While many young people from Achham continue to travel to India in search of work, a contrasting trend has begun to take shape in the district. Young men from India are arriving in Achham for employment.

Around 40 youths from Araria in the Indian state of Bihar are currently working in Achham this season, mainly weaving gabion wire mesh used in embankments, retaining walls and road construction. They are employed through local contractors and are presently working in Mangalsen and Sanfebagar.

Twenty-two-year-old Sami Akhtar has taken a contract for gabion weaving in Mangalsen. His father had first arrived in Achham about four decades ago in search of similar work. Akhtar, who accompanied his father at a young age, learnt the craft early and now takes on contracts himself.

“We take contracts worth up to Rs150 million in a season from local contractors. Workers earn between Rs300 and Rs400 per mesh,” he said. “We mostly work at night and rest during the day. During the peak season, monthly earnings can exceed Rs100,000.”

According to him, the availability of steady work and comparatively good income prompted him to bring other youths from his village to Achham.

Seraj Alam, 28, also from India, said limited opportunities at home pushed him to seek work in Nepal. “There were no local gabion weavers here. For us, this is an opportunity,” he said. “People are surprised that we have come from India to work, while many here go to India. If you have skills, you can work anywhere. Borders do not matter.”

Another worker, 30-year-old Saikat Ali, said timely payment has made working conditions easier. “Friends came earlier and called us after they found regular work. Wages are paid on time,” he said. “That is why we return every season.”

Workers say what began around a decade ago with a few individuals has now grown into a seasonal group migration. Each year, dozens of Indian youths spend several months in Achham before returning home.

For 28-year-old Narak Alam, the move was driven by family responsibility. With four children and a wife to support, farming alone was insufficient. “There was no stable source of income in the village,” he said. “Here, I found work weaving gabion mesh.”

Regular employment and timely wages have helped him sustain his household. “The mesh we weave is not just for roads and buildings in Achham. It is linked to our children’s future,” he said.