Chhewang Namgya Gurung, a farmer from Khinga, Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality-1, Mustang, is worried after 500 apple trees were destroyed by unseasonal snowfall. The branches of his apple trees have broken due to the heavy snowfall. He is worried that his income will decrease next year as he sells apples worth Rs 700,000 annually.

He said that 25,000 apple trees have been affected by the continuous snowfall since Monday night in Khinga alone. This is the village where most apple cultivation is done in Upper Mustang. 

He said that the branches of apple trees were broken when the snow fell when the apples had been picked but the leaves had not fallen. ‘The branches could not bear the snow and broke,’ he said, ‘Many trees are not healthy, the branches have broken and scattered due to the snow. Even houses have started leaking.’

According to him, snow fell in the Muktinath area throughout the day on Tuesday. Up to one and a half feet of snow has accumulated in the Muktinath area and half a foot in Khinga, a village above Kagbeni. Earlier, there was snowfall in September 2016. There was also heavy snow in the winter of 2019. ‘But now the unseasonal snow has disappointed the farmers,’ he says, ‘If this snow had fallen in November, it would have been good for wheat, barley, and potatoes, and grass would have grown in the pastures. But because the snow fell early, even apple trees have been damaged, and farmers are worried.’

In the Muktinath area, electricity was disrupted as the snowfall knocked down electricity poles and trees and snapped wires in places, said Waragung Mukti Kshetra-1 Ward Chairman Pramish Gurung. ‘We requested the Kagbeni police station to take precautions as there is a problem with motorcycles slipping in the snow,’ he said, ‘The returning tourists also had no problems other than the cold, there is no need to panic.’ 

Although there were data on 8 Kartik, 9,000 tourists entering Mustang daily, on Tuesday it had dropped to 3,000, he said. "Tourists who came to Mustang are currently unable to go up from Kagbeni," he said. "The influx of tourists will probably increase again after the snowfall stops."

Similarly, those who were walking towards Tilicho Lake (4919 meters) in Manang were forced to return after the sudden snowfall. Instead of stopping, the snowfall is increasing and they have left the base camp fearing that it may increase further. Krishna Lamichhane of Besisahar, who returned after reaching Tilicho Lake, said that some tourists reached Tilicho Lake and returned to the base camp, while some returned from the base camp. "There is no place to stay here, nor is there a place to stay in Khangsar, there is no option but to go down to the lower area," he said. Khangsar is the last village for Tilicho. Moreover, there are hotels in Srikharka and Tilicho base camps, but the accommodation is limited. 

According to Ward Chairman of Manang Ngisyang-9 Khangsar, Chyolpa Gurung, the snowfall that started on Monday has not stopped till Tuesday night. He said that 800 people have descended from the base camp alone on Tuesday.  

Chief District Officer Nawaraj Paudyal said that initiatives have been taken to open the road to Khangsar as much as possible and bring tourists to the lower areas safely. One dozer has been used in Upper Manang in coordination with Manang Ngisyang Rural Municipality and construction entrepreneurs to remove snow and another from Humde to the district headquarters Chame. Security personnel with shovels and shovels have been mobilized to open the road. He said that one person who fell ill was rescued and is being treated at the Humde health post. 

Tourists have come to climb Tilicho Lake (4,919 meters), Thorangla Pass (5,416 meters), and Himlung Himal (7,126 meters) under the Annapurna Cycle Trail in Manang. It is estimated that there are about 3,000 domestic and foreign tourists in Manang at this time. According to Prakash Adhikari, a ranger at the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), tourists have been stopped from going to their destinations due to snowfall. According to him, around 200 foreign tourists have been entering Manang daily for the past week. He said that there could be up to 1,500 foreign tourists in the upper part of Manang alone. He said that since most of them are staying in Thorangla, they are staying in the hotels they are staying in. 

Two base camps of Annapurna are safe

Heavy snowfall has also been occurring in the northern and southern base camps of Annapurna I since Monday night. Despite heavy snowfall at the old and current Annapurna base camps on the Kaski side, tourists are safe, said Jaganras Gurung, chairman of the Chhomrong Tourism Management Committee. According to him, 80 percent of the trekking route is currently occupied by domestic tourists.

Only 400 tourists had reached the Annapurna base camp on Monday. "Despite the inclement weather, there has not been enough snow to prevent tourists from moving around," he said. "It has become colder, but tourists are also enjoying the snow." He said that there was no major difficulty in moving around as there was only snow in the upper part of the Machhapuchhre base camp. 

Annapurna Rural Municipality Chairman Bharat Bahadur Pun said that a rescue team was sent on Tuesday as tourists may face difficulties after the heavy snowfall. According to him, about 100 tourists had gone to the base camp on Monday. He informed that a rescue team of 10 people, including 5 from the Armed Police Force, 4 from the police and local Indra Sherchan, was sent to the base camp. 

Snowfall stopped in Khumbu region

The snowfall that began in the Khumbu region of Solukhumbu since Monday stopped on Tuesday evening. Lama Kaji Sherpa, Chairman of the Everest Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), said that one and a half feet of snow had accumulated in the area above Dingboche. 

Even though the snowfall has stopped in the upper areas, tourists have been advised to stay inside hotels, said District Police Chief DSP Manojit Kunwar. According to him, more than 500 tourists in the Everest region have been forced to stay inside hotels due to snowfall. Local Chhimikalden Sherpa said that the incessant rain that has been falling since morning in the lower areas below Namche also stopped on Tuesday evening.

Chief District Officer Leela Kumari KC Pandey said that the local administration has issued an appeal to tourists trekking in the Khumbu region to adopt high alertness. Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality has also issued an information and urged tourists to adopt alertness, said Chief Administrative Officer Nawaraj Gautam.