The Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) Zonal Office in Nepalgunj has started transporting subsidised rice to the drought-affected people in remote Humla on Nepal Army (NA) helicopters in view of the upcoming Dashain festival.

People living in southern Humla are facing food shortage due to last year’s drought. The NA helicopters have transported 181 quintals of rice to Shreenagar and 150 quintals to Sarkeghat. Chief of the NFC zonal office Shreemani Khanal said 300 quintals of rice will be shipped to each depot. The rice had been stuck in Nepalgunj and Surkhet due to lack of helicopters.

People living in Maila, Madana, Srinagar, Kalika, Jair, Mimi, Darm, Shreemasta, Melchham, Gothi, Rodikot, Saya, Barai and Sarkideu depend on food supplied from Srinagar and Sarkeghat. The corporation has airlifted 1,207 quintals of rice to the district headquarters Simikot since Friday, Khanal said, adding that rice is being shipped to Dolpa, Kalikot, Mugu, and Dailekh districts over land. “ The NFC couldn’t ferry rice during monsoon due poor state of roads. But the trucks carrying the rice are already on their way,” said Khanal, assuring that the zonal depots will have enough rice in stock. “We hope there will not be food shortage during Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.”

North Gorkha sans subsidised grains

GORKHA: The NFC has been unable to transport subsidised rice in the northern VDCs of Gorkha for the last 17 months after Manaslu foot trail was damaged by landslides triggered by last year’s earthquakes. The rice has since been stuck in the NFC godowns in the district headquarters. The contractors have not ferried rice to those VDCs due to landslide risks, said chief of the Gorkha NFC Tek Prasad Regmi. “NFC depots at Sirdibash and Machhi-khola have run out of rice stock,” he said. As a result, locals are compelled to pay a significantly higher cost for transporting rice. The Gorkha NFC has, however, assured that rice stocks would soon be replenished at Sirdibash and Machhikhola depots. (PR)