“Locals of eight VDCs in Upper Mustang have left their villages,” Gyawali said. [break]
Of some 6,000 people who live in the eight VDCs, most leave for business activities during winter, while the elderly descend to Lower Mustang. Two to four people have been left behind to look after each village, but the rest have descended with their cattle, said Ang Gyal Bista, secretary of Lomanthang VDC.
People of eight VDCs including Chonhup, Choser, Lomanthang, Surkhang, Charang, Chusang, Ghami have deserted their villages. Many amog those who leave the villages during winter go to Baglung, Pokhara, Kathmandu and even India for business activities.
Pema Chiring Gurung of Charang said he was leaving for India with a group of ten villagers for business purposes. “We will return after five months,” he said. During the five months of winter, they earn for the whole year. Usually, villagers start leaving Upper Mustang from mid-November.
With villagers leaving Upper Mustang, some 30 schools that operate there have shut down, according to Devendra Raj Khanal, Mustang´s Chief Education Officer.
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