Mustang (Rashtriya Samachar Samiti): Jit Bahadur Rasaili, 78, of Gharpajhong Rural Municipality of Mustang saw snow for the first time in April on Wednesday evening. It had been snowing in Mustang only from November to February.
The snowfall, which has not rained for a long time this year, has started falling in the third week of April. Senior citizens like Jit Bahadur, who is about to reach the age of 80, had never seen snow in April.
Citizens here are stunned after the sudden snowfall in April. It has been snowing in Mustang district of Himal Pari since Wednesday evening. According to the District Administration Office, Mustang, snow has fallen in all parts of the district since Tuesday afternoon. “The effects of climate change have been unseen in a lifetime,” Rasaili said.
According to local farmers, the snowfall in the basin is not good for agriculture. As the village of Mustang is covered with snow, Rasaili said that it will help in tourism here. Most parts of the country are covered with snow and the temperature has risen.
Snow covers all parts of the land. Even the planes that fly to Pokhara on a daily basis have not been able to arrive. Chief of the Civil Aviation Office, Mustang, Deepak BK said that all today’s flights could be canceled due to the snowfall.
The road has become muddy due to snow cover and vehicles coming from outside the district have seen very little movement. Hoteliers say that tourists coming to Mustang are a bit uncomfortable.
Due to the unseasonal snowfall, there is a general problem in daily activities, while tourists and pilgrims visiting Muktinath and Korla Naka are suffering, said journalist Aditya Rasaili.
Meanwhile, snow has fallen in Ghunsa village of Faktanglung Municipality-6 of Phungling-Taplejung district since this morning. The snow fell at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level. Kelsang Sherpa, a teacher at Ghunsa Primary School, said that the students were affected by the snowfall.
Teacher Sherpa said that it is difficult to study in the classroom due to the extremely cold weather after the snowfall. He said, ‘It has been snowing since this morning. If we leave school, the exam has come, we have to teach. The weather has turned cold because of the snow.
According to Pema Sherpa, a local, the snowfall has caused problems for cattle and livestock keepers. It has been snowing in Taplejung since morning.