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Varagung Muktichettra Rural Municipality-4 in Kagbeni, Mustang has been shrouded in darkness for three days since a monsoon-induced flood disrupted electricity supply in the locality.

A massive flood occurred in the locality last Sunday and swept away over a dozen of electricity poles installed in and around the river basin. The poles were being repaired to resume electricity supply in the locality, said Anup KC, Chief District Officer (CDO), Baglung.

The Nilgiri Consumer Cooperatives has been distributing electricity in Kagbeni and other adjacent places. "The Cooperatives responsible for distribution of electricity have assigned technicians to repair the flood-damaged pillars," said CDO KC.

He added that the supply of drinking water would be resumed from today in Kagbeni. The flood had swept away pipelines of drinking water. The local authority is preparing to supply the drinking water brought from a nearby village.

Hundreds of villagers have been compelled to live in darkness due to power shortage, said Dhawa Dorje Gurung, a local resident.

The flood had swept away 29 houses and partially damaged 13 houses in Kagbeni.

No human causality was reported in the incident.

Many people across the country dream of owning a house and settling in Kathmandu Valley. But Tari Bahadur Prajapati is different. He made a bold choice by selling his ancestral property, including his land and house in Thimi, Bhaktapur, and relocating to Gorkha 28 years ago. 

Prajapati rented a piece of land at Chorkate village in Siranchowk Rural Municipality-4, Gorkha, built a pottery workshop, and started crafting clay products. Chorkate has long been inhabited by the Kumal community, with a rich heritage in the art of pottery. Over the past three decades, Prajapti has gained recognition in the village as the ‘Newari Kumal’.

The Kumal community primarily practiced pottery in areas such as Kundurtar and Adhaigaun in Gorkha. Initially, Prajpati encountered challenges in competing with the local potters. However, owing to the high demand for clay products during that period, he swiftly established his business foothold.

Very soon plastic, rubber, aluminum and iron products started inundating the market, placing the traditional potters, who had honed their craft over centuries, in a precarious position, and Prajapati was no exception. While many Kumal artisans reluctantly abandoned their ancestral profession, Prajapati remained resolute. Today, he remains the sole practitioner of his craft, not just in his village but the entire Gorkha district.

At the age of 65, Prajapati finds no interest in pursuing alternate professions. “I have a dedicated customer base, and this business adequately sustains my livelihood. Why should I shift to another profession?” says Prajapati. His two sons, however, have embraced different paths, one is a metal worker and other an electrician. 

Prajapati’s clay products reach different markets across Gorkha. Some of his popular products include clay lamps, pots, vases, and piggy banks. Notably, the demand for clay pots for roasting corn and earthen vessels, cherished for their cooling properties, has been on the rise.

Prajapati hasn’t faced any problem in sourcing clay for his craft as there are no other people involved in the profession. He brings clay from a quarry in Ludikhola once a year. Prajpati has replaced the manual pottery wheel with a motor-powered wheel. Additionally, he has invested in a clay-mixing machine to streamline his production process.

He believes that the government’s support and cooperation could encourage more people to become involved  in the pottery profession. “Government support could reinvigorate and ensure the continuity of age-old professions like pottery for generations to come,” he says. But so far, this lone potter in Gorkha has not received any help.

Four children have lost their lives within a month over the wait for flights in remote mountainous district Humla.

Of them, three are infants and one is a toddler.  Though the babies, who were suffering from different health complications, were referred to outside the district by the District Hospital, they couldn't receive timely treatment due to the lack of  reliable transport facility in Humla.

Simkot, the sole airport in the district, has been non-operational for long, causing severe conveniences to the district folks, particularly during health emergencies.

The victims include a six-month-old child of Simkot Rural Municipality-6, a seven-month-old child of Simkot-7, a 17-month-old child of Kharpunath-1 and a five-month-old child of Chankhelli-4, according to District Hospital's senior ANM Sarita Bohara.

The prolonged disruption of flight has greatly affected the people, especially during health emergencies, she said.  Adding to the challenges, the decision of the Civil Aviation Authority to restrict flight operations to mountainous districts beyond the operation hours (after 12:30 pm) during the monsoon season has aggravated the situation, it is reported. 

Besides, Humla frequently gets affected by adverse weather conditions in morning hours in the rainy season.

The father of the child from Simkot-6, who tragically lost his life as the family could not take him outside following a referral from the district hospital said he felt so sorry over the fate that befell his family.

Likewise, the toddler of Kharpunath-1 was hospitalized on July 30 for pneumonia and diarrhea.  His treatment within the district seemed not possible and he was referred to outside the district. The child died on August 11.

Teaching and learning activities have been affected after the landslide triggered by incessant rainfall buried school buildings in Parbat.

The landslide buried two buildings of Thapathana Secondary School at Falebas Municipality-2. The landslide that came from around 50 meters above the school buried the buildings.

School headmaster Bishnu Prasad Sharma informed that though the landslide buried three rooms, teaching and learning activities were being conducted in the other eight rooms of the school.

The landslide had caused damage to the building on July 1 also. The landslide occurred in the same place after August 7, 2023 triggered further damage.

The landslide has gradually buried the threshold of the school. "There is no situation to keep students in all eight rooms", he said.

Teaching and learning activities are being conducted from primary level to grade eight. As many as 240 students are studying in the school now.

"There is every likelihood that the landslide may occur anytime and cause damage to the school", Sharma added. "We are compelled to keep the students of grades two and three together in one place".

Santosh Rijal, the school teacher, said the breakdown of the edge of the newly-constructed Naudanda-Karkineta-Falebas-Jaimuni road has caused damage to two-three rooms of the school.

Thapathana is the school having the highest number of students in Falebas Municipality.