Vyas valley villagers to reach winter homes via Nepal

Pithoragarh, October 18

With the trekking route on the Indian side under repairs, more than 2,000 residents of the high-altitude villages in the Vyas valley will have to migrate to their winter abodes in the lower areas via Nepal this year.

The Vyas valley villagers would have to traverse about 2 km in the Nepalese territory as the trekking route on the Indian side used by them normally was being repaired and was not in usable condition, SDM Dharchula RK Pandey said.

Every year, the residents of these villages, mostly tribals, come down from the mountains to spend their winter in the warmer climes of the valley.

The usual descending route in the Indian territory was damaged and could not be used by load-carrying animals due to ongoing construction activities in that portion of the border, Pandey said.

This year, the Vyas valley villagers would have to cross over into Nepal through a log bridge built over the Kali river at Nazang and would have to travel for around 2 km through the neighbouring country to reach their temporary homes in the lower valley via another log bridge built at Lakhanpur on the Indian side, the official said.

Both bridges at Nazang and Lakhanpur had a length of 12 metre and width of 3 metre, the SDM said, adding that the winter migration of the Vyas valley villagers would begin on November 1. PTI