Sun Sunar admitted his six-month-old son, Imran, to the Humla District Hospital on July 31 after he developed flu symptoms. As he also developed pneumonia and diarrhea, the district hospital advised Sun to seek better-equipped hospitals three days later.
Sunar began waiting for an aircraft since air travel is the sole mode of transportation in Humla which is yet to be connected to the road network. However, since no aircraft landed in Humla for about a week, Imran passed away without treatment. “People in Humla are dying even from common illnesses like cough and cold due to lack of treatment. The government has abandoned us,” he lamented.
Kali Bahadur Shahi’s seven-month-old son, Rohit, also succumbed to lack of medical care. Doctors had recommended that Shahi, from Simikot-7 in Humla, take his son to better-equipped hospitals. However, due to the absence of flights, he couldn’t transfer his son from Humla. “My son and two other patients were waiting for a flight to Nepalgunj, but the plane never arrived,” he shared.
Aryan Pariyar, an eighteen-month-old child from Kharpunath-4 in Humla, died due to diarrhea as he couldn’t be taken to hospitals in Surkhet or Nepalgunj because of flight unavailability. Similarly, Sandesh Luhar, a five-month-old from Chankehli-4 in Humla, also passed away as he couldn’t be transferred to hospitals with better facilities.
Air services in the hilly districts of Karnali have come to a halt after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) banned flight operations after noon. Flight operations are nearly impossible due to frequent poor weather conditions in the mornings, and flights are prohibited after noon. Consequently, the people of Karnali are suffering due to lack of flights. Political parties, civil society leaders, and the general public have urged CAAN to reconsider its decision, but the authority has taken no action in this regard.
Simikot Airport in Humla used to witness 12-18 daily flights on a daily basis. However, the airport now appears deserted. While weather conditions often worsen in the morning, flights are barred from operating in the afternoon, leading to disruptions in flight operations.
“Our suffering knows no end. With no road transport available and aircraft not coming, we are stuck,” said Devilal Upadhyaya of Kharpunath-4. “I’ve been staying in a hotel in Simkot for the past four days, waiting for a flight to Nepalgunj. I’ve exhausted all my money on food and accommodation. I'm returning home now.”
Mahendra Singh, Chief of Simikot Airport, said that the people in hilly and mountainous regions are suffering due to CAAN’s impractical regulations. “Airlines are allowed to operate flights in the morning when the weather is often unclear. The weather becomes better in the afternoon, but flights are not permitted,” he added.
Shreenath Poudel, Chief District Officer of Humla, mentioned that the issue has arisen because aviation officials in Kathmandu have imposed rules on remote hilly districts. “People are coming to the local administration seeking a solution to this problem. Political parties are echoing the same sentiment. Despite our efforts, the problem remains unresolved,” he explained.
Airlines used to operate daily flights to remote airfields such as Juphal in Dolpa, Simkot in Humla, Talcha in Mugu, Khalanga in Jumla, and Kolti in Bajura. However, these airfields are no longer seeing flights these days. Although road transport is available in other districts, Humla being an exception, it is unreliable, especially during the monsoon season.
Talcha Airport in Mugu has not seen any flight operations in the past two weeks. Consequently, patients referred by district hospitals are unable to reach Surkhet or Nepalgunj for treatment. Durga Lawa of Chhayanath Rara-13 has been waiting for a flight at Talcha Airport for two weeks as she cannot use surface transport due to her poor health. Hima Budha from Kapurkut in Salyan, who is currently working in Mugu, has also been waiting for flights to Nepalgunj from Talcha Airport for two weeks. “Poor road conditions make it impossible for me to travel to Nepalgunj by road,” said Budha, who is seven months pregnant.
Since flight services are unavailable, Mugu District Hospital doctors have been referring patients to the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences in Jumla. “Some cases need to be referred to Surkhet or Nepalgunj, but due to the absence of flights, we have been referring them to Jumla,” explained Dr Karna Raj Bham.
Prior to the implementation of the new rule, Sita Air, Summit Air, and Tara Air operated one to two daily flights to Talcha Airport.
Dolpa has also experienced disruption in flight services for the past two weeks. Ramchandra Neupane, a civil society leader in Dolpa, criticized CAAN for playing with people’s lives by prohibiting flight operations after noon.
Yanki Gurung from Dolpo Buddha-3 in Upper Dolpa said he couldn’t take his mother to Nepalgunj for medical treatment on time due to lack of flights. “It took us three days to reach Nepalgunj, and the journey was arduous,” he shared.
Karnali Province Chief Minister Rajkumar Sharma emphasized the need to reform policies that adversely affect the people. “CAAN’s new rule has created hardships for the people of Karnali. Everyone has the right to life, which this rule violates. I will raise this issue with the federal government soon,” he added.
According to the Bajura District Police Office, Agni Bohora of Budhinanda-3, Udaya Narayan Sah of Swami Kartik Rural Municipality, and Aina Giri of Jagannath-1 died due to lack of flights at Kolti Airport. Giri died while being transported to Dhangadhi by road.
Development work halted
Kamal Gautam, who looks after Simrik Air’s operations in the western sector, CAAN’s new rule has hindered development work, as helicopters are now prohibited from carrying heavy cargo using sling operations. “We are unable to transport telecommunications equipment to Mugu, hydropower equipment to Mugu, and hospital equipment to Bajhang,” Gautam explained.
