Kathmandu, Oct 28 (IANS) The local administration in Nepal’s Myagdi district, located in western Nepal, has barred the entry of people to the famous tourist destination—Annapurna Base Camp (ABC)—until October 31, citing snowfall in the area that could put the lives of trekkers at risk.
The District Administration Office (DAO), Myagdi, said in a statement that the move was taken as the ABC area has already experienced snowfall, and the high, hilly and mountainous regions of the district could see additional snow, posing risks to residents and trekkers.
October is the peak tourist season in Nepal, and a large number of trekkers travel to mountain regions, including the Annapurna Base Camp.
“As of Tuesday evening, over a dozen people who had reached ABC have not been in contact,” Senior Superintendent of Police Tul Bahadur Karki, spokesperson at the Gandaki Province Police Office, told IANS.
“We are not sure whether they are safe or not, as contact has not been established.”
However, a police official at the Myagdi District Police Office said that police have no information about anyone at ABC facing trouble.
“People are returning from the area, and we have deployed police personnel to assist them in case any problem arises,” the official said.
For the past few days, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has predicted snowfall in the high, hilly and mountainous regions of western Nepal, including in the ABC region.
The department said that weather conditions have deteriorated due to the effect of Cyclone ‘Mountha’, which developed over the Bay of Bengal.
Meanwhile, the Armed Police Force (APF) said in a statement that hundreds of individuals stranded in some mountainous districts due to snowfall have been rescued and relocated to safe areas by a joint team of the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police.
A total of 750 people stranded due to snow were safely brought from Tilicho Base Camp in Manang—a western mountainous district—to the Khangsar area of the same district, while an additional 50 individuals have been safely sheltered at Tilicho Base Camp itself.
“As accommodation and food facilities in Khangsar were insufficient for all the tourists visiting Manang, arrangements were made to safely send some of the tourists back,” the APF said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that Nepal could experience snowfall and rainfall in the central and eastern regions of the country from October 30 to November 1.
Several government agencies in Nepal have also urged the public to exercise caution while travelling in the high, hilly and mountainous regions.
In a statement, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) urged all mountaineering and trekking teams, as well as domestic and international tourists, to exercise utmost caution over the next few days due to adverse weather conditions.
The board issued alerts for heavy rain, snowfall, and possible flooding in multiple districts, including Gorkha, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Nawalpur, Kaski, Parbat, Dolpa, Humla, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Lamjung, Jumla, Mugu, Kalikot, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Salyan, Rukum (East and West), Baglung, Surkhet, Banke, and Bardiya.
Likewise, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) also urged everyone to avoid travelling unless necessary and advised residents of flood-prone areas to move to safer locations if required.
“People living along riverbanks in potentially affected areas should remain alert and relocate to safer areas if risks are observed,” the authority said. “Do not leave paddy or other crops unharvested; if already harvested, store them safely without delay.”
–IANS
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