa Municipality-10 in Rolpa district.
Seventy-year-old Gausari Thapa and Himal Roka, 5 were killed when landslide buried the house of Purna Bahadur Thapa last night, Deputy Superintendent of Police, naresh Raj Subedi, said.
Man Bahadur Roka, 35, and Bhim Kumar Roka, 33, have sustained injuries in the incident. A house has been completely damaged while two others have suffered partial damage at the place due to torrential rain.
A team from the District Police Office, the Armed Police Force personnel and locals had rescued the injured persons.
Meanwhile, the flooded Phagamkhola River has swept away a school bus belonging to the Sunlight Boarding School at Sulichaur of Sunil Smriti Rural Municipality-4 in the district.
ROLPA, August 20: Most of the rural roads in Rolpa district are damaged due to flooding and landslips caused due to monsoon rain, making people's mobility very tough for the general local people.
The road connectivity to Badachaur, Harjang, Gumchal, Siyuri and Gam is suspected for long from Sulichaur, one of the key market centres in the district's eastern area. The local people have to walk for two days to arrive in Sulichaur market.
Harka Ghartimagar of Syuri village in Sunchhahari Rural Municipality-4 said that the patients, senior citizens, women and children are mostly affected because of poor road network.
The people are facing hardships to visit bank, hospital and market in Sulichaur.
The local people have complained for less attention from the part of local government and other stakeholders for the maintenance of the dilapidated roads.
Likewise, people from the western and northern belts in Rolpa have also faced same sort of problems. With the rain, Shahidmarga and Rampur-Kapurkot road section in the district have remained muddy for long. Shahidmagar is 138 kms long from Dang to Thawang along Holeri in Rolpa.
Driver Tilak Budha Magar said that they are driving along the routes amid high risks most of the time.
Similarly, the locals are obliged to walk on foot for long as the local roads in the district are disrupted due to monsoon rain.
Chief of Road Infrastructure Development Office Dipak Dang said that most of the roads in the district are disturbed due to falling stones and downward landslips.
Three persons were killed while three others sustained injuries after a landslide triggered by incessant rain fell over their house in Rolpa Municipality-9 in Rolpa District.
