TAPLEJUNG, Sept 28: Border entry passes have been distributed to the residents of Olangchung Gola of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-7 in Taplejung. The pass distribution took place for people to travel to and from the Riu of China.

Earlier last week, a team of the district administration office, chiefs of security agencies and chairperson of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality, Rajan Limbu, led by Chief District Officer Goma Devi Chemjong reached and distributed the border entry passes, it has been said.

According to the Chief District Officer Chemjong, in the first phase, the passes have been distributed to 88 people of Olangchung Gola of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-7 and Yanga area. "We reached the Tiptala border crossing. Representatives of Dinggye County also reached the border. Both sides met and discussed the matter," she said. The Tiptala transit would be open during the period between Dashain and Tihar festivals, said the district administration office, Taplejung.

According to the tripartite agreement between the Dinggye County, Phaktanglung Rural Municipality and the district administration office, Taplejung, in the first phase, the border entry pass has been provided to the citizens living within 30 kilometers from the border, said Phaktanglung Rural Municipality.

The passes will be gradually provided as per need to the other residents of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality.

According to the district administration office, the passes will be valid for one year. The passes should be renewed every year from the district administration office.

The Tiptala transit has remained closed for the past four years due to COVID-19 resulting in various consequences ranging from the closure of trade at the border. The closure of trade has had its bad effect on the local people, leading to an economic crisis, said the local people. "After the border was closed, we have been unable to export locally produced products including carpets and medicinal herbs," complained a local person.

The communities of the Himalayan region are making their living from raising yaks. But things have been difficult for them due to their inability to export yaks and its products to China, the local people said. Fincho Sherpa of Yangma has been unable to sell his yak for the past four years.

The number of yaks he has grown has increased from 25 to around 90 now. Yak grazing area lies between 3,500 and 5,000 meters above sea level. Nepali yaks, their calves, their meat and chhurpi, ghee produced from yak milk fetch good prices in the Chinese market, said Sonam Sherpa of Yanga.

A yak fetches a price ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 150,000 in different markets of China, it has been said. So, the communities of the Himalayan region are attracted to yak rearing. But yaks have not been sold following the closure of the Tiptala transit point, the main entry point to China from Taplejung, and other borders due to COVID-19, said the local people.

The ancestral occupation of the people of the Himalayan region is farming. Other livestock farming and agriculture except yak rearing cannot be done here due to the high Himalayan region. There are nine local units including Phungling Municipality in the district.

The communities of the high Himalayan region living in all the local units have been rearing yaks. They have continued to rear yaks as yaks fetch good prices in the Chinese market, they shared.

(RSS)

 
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• border