BAGLUNG, Mar 1: Heavy snowfall has severely disrupted daily life in Upper Baglung. Since Friday afternoon, snowfall and rain have worsened living conditions in the region. Snow has hit residents of Dhorpatan Valley, Nisel Dhor, Syalpakhe, Pakhathar, Chhantung, and Bhujin in Dhorpatan Municipality-9 the hardest.
Jaulepani and Pati Halne areas in Nisikhola Rural Municipality-6 have also received heavy snowfall, intensifying the cold and affecting daily activities. Gangabahadur Bhandari, a hotel entrepreneur from Dhorpatan Municipality-9, said Nisel Dhor and Dhorpatan Valley have suffered the most.
He said snowfall began around 2 PM on Friday, covering Dhorpatan Valley and surrounding high-altitude areas in a thick layer of snow. The heavy accumulation near settlements has made daily life challenging.
"It has been extremely cold for the past couple of days, and now the snowfall continues. Most people here are livestock farmers, and they are struggling to feed their cattle due to the thick snow. There was no snowfall in December and January, but now, with rising temperatures in February, we are finally seeing snowfall," Bhandari said.
Farmers, however, have expressed relief. The prolonged drought had left them worried about their wheat, barley, and buckwheat crops, but the snowfall, combined with rain, has provided much-needed moisture to their fields.
Meanwhile, snowfall has halted tourist movement to Dhorpatan, making access difficult.
Additionally, heavy snowfall at Pati Halne, the border point of Baglung, Rolpa, and Rukum, has blocked the Mid-Hill Highway. Snowfall since 1 PM on Friday has shut down transportation, according to Surya Man Budha Magar, chairperson of Nisikhola Rural Municipality-6. He said snowfall has stopped vehicular movement from western Nepal to major cities, including the capital.