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Manang and Mustang, the two trans-Himalayan districts in Gandaki Province, experienced heavy rains in the last 24 hours. 

According to Dinkar Kayastha, Information Officer at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the heavy rains were recorded in the two districts due to the influence of Westerly winds and a low-pressure system developed in the Arabian Sea.

In the last 24 hours, Chame of Manang received 64.4 millimeters of rain, followed by 51.2 mm in Jomsom of Mustang. Rainfall from 50-100 mm is categorized as heavy.

Besides Manang and Mustang, various other districts experienced moderate rain in the past 12 hours. 

As of 3:40 pm, Dunai of Dolpa witnessed 36 mm of rain and Jumla witnessed 13 mm. Baglung and Parbat recorded 24 mm, Pyuthan 21.8 mm, Sindhupalchowk 29.6 mm, Chitwan 23 mm, and Lamjung 27 mm of rainfall.

Mountain districts have experienced heavy snowfall, while the lower regions recorded rain. The cold has increased in the Kathmandu Valley, which is experiencing light rain.

As per the Department’s forecast, some places in the high hills and mountain regions of Bagmati, Gandaki, and Karnali Provinces are likely to see heavy snowfall and rain tonight.

Shanti Mahat, spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, urged everyone to take precautions amidst the forecast for rains and snowfall.

Mustang received this season's first snowfall.  

The District Administration Office stated that it started snowing from the morning at Korala checkpoint in Upper Mustang, Muktinath region and in Lomanthang Rural Municipality. 

Chief District Officer Bishnu Prasad Bhusal said rainfall accompanied by snowfall is taking place in Upper Mustang's Lomanthang-2 Chhosar, Korlanaka, and Muktinath areas, as well as in the highlands of Upper and Lower Mustang.  

Similarly, Rabin Subedi, an employee of the Muktinath Development Committee, said that it has snowed in the Muktinath area, adding continuous snowfall from early morning has caused problems for devotees visiting the temple.

According to Lopsang Chomphel Bista, Chairperson of Logheker Damodarkund Rural Municipality, snowfall is occurring in Logheker Damodarkunda and there has been partial snowfall near the settlement along with rain.

“This year it snowed in Kartik month. There was no snowfall here for the past two to three years. Snowfall is very beneficial for farmers as it significantly supports the crops they have sown,” said Chairman Bista.

Similarly, Ward Chairperson Pramesh Gurung said that heavy snowfall has occurred in high-altitude villages of Baragung, including Khinga, Jhong, Chhengur, and Phalyak. He mentioned that with the snowfall, the cold has increased significantly, affecting the daily life of the local people.

Meanwhile, the District Administration Office has requested people not to travel from Baragung Muktichhetra-4 Kagbeni to Muktinath.

It stated that there is a risk of road accidents due to heavy snowfall on that road, and pilgrims going to visit Muktinath Temple are being urged not to travel in such a situation.

He stated that due to thick snow accumulation on the roads at Kalobhir, Khinga, Jharkot and other places on the Kagbeni–Muktinath road section, travellers have been requested not to take vehicles.

Trek to Annapurna Base Camp halted

Likewise, a report from Myagdi stated that tourists visiting the tourism areas in Myagdi and Mustang have faced difficulties after the occurrence of snowfall accompanied by light rain.

Since last night, there has been light rain in the hilly areas of those districts and snowfall in the higher areas.

"There is snow accumulation on the roads and trails, making it impossible to operate vehicles or to walk. Tourists have not gone out of where they are staying due to the risk. We have also urged them not to go out," said Pramesh Gurung, the ward chairman.

Tej Gurung, a hotel entrepreneur at Humkhola, located at the entrance of the Maurice Herzog Trail leading to Annapurna Base Camp, stated that there has been no movement on the trail since early this morning. 

"While about 500 tourists used to come daily, only around 200 came on Monday," he said. "Due to rain and snowfall, today's trek has been postponed."

Lok Bahadur Pun, the ward chairman of Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, said that they managed and facilitated the travel of visitors until 12 midnight, stating tourists who reached Annapurna Base Camp via the Maurice Herzog Trail had been dropped off at Narchyang and Bhurung Tatopani. 

Dambar Bahadur Pun, a hotel owner in Ghodepani, informed that tourists had suspended their trekking due to bad weather and were waiting for favourable weather. 

On the morning of August 30, 2025, Khusi Sunar was excited and delighted.

She left home early in the morning to take part in the Snow Leopard Scout’s Monitoring Camp, held around Khinga Village and Muktinath Temple premises in lower Mustang, the snow leopard’s habitats.

She was wondering how the event would be and who would accompany her. Only Khusi and two of her schoolmates from Janakalyan Basic School, Syang got an opportunity to participate in the camp. Along with her, 42 people were taking part in the two-day residential camp including school students, teachers, rural municipality officials, ward chairperson, journalists, field rangers, scientists, locals and conservationists.

Such camps have been held in Mustang since 2012 to familiarize local students with snow leopard habitats, monitoring techniques and tools, and to help them identify the snow leopard’s prey, species blue sheep. 

Khusi joined the art, face and stone painting sessions with the group where the trainer Sweta taught them how to create symbolic sketches of the snow leopard, its prey, and habitat. “I am passionate about sketching, so I enjoyed the session”, she recalls, “I never imagined that a sketch could focus on just one body part of an animal too. For example, I drew only the tail, while one of the group members drew the snow leopard’s head, body, and tail—and he won first prize.”

In any kind of conservation field programs, such an initiative engages local children, nurture their artistic talent, express their feelings for nature, and promote coexistence and the message reaches the community.

During the art session, attended mainly by eight students of her age from grades 6, 7, and 8 of six schools of lower Mustang, Khusi was surprised to see one adult participant joining the group, eager to learn sketching. “He was a high-altitude health technician from the Baragung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality,” recalls Khusi. “Later, he sketched a group of snow leopards and was very happy to be with us.” 

Among the students was Kittu Thakali, a bright and confident seventh grader from Janahit Secondary School, Jomsom,  who eagerly participated in the art session. When I asked her how she found the camp, she smiled and proudly showed me her painted stone with mountain and blue sheep, the main prey of snow leopard in the campsite. Her artwork reflected what she had learned about the snow leopard and its mountain home.

Kittu’s mother Laxmi shared that she was so happy that Kittu learned new things from the camp. “I hope Kittu will continue learning about conservation”, she says. Out of thirty-two students in her class, Kittu was selected to attend the camp because of her confidence and the essay she wrote about the snow leopard that impressed her teacher.

“Art is one of the hobbies that children truly enjoy”, says Sweta, “Engaging them through their hobbies helps them remember for a long time”.

Sweta feels that such camp leaves a lasting impression, reinforcing the importance of conservation. Through art, they can express what they know about snow leopards, their habitat, prey, and more. “Most importantly,” she says, “Children love nature and color”.

The two-day camp left a lasting impression on everyone, especially children like Khusi and Kittu, who knew that learning about snow leopards could be both fun and creative. Beyond sketches and colors, the camp fostered connection—between students, adults, and nature—and reminded all participants that conservation is a shared journey, where everyone, young or old, rangers or citizen scientists, community people or conservationists can contribute.

(Anil leads the Community-Based Snow Leopard ConservationProject in the Nepal’s Himalaya) 

Phalyak, Dharkajung, and Pakling villages of Waragung Mukti Kshetra-5 in Mustang are known as key agricultural hubs. Out of the municipality’s 19 villages, these produce the largest share of apples and sufficient grain, while farmers also grow yams, buckwheat, potatoes, beans, corn, barley, and other vegetables for income.

But farmers in Phalyak and Dharkajung are now struggling with an irrigation crisis. Rising ground temperatures and a lack of timely snowfall—effects linked to climate change—are causing irrigation sources to dry up, leaving locals increasingly worried.

Waragung Mukti Kshetra Rural Municipality Chairperson Ringjin Namgel Gurung said the absence of snowfall in Mustang over the past two years has dried up springs that farmers depend on. “Rain alone does not solve our irrigation problem. We need timely snowfall,” he said, warning that shrinking water sources are leaving once fully irrigated farmland almost barren. “In the past, 100 percent of cultivable land was irrigated. Now, it is hard to irrigate even 10 percent.”

Ward Chairperson Surendra Gurung of Waragung-5 added that the Lumbuk River, which normally swells between June and August, has started to shrink. “Agriculture is the main livelihood here, and it cannot exist without irrigation. The Lumbuk River is our lifeline, but it is drying up instead of rising,” he said. Farmers are now forced to share the limited water on a rotational basis, but even that is becoming unsustainable.

On Saturday, a team of farmers and local representatives inspected the river’s source. Rural Municipality Vice-chairperson Dicky Gurung reported that three springs feeding the Lumbuk River have decreased significantly, with water flow now reduced by nearly two-thirds compared to previous years. “There has been no snowfall for three consecutive winters, which has hit the river badly,” he said.

Local farmers confirm the worsening situation. “We found the water volume much lower than before. If this continues, our settlement could face displacement within a few years,” said Konchok Gurung of Dharkajung. Another farmer, Raju Gurung of Phalyak, noted that where one farmer previously irrigated 25–30 fields, it is now difficult to water even four or five.

Villagers say that adequate snowfall in winter could revive the river through spring meltwater, but snowless peaks have left them without hope. Some residents even performed religious rituals at the Lumbuk cave, praying for the restoration of water sources.

Locals are urging all three levels of government to address the climate-driven crisis by identifying alternative irrigation sources and investing in water management. Without immediate solutions, they fear their farming system—and way of life—will collapse.

The Beni-Jomsom road linking Mustang district with national highway and Beni-Darbang road connecting three local levels of Myagdi district with its district headquarters have been disrupted since this morning due to landslides in various places.

Vehicular movement along the Beni-Jomson road has come to a grinding halt following a landslide at Majhkharja in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-2, Sukebahar IN Annapurna Rural Municipality-3 and at Mahabhir, according to the District Traffic Police Office, Myagdi.

Chief of the District Traffic Police Office, Bishal Darji, shared that the Beni-Darbang road has been obstructed due to landslides at Beni Municipality-4 and Phaparkhet in Mangala Rural Municipality-2.

Locals have been facing problems due to obstruction of vehicular movement following the landslides.

Efforts are underway to clear the landslide debris, police said.

Nestled within Nepal’s trans-Himalayan corridor, Mustang has long been a land of both abundance and scarcity. Snow-capped peaks cast long shadows over barren, windswept valleys. Ancient Tibetan Buddhist monasteries perched precariously on cliffs, their prayer flags fluttering in winds that have shaped both land and lore. Generations of farmers etched terraced fields into rocky hillsides, coaxing from the unforgiving soil apples so crisp they became symbols of Mustang’s ingenuity and perseverance. Life here did not defy nature—it moved with it. The cycles of snowmelt and monsoon dictated planting, harvest, prayer, and pilgrimage. But that delicate balance, honed over centuries, is now unraveling.

Mustang today no longer tells a story of quiet endurance, but one of escalating emergency. Winters, once defined by a serene blanket of snow that insulated life, now arrive barren and bitter. The snowpack—Mustang’s natural water bank—is gone. Springs, once fed by slow, predictable melt, now yield nothing. Fields lie cracked and fallow. Crops wither before maturity. Livestock, once the backbone of the local economy and culture, are vanishing from dust-hardened pastures. And tourism, once buoyed by Mustang’s stark winter beauty and cultural mystique, is fading as snowless landscapes and landslide-prone trails turn visitors away.

Here, climate change is not abstract. It is not a threat on the horizon or a projection debated by distant experts. It is a predator, stalking villages, devouring traditions, and dismantling livelihoods with ferocity. It has reshaped the land, emptied barns, severed trails, and muted festivals once anchored in the rhythms of a snow-fed world.

Mustang’s collapse is not an isolated tragedy—it is a mirror reflecting Nepal’s imminent future. This once-remote highland, long considered resilient due to its self-reliant communities and adaptation to extremes, is now ground zero for climate-induced disruption. If Mustang, a region whose people have survived for centuries at the mercy of thin air and sparse rain, is faltering so rapidly, what lies ahead for Nepal’s more densely populated regions?

Consider the lowland floodplains of the Tarai, already vulnerable to monsoon volatility. Or the mid-hill farms, where rain-fed agriculture sustains millions and any shift in precipitation wreaks havoc. Or the teeming cities—Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar—where overstressed infrastructure and unchecked urbanization compound every climate shock. If climate extremes can hollow out Mustang, the implications for these regions are dire.

What’s unfolding in Mustang is a warning shot. The snows that once defined its seasons are vanishing across the Himalayan arc, endangering the glaciers that feed rivers essential to 1.5bn people downstream. As temperatures rise nearly twice as fast in the Himalayas as the global average, Mustang’s parched orchards, empty yak barns, and shuttered homestays offer a preview of a broader unraveling.

And yet, this is not just about lost apples, absent snow, or displaced herders. It’s about what vanishes with them—ancestral knowledge, spiritual connection to land, and a model of harmony between people and nature that the rest of the world has largely forgotten.

When snow becomes memory

For centuries, the arrival of the first snowfall in Mustang marked more than a seasonal change—it was a reset for the land and its people. Snow blanketed apple orchards and barley fields, fed glacial springs, and sustained fragile mountain ecosystems. It signaled a time of rest and replenishment, while gradually releasing meltwater to sustain life through the arid months. Today, snowfall has retreated into memory. The landscape remains cold, yet eerily bare.

“The cold still cracks our skin, but the earth stays barren,” laments Lopsang Gurung, a farmer in Marpha, standing beside a deep, jagged well drilled in search of vanishing groundwater. This absence of snow has ruptured Mustang’s hydrological balance. Springs that once flowed year-round now run dry by early spring. Groundwater levels plummet as villagers dig deeper in desperation. Monsoon rains, once steady and life-giving, now arrive in violent torrents that erode topsoil and flood fields. Scientists report a 30 percent decline in snow cover since 2010—a change that has triggered cascading effects: mistimed flowering, disrupted migratory patterns, and failing crops.

Cultural life suffers too. Losar, the Tibetan New Year, once danced with snow-laced prayers and processions, now unfolds on dusty ground. “Our festivals feel hollow without snow,” says Pemma Dolma, a teacher in Lo Manthang. Communities are experimenting with solutions: artificial glacier projects and groundwater regulations offer glimmers of hope. But so far, these efforts remain too scattered, too under-resourced. Mustang’s snowless winters are not just a regional concern—they’re a red flag for Nepal and the global climate community.

Farming on the brink

Agriculture—the heartbeat of Mustang’s rural economy—is faltering. Apple orchards, once the region’s pride, now struggle to survive under an onslaught of climate extremes. Warmer winters disrupt the chilling hours apples need to bloom. Invasive pests and fungal infections thrive in erratic weather. Meanwhile, violent hailstorms repeatedly shatter entire seasons of hard work. Narayan Thakali, a third-generation farmer, recalls when his trees yielded eight tons of apples annually. “Now, we’re lucky to get three,” he says. To salvage his crop, he relies on synthetic pesticides, fully aware of their long-term damage to soil and water.

Declining snowmelt has forced farmers to depend on deep wells, some drilled 20 meters down. But groundwater, like snow, is vanishing. In some areas, water tables drop two meters each year. And yet, adaptation simmers below the surface. Farmers are trialing dwarf apple varieties needing fewer chill hours. NGOs are promoting integrated pest management to reduce chemical use. Solar-powered micro-irrigation systems are boosting yields in pilot villages. These efforts show promise, but without cohesive, national-level policies and investment, they remain isolated lifelines.

Vanishing livestock, vanishing traditions

Yaks, chyangra goats, and sheep once roamed Mustang’s high pastures in abundance. Their meat, milk, and wool formed the bedrock of rural life, while their presence anchored seasonal rituals and social bonds. Now, those pastures are drying up.

A staggering 60 percent of Mustang’s alpine rangelands have degraded since 2015. Warmer temperatures and erratic snowfall have altered grassland composition, replacing nourishing alpine flora with inedible scrub. Foot rot and other diseases, once checked by cold winters, now spread easily in moist, warming soils. Herders, without reliable veterinary services, either overuse antibiotics or abandon livestock altogether. Traditional migrations to summer pastures—once communal rites of passage—have all but disappeared. In Dhe, empty yak barns sit like silent tombs to a way of life vanishing before our eyes. Still, resilience flickers. Insurance schemes based on satellite weather data are being piloted. But the scale of the crisis demands far more coordinated intervention.

Tourism at a tipping point

Winter once drew throngs of domestic and international tourists to Mustang’s stark, snow-covered beauty. Between December and February, snow lovers, trekkers, and spiritual seekers filled local lodges, generating nearly a third of the region’s GDP. But as snow vanishes and trails succumb to landslides, visitors stay away. Between 2020 and 2023, winter tourism declined by 65 percent. Villages like Thasang, once bustling with homestays and guides, now face economic ruin.Communities are attempting to pivot. But progress is uneven. Poor digital connectivity, unreliable infrastructure, and a lack of funding for cultural preservation remain stubborn barriers. Declaring Mustang a Climate Emergency Zone could unlock vital international funding for green infrastructure and culturally sensitive tourism alternatives. Without it, the region’s tourism sector may collapse entirely.

Floods, landslides, and glacial peril

The July 2023 flood in Kagbeni was not an isolated event—it was the new normal. Fueled by an intense monsoon downpour, the Kali Gandaki River tore through homes and fields, leaving behind wreckage and displacement. Landslides and flash floods routinely cut off entire villages. High in the Himalayas, glacial retreat has accelerated, giving rise to unstable glacial lakes. These ticking time bombs threaten to burst and send walls of water hurtling into valleys below. Scientists have identified 11 such high-risk lakes in Upper Mustang alone. Although early-warning sirens and bioengineering efforts, like planting sea buckthorn to stabilize slopes, are underway, only 15 percent of vulnerable households have flood insurance. Without robust national support, communities are forced to gamble with their survival.

Seeds of adaptation

Yet amid the wreckage, Mustang offers glimpses of what climate adaptation can look like when tradition meets innovation:

Agriculture: Solar-powered drip irrigation, climate-resilient crops, and SMS-based weather alerts offer smarter, water-efficient farming.

Livestock: Hydroponic fodder systems, mobile veterinary apps, and drought-triggered insurance build pastoral resilience.

Tourism: Eco-certified homestays, resilient trekking trails, and immersive digital storytelling can renew Mustang as a sustainable tourism hub.

Disaster defense: Vegetative slope barriers, glacial lake sensors, and satellite-based landslide alerts can save lives.

A call to action

Mustang stands not only as a region in distress but as a living model of the future awaiting much of Nepal. Its unraveling is a choice: surrender to collapse, or turn crisis into transformation. A national climate resilience pilot in Mustang could unify scattered innovations and funnel investment where it’s most needed.

Global support—from NGOs, governments, and climate finance institutions—should treat Mustang not as a disaster zone but as a climate innovation lab. Communities here carry ancestral knowledge: how to read clouds, revive springs, and live lightly. Their wisdom must be woven into policy and action.

As a Thakali proverb goes, “A dry riverbed still remembers the monsoon.” Mustang remembers its seasons. If Nepal listens, acts, and invests wisely, Mustang might not only survive—it might lead.

The author is Phd scholar in climate and green finance : research focus on green finance and climate change

Construction of the suspension bridge intended to connect villages along the Kali Gandaki River in Thasang Rural Municipality-2, Mustang, has once again been stalled. Although 75 percent of the foundation and civil works for the Kowang-Sauru suspension bridge have been completed, construction has been halted for the past five months.

The Suspension Bridge Division Office, Kathmandu, contracted the 570-meter-long, 2-meter-wide suspension bridge over the Kali Gandaki River to Elite Rubina Construction JV on 12 May 2020, at a cost of Rs 50m. Initially, Elite Construction, the main company of the joint venture, began the work but left the project incomplete after partial progress.

According to the contract, the bridge was to be completed within 30 months, with a deadline of No 2022. However, the construction company repeatedly extended this deadline, citing disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, snowfall, and adverse weather conditions.

After the joint venture partner Rubina Construction abandoned the project, Elite Construction resumed responsibility in March 2024. Elite deployed Nikesh Shrestha as its site representative to oversee the bridge construction. Following Shrestha’s involvement, the foundation work—including two 6-meter deep foundations in the Kali Gandaki River—was completed by Dec 2024. Shrestha also reported that all civil work on the bridge is now complete, with overall physical progress reaching 75 percent.

“All the civil work has been done; only the bridge fitting remains,” Shrestha said. “If I had been allowed to continue, the bridge would have been finished by now. However, I have since been removed from the project.” He added that Elite Construction is preparing to assign a new representative to complete the finishing work.

Gautam Sherchan, Ward Chairperson of Thasang Rural Municipality-2, confirmed that construction has been stalled again for six months. He noted that the bridge, originally scheduled for completion three years ago, remains unfinished due to delays by the construction company.

Local resident Sojan Hirachan from Thasang-2 Sauru said Elite Construction has stored the bridge’s beams and steel parts near the site, but the fitting work has yet to progress. The bridge will directly benefit villages such as Sauru, Sirkhum, and Kokhethanti, located across the Kali Gandaki from the national highway.

Currently, villagers must risk crossing the river during the rainy season or travel about one and a half hours via the Kokhethanti suspension bridge to reach essential services such as the rural municipality office, schools, health centers, and the district headquarters in Jomsom. Hirachan said completing the new bridge would reduce this travel time to just 15 minutes.

Wildlife victims in Mustang are still waiting for compensation for livestock losses, even two years after submitting application recommendation letters to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) office. Despite completing the required process, many farmers have yet to receive any relief. The ongoing human-wildlife conflict, particularly with snow leopards, is putting Mustang’s traditional livestock farming under serious threat. Farmers say the main challenge is finding a balance between conserving wildlife and sustaining their livelihoods.

While the government does provide compensation for wildlife-related livestock damage through designated agencies, the process is lengthy and burdensome. Farmers have voiced frustration over the delay in receiving relief payments.

Sakendra Gauchan, a farmer from Thasang-2, Naurikot, said he has not received compensation for two goat kids lost in fiscal year 2023/24. “It would have been better if we could get compensation shortly after the incident,” he said. Likewise, Purna Bahadur Nepali from Gharapjhong-4, Jomsom, reported that he has been waiting for over two years for compensation despite submitting all necessary documents to the ACAP office.

It has emerged that most livestock farmers in Mustang have not received any compensation for damages caused by wild animals over the past two fiscal years. The ACAP Mustang office acknowledged that while all damage reports have been forwarded to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation for approval, the government has not yet released the corresponding funds.

In total, 280 livestock from 76 households were reported as damaged by wild animals in fiscal years 2023/24 and 2024/25. Of these, 119 livestock from 39 households were reported under the Jomsom office and 161 from 37 households under the Lomanthang office.

According to Rajesh Gupta, Chief of the ACAP Jomsom Office, 56 livestock from 27 households were lost to wildlife in 2023/24, and 63 from 12 households in 2024/25. This year alone, households in Jomsom (six), Muktinath (one), Kobang (one), Kunjo (one), Marpha (one), and Kagbeni (two) have suffered livestock losses. A total of 54 yaks, eight buffaloes, and one horse were killed. Gupta added that in the previous fiscal year, 30 yaks, two horses, 19 more yaks, and five chickens were also lost to wildlife attacks across 27 households in Kobang, Marpha, Muktinath, and Kagbeni.

The Jomsom office did distribute Rs 550,000 to 12 households last year for 31 livestock losses incurred in fiscal year 2022/23. However, no funds have been received for claims filed for the last two fiscal years. Similarly, in the Lomanthang area, no compensation has been provided for two consecutive fiscal years. Umesh Poudel, Chief of the ACAP Lomanthang Office, confirmed that 27 households had submitted relief applications for livestock damages in 2023/24.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Mustang district has increased impressively in the recent months.

As of April in 2025, a total of 51,896 tourists arrived in Mustang district, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Office in Jomsom shared.

Chief of the ACAP Office in Jomsom, Rajesh Gupta, said that altogether 8,745 visitors from the SAARC member states and 43,151 visitors from other countries visited Mustang district in the first four months of the year 2025.

According to Gupta, the visitors' number increased by 36.6 percent in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024. Last year, 37,974 foreigners visited Mustang during January to April. 

Hotelier Suraj Gurung, said the foreigners visit Mustang district being lured from its natural, historical, religious, cultural and social beauties.

Also, the tourists from India arrive here to pay homage to the holy shrine Muktinath Temple, a revered holy site both by Hindus and Buddhists.

Police have arrested a person with a large cache of 'Shaligram Sheela' or the ammonite stone in Mustang.

The arrestee has been identified as Kunsang Ranging Gurung (41) of Surkhang of Loghekar Damodarkunda-5, Mustang. 

The Shaligram Sheela is a fossilized stone or ammonite collected from the riverbed or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River.

The Hindus consider the Shaligram as a form of their god Vishnu.

The Kali Gandaki River flows through sacred places such as Muktinath and Damodar Kunda, enhancing the spiritual significance of these 'Shaligrams'. Collection of a large amount of Shaligrams is prohibited.

The Area Police Office, Chhusang Check Post at Baragung Muktikshetra-3,  Mustang has seized 894 kg 'Shaligram Sheela' packed in 34 white sacks during a regular security check, according to the District Police Office, Mustang.

Information Officer at the District Police Office, Mustang, Police Inspector Bishal Adhikari, said that the Shaligram Sheela was confiscated from a Bolero jeep (Ga 3 Cha 8152) heading towards Jomsom from Loghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality-3 in Mustang. 

According to the District Police Office, Mustang, Gurung, the jeep and the Shiligram Sheela have been handed over to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Office, Jomsom.

Meanwhile, ACAP Jomsom said that it has already handed over Gurung, the jeep, and Shaligram Sheela to Annapurna Conservation Area Project's Head Office in Pokhara for investigation, said Office Chief Rajesh Gupta.

The monitoring of the rare wildlife species, the snow leopard, has begun in Upper Mustang. The monitoring assisted by camera trapping method at three locations of Mustang is expected to present the existing status of the animal and its number.

The rising cases of human-snow leopard conflict here have prompted the monitoring.

Annapurna Conservation Area Project Office Chief, Umesh Paudel, said 12 cameras have been fitted in the area around Baragung Muktikshetra-3, above the Thurlungphant of Lomanthang and above the Lomanthang market.

The initiative aims to determine further measures for protecting the animal by managing human-animal conflict. There are concerns over inconveniences caused by the annuals to locals including the losses of their livestock 

The snow leopard known as the Queen of Himalayas, has a significant contribution to the ecosystem, carrying the religious, cultural and biological values here.

It is said there has been an urgent need to protect the animal and the traditional livestock farming here simultaneously with the implementation of new measures for the management of snow leopard. "The locals have been practicing livestock farming for centuries, and now is the time to implement new programs for sustainable management of animals, keeping the farming safe and undamaged," he said.

Prior to this, the ACAP had been monitoring the status of the animal at various locations in the district with the help of 31 cameras.

It is said that the lifestyle of the animal has changed due to the impact of climate change. The reports are that the snow leopards come down to the lower altitude areas following its prey, mainly Naur (The Himalayan Blue Sheep), that has started shifting down in the absence of alpine grassland in the highlands as a result of climate change.

Eleven tourists have died due to altitude sickness in Mustang district in the last one year. Nine foreign backpackers and two Nepalis died due to altitude sickness from April 13, 2024 till date.

Information Officer at the District Police Office, Police Inspector Bishal Adhikari, said that most of the Indian tourists died while visiting the Muktinath temple and other places in the district.

According to Adhikari, among those who came to Mustang for worshipping at Muktinath temple and for trek in other places, five died in Muktinath of Waragung Muktikshetra-1, five in Jomsom of Gharpajhong-4 and one in Thasang Rural Municipality-2.

Among the dead are tourists aged between 58 and 81 years.

The District Police Office said two tourists died in the month of April, one in May, two in September, five in October and one in December. A 63-year-old American citizen was among those who died from altitude sickness, police inspector Adhikari said.

In 2023 BS, 17 people lost their lives due to altitude sickness. The deceased include 11 foreigners and six Nepali nationals, Adhikari added.

Deluxe AC night bus service has been operated from Mustang to the federal capital, Kathmandu.

The service was launched on Thursday.

The Mustang-Muktinath Service Pvt Ltd started the bus service from Muktinath to Kathmandu for the convenience of locals and tourists visiting Mustang.

The Mustang-Kathmandu bus fare is Rs 2,400 per person.

The Pvt Ltd has already been operating deluxe bus, jeep and electronic vehicles before this.

However, the air-conditioned deluxe night bus service is the latest addition. Chief District Officer of Mustang Bishnu Prasad Bhusal inaugurated the deluxe night bus service amidst a program in Mustang on Thursday.

Addressing the programme, he said the religious tourism in Mustang would be boosted only with the expansion of passenger-friendly services.

He also called on the transport entrepreneurs to improve their services in tune with the time.

Vice Chairpersons of Baragung Muktikshetra and Gharapjhong rural municipalities, Diki Gurung and Jamuna Thakali respectively, called for paying attention to the passenger-friendly and visitor-friendly services.

The Mustang-Muktinath Transport Pvt Ltd Chairman Binod BC said they are preparing to operate passenger vehicles on the Lomanthang-Korala route from March 14.

The community schools in the district have opened after two months of winter holidays.

Schools in Baragung, Gharpajhong and Thasang Rural Municipalities of the district have reopened after two months of winter vacation.

Community schools in lower Mustang give long winter holidays to students as snowfall and extreme cold affect the teaching and learning activities during the winter months of mid-December to mid-February.

Chief of Education Development and Coordination Unit, Mustang, Rameshwor Lamichhane said that community, monastery, nunneries and institutional schools in Lomanthang and Loghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipalities of Upper Mustang are shifted to the lower warmer areas in winter.

There are 35 community schools in the district and 12 other seminaries in operation including Monastery, Amchi and Institutional.

Of the 47 schools in the district, 24 schools in Gharpajhang, Thasang and Baragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipalities give winter holidays every year.

Three motorable bridges have been constructed along the Kaligandaki Corridor, a national pride project connecting China and India, on the Benighat–Jomsom–Korala road in Mustang.

The Benighat–Jomsom–Korala Road Project Office, Mustang, has built motorable bridges over the Marphakhola in ward 2 of the Gharapjhong Rural Municipality, Nursingkhola in Baragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality-6, and over the Charangkhol in the Damaodar Kunda Rural Municipality, at a cost of Rs 310.78 million.

Project Chief Dhruba Kumar Jha informed that the construction of the three bridges and access roads has been completed, allowing vehicles to operate. According to him, a contract worth Rs 210.6 million was signed six years ago with Himadung&Thokar Immortal Construction for the construction of a 120-meter-long motorable bridge over the Marphakhola.

After the permanent bridge was brought into operation, the problem of having to cross the river using a temporary wooden bridge and risking safety has been resolved, said Lomshang Chomphel Bista (Raju), Chairman of the Lhoghekar-Damodarkund Rural Municipality.

Bista further shared that the road extension and bridge construction bids were underway along the road sections.

Charang and Chaile of Mustang are to get a 33kV substation soon. At an initiative of Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality of Mustang, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has initiated the process of constructing two 33 kV electricity substations in Charang and Chaile in Upper Mustang.

The NEA has prioritized the construction of a 33 kV electricity substation in order to solve the severe electrical problems faced by Mustang and to provide reliable power to the Korala border, which borders northern China, and its physical and technical management work has been underway.

The NEA had invited bids for the construction of 33 kV substations in Charang and Chaile in the previous fiscal year. Lopsang Chomphel Bista, chairperson of the rural municipality informed that the final decision on the substation contract called for by the Authority will be made by February. “The work on the extension of the power line has now reached the final stage. It will be decided soon which company will get the substation,” he said. “As soon as the contract is finalized, the construction of the substation will begin.”

As the substation contract process reaches the final stage, an on-site inspection of the site where the 33 kV electricity substation will be built in Charang and Chaile of Mustang has been conducted. According to chairperson Bista, the site for the 33 kV substation was selected two years ago. He claimed that the long-standing electricity problem faced by Mustang district will end forever after the construction of the 33 kV substation along with the expansion of the 33 kV transmission line.

Mustang has an 11 kV transmission line in operation. Due to this, there have been extreme problems in electricity supply time and again. Although the NEA has a 33 kV transmission line in Kowang, the lack of a 33 kV substation in the area above it used to cause a lot of trouble in electricity supply. When there was a technical problem with electricity in any place in Mustang, the entire district would be in darkness. Chairperson Bista said that if the NEA completed the construction of the 33 kV line and substation, such problems would not have to be faced, he said. The distance of the 33 kV substation is 50 km. The NEA has made preparations to place two substations at a distance of 103 km from Kowang to Charang. For this, the NEA had called for electricity substation contracts in October of fiscal year 2023.

Similarly, a contract for the construction of a 33 kV electricity substation in Upper Mustang was called for on 6 July 2023. The authority had signed a contract agreement with Paradise Builders to complete the work of expanding electricity poles and other works within two years at a cost of Rs 276.5m and the work has been started.

Santosh Pyakurel, electrical engineer of the company, informed that the work of 33 kV electricity transmission in Mustang has been completed and the work of pulling wires has begun. According to him, out of a total of 2,265 poles to be expanded, 1,800 poles have been expanded.