HUMLA, Oct 2: As many as 41 Nepali people have been stranded at Hilsa, a northern border point in Humla, due to incessant rain and heavy snowfall.
Immigration Officer Bimal Paudel said they could not move ahead from Hilsa after the Hilsa-Taklakot route was disrupted. According to him, those stranded in Hilsa are residents of Namkha Rural Municipality-1, 2 and 3. Most of them have been engaged in business in Taklakot.
He said they reached Hilsa last Friday but were stopped at the border after snowfall began. The Chinese side has closed the route for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage due to the snowfall.
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Immigration staff member Pema Lama, who is working in Hilsa, said the border is expected to reopen from October 4. Although work is underway to clear the road on the Chinese side, it is expected to take longer on the Nepali side.
According to Armed Police Force (APF) Deputy Superintendent of Police Nanda Bahadur Saud, around 2 to 2.5 feet of snow has accumulated in Hilsa. Since one has to cross Nara Lake to reach Hilsa, it will take more time to clear the snow there, Lama said.
Locals and security personnel are working to clear the snow and resume road operations.
So far this year, 6,010 people have visited Kailash Mansarovar through the Hilsa border. According to Immigration Officer Paudel, most of the tourists visiting Kailash Mansarovar are Indian citizens, followed by visitors from the UK, the US and Nepal.
With the main season for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage coming to an end this year, heavy snowfall has affected traffic at the Hilsa border as well as local trade and everyday life in the border area.
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