February 12: Locals of Gurja village, a remote settlement of Myagdi district, have been forced to dig alternate tracks after heavy snowfall covered the foot trail that links the village with the rest of the district.

Around two feet deep snow has deposited on the trail between Lulang and Gurja, obstructing the movement of the locals. The villagers informed New Business Age that the snow has frozen into ice, making the way slippery and  unable to travel.

Ward chair of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-1 Jhak Bahadur Chantyal said that they are forced to break the ice on the road to make alternate ways through the forest areas in order to reach the market place.

“It might take one month for the snow to melt,” presumed Chantyal, adding, “It will be risky to travel for at least a week.”

This year, Gurja village has witnessed snowfall five times.

At a time when the snowfall earlier this month was yet to melt, the recent snowfall for continuous four days – from Wednesday to Saturday – completely obstructed the road, cutting the lifeline of the villagers.

Food supply to the village has stalled due to the obstruction, said the ward chair.