Khotang is known as the remote district of the east. Spread over an area of ​​1,551 square kilometers, Khotang is located at an altitude of 152 meters to 3,620 meters above sea level.

Khotang is a district full of beautiful places like the highest peaks of the mid-hill region, Salpa-Silichung, Lauredada, Mayu, Merung, Temke, Selme, Rupakot. Khotang is full of valleys formed by rivers like Rawa, Sapsu, Tawa, and Sawa, wetlands, lush forests, and biodiversity. According to the 2078 census, the population of Khotang is 175,298. The district's population has decreased by 1.56 percent compared to 2068. The main reason for the decrease in population is migration.

The number of people migrating due to education, health, employment, monkey terror in agriculture and other reasons is increasing . According to Bikash Malla, head of the Statistics Office Khotang, based on the 2078 census, 26,967 people have migrated . Malla said that the number of migrations has been negative by 15.6 percent year-on-year. 

The number of people going for foreign employment from the district has reached 37,317 . According to Ojon Babu Acharya, coordinator of the REMI Project, an organization working on foreign employment, 1,928 people went to various countries for foreign employment in the fiscal year 2077/78, 7,870 in 2078/79, 9,806 in 2079/80, 8,583 in 2080/81 and 9,128 in 2081/82. 
There are 514 schools in the district, including 104 secondary schools . Of these, only 6 schools, including agriculture and technical, offer technical education, said Tirtha Bishwakarma, head of the Education Development Coordination Unit, Khotang.

Mahuregadhi Polytechnic School is being operated as a part of the government under CTEVT. Diploma level education is offered in the school. There are 75 students in forestry and civil engineering. Civil engineering education for 18 months is also offered in Diktel Technical School.

Roads have reached most of the rural settlements of Khotang, which has 10 local levels including two municipalities and 8 rural municipalities. But transportation has not been operated in all the places where roads have been built. Roads have been dug in a haphazard manner in cultivable land, hills, and forest areas. In the recent period, most local levels have given priority to road upgrading. ‘Uncountable roads have been dug across the district. Recently, more attention has been paid to upgrading the tracks than opening new ones,’ said San Bahadur Rai, head of the District Coordination Committee, Khotang. ‘There is no need to open new tracks now, it is enough to upgrade the old roads that have been dug.’

The district is connected to the Mid-Hill Highway. This has increased the transport connection with the city. However, the 10-kilometer road from Chakhewa to Sekhuwa on the Mid-Hill Highway is incomplete. The concrete bridge at Pangkhukhola, which falls under the road, is also in disrepair. Dinesh Kathayat, ward chairman of Nirmalidanda, Diktel Rupakot, Majhuwagadhi Municipality-9, said that despite repeated discussions with the concerned bodies, work has not been done.

The Gaighat-Diktel (Sagarmatha Highway) road, which was started 31 years ago during the time of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari, is still incomplete. The road, which had been abandoned after being awarded contracts several times, is currently being blacktopped. The concrete bridge over the Dudhkoshi River in Phoksingtar, which lies on this road section, was washed away by last year's flood, disrupting transport links with the Terai during the rainy season. The bridge took 12 years to build. Less than two years after its completion, it was washed away on Asoj 12, leaving the district residents in despair. In winter, a bailey bridge is being installed at the same place.

The drinking water scheme in the Halesi area is incomplete. Kamal Giri, spokesperson of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality, said that even though water was lifted from Dudhkoshi to the reserve tank of Tuwachungdanda of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality at an investment of about 1 billion, water could not be distributed to consumers due to pending house connection work. Under the plan, there is a plan to store water in reserve tanks at two places and distribute it.

Under this, there was a plan to distribute water from the reserve tank of Tuwachungdanda to consumers of Mahadevsthan, Durchhim and Mangaltar and from the reserve tank of Bhumjudanda to consumers of Bahunidanda, Badhare, Dikuwa and Chhyasmitar. Of these, Giri said that water from the reserve tank of Bhumjudanda has already been distributed. Giri said that water from the tank of Tuwachungdanda will also be distributed immediately after the elections. The contract for the project was taken by Diva-Mahadev-Khimti JV.

Construction of 50-bed hospital building incomplete
Due to ineffective health services in the district, there is a compulsion to charter helicopters for treatment. Due to ineffective services in the district hospitals, primary health centers and health posts, there is a compulsion to go elsewhere. Due to lack of buildings, the 50-bed service has not been expanded in the district hospital Khotang. Rai, the head of the district coordination committee, who is also the chairman of the hospital management committee, said that although the hospital was inaugurated from 15 to 50 beds on Ashad 22, the service could not be expanded because the building under construction was not completed on time.

The provincial government provided a budget of 40 million for service expansion, 7.7 million for ICU service expansion, 2 million for blood bank, 2.8 million for free medicines, and 2 million for hearse, but the service could not be expanded because the building was not completed on time.

The 15-bed service is being operated because the building was not completed on time. Shyamsundar-Ramsagar-Nepal Phulbari JV had signed an agreement with the Intensive Urban Building Construction Project Okhaldhunga on Asad 24, 2078 BS for the construction of a 50-bed hospital at a cost of Rs. 229 million 47 thousand 92 from the federal government to complete it within 30 months. But since the work has not been completed yet, treatment has been forced to be provided in tents.

Khem Bahadur Khadka, the vice-chairman of the rural municipality, said that patients other than general patients have to go elsewhere at the primary health center in Chisapani of Jantedhunga rural municipality in the southern part of the district. Since a pharmacy with insurance is operating, it has become easier for general patients.

Health services are provided with five-bed facilities at the primary health center in Aiselukharkha, the center of Aiselukharkha rural municipality. Sachin Shrestha, head of the health department of Aiselukhark Rural Municipality, said that labs, video X-rays, X-rays, 24-hour emergency services, and a 24-hour maternity center are being operated here. Shrestha said that people come from Thulung Dudhkoshi in Solukhumbu and Rawabesi Rural Municipality in Khotang to get services as the rabies vaccine is also being operated here.

The municipal hospital in Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-5, Chapdanda is providing services to the citizens with labs, X-rays, video X-rays, and five-bed facilities, said Giri, spokesperson of the municipality. Giri said that the hospital is operated from the municipality's resources for health workers.

Similarly, Health Assistant Suman Dahal said that the basic hospital in Khotehang Rural Municipality-6, Indrenipokhari is operating with X-rays, video X-rays, and lab facilities. Dahal said that around 20 general patients are treated daily with the five-bed hospital facilities. A basic hospital is also in operation in Diprung Chuichumma Rural Municipality. The hospital located in Ward 1, Yamkha, of the municipality provides five-bed services including lab, video X-ray, said Public Health Inspector Murari Sigdel.

The under-construction municipal hospital in Mahadevsthan, Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-7 has been left stranded. The construction of the building has been stalled after the workers deployed by the company involved in the construction left the job. According to Kamal Giri, spokesperson for Halesi Tuwachung Municipality, the company involved in the construction left because they did not pay the workers. Giri said that the workers worked until last Mangsir but left after not receiving the money. The contract for the building was taken by Himalayan JV Biratnagar. The construction company had signed an agreement on 7th July 2078 with the federal government's budget of 119 million 919 thousand 629 rupees (excluding VAT) to complete the construction by 7th July 2080.

The construction period has been extended repeatedly since the building was not completed on time. In the recent period, the executive meeting on 29th Asad 2082 extended the deadline for the third time until 7th July 2083. Only the pillars of the base of the building have been raised. So far, about 34 percent, 40 million rupees, has been paid, said Nawaraj Katwal, the accounting officer of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality. The amount was paid for the initial running bill.

The landowners have said that action should be taken against the construction company that left the building abandoned. Landowner Prakash Chandra Giri said that he was saddened that the land was given to him with the promise that a hospital would be built and treatment facilities would be provided, but that he had not paid for it yet. Giri expressed his regret that complaints to the municipality, ward and related construction companies regarding the stalled work were ignored. Giri also said that action should be taken against those involved.

After the stalled work, the concerned construction company refused to comply with the request, and the spokesperson Giri said that preparations are underway to escalate the action process. Giri said that initially, the DPR had to be changed because there was no land in the field, so construction was delayed, but recently, problems have arisen due to non-work even after the DPR was prepared.

In addition, Giri said that the pillars were bent at the beginning of the construction of the building and they were demolished to make another pillar. The six pillars at the bottom of the building were bent and demolished to make another one. Giri said that after the construction of the building began, the DPR had to be changed because the structures such as the parking lot, gate, morgue, canteen, pharmacy, etc. did not match. Sushil Regmi, who is involved in the construction, said that the work will start in a few days.

Dudhkoshi Reservoir Project, a center of hope
The 670 MW Dudhkoshi Reservoir Hydropower Project under construction has given hope to the people of the district. The project, which was started at a cost of about 220 billion, is targeted to be completed within 10 years.

The project will affect 6 wards of Rawabesi Rural Municipality of Khotang, 2 of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality, 3 of Aiselukhark Rural Municipality, 5 of Chisangkugadhi Rural Municipality of Okhaldhunga, 1 of Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality of Solukhumbu and 1 ward of Necha Salyan Rural Municipality. Under the project, the water of the Dudhkoshi River in Rabhuwa, located between Khotang, Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu, will be taken to Dhitung in Halesi Tuwachung Municipality of Khotang and 35 MW of electricity will be generated in the Bhoje area of ​​Chisangkugadhi Rural Municipality of Okhaldhunga.

The financial management work of the project has reached the final stage. Basu Kalmi, Deputy Director of the Dudhkoshi Reservoir Hydropower Project, which is being managed by the lead partner of the Asian Development Bank, said. Kalmi said that work will begin towards the end of 2026 as soon as the financial management work is finalized. ‘The financial management work has reached the final stage,’ Kalmi said, ‘The goal is to start work towards the end of 2026 as soon as the management is done.’

The work before the start of the project is also going on in full swing, said Fatik Kumar Shrestha, chairman of Rawabesi Rural Municipality. According to him, the construction of the Belly Bridge in Rabhuwa, the concrete bridge in Tirpabesi, and the concrete bridge in Laikukhola are in full swing. Apart from this, 4 buildings of the camp site have been built. Shrestha said that the work of digging the site road has also started. Apart from this, more than 150 infrastructure development projects, both big and small, are under construction in the district, according to the Infrastructure Development Office Khotang.

Cardamom and kiwi showing hope

Cardamom, orange, and kiwi production in the district has made farmers happy. This year, cardamom worth more than Rs 1.35 billion has been produced in the district. 542.64 metric tons of cardamom have been produced in 1,064 hectares of the district.

According to Deepak Chauhan, an agricultural economist at the Agricultural Knowledge Center Khotang, this year 13,566 maunds of cardamom have been produced. Chauhan said that cardamom worth 1.35 billion 6.6 billion rupees has been produced at the rate of 100,000 rupees per maund. Similarly, 3,410 metric tons of oranges worth 341 million rupees have been produced in the district this year. Oranges worth 341 million rupees have been produced in 980 hectares of the district.

According to Chauhan, an agricultural economist at the Agricultural Knowledge Center Khotang, this year orange production has decreased by 15 hectares compared to last year. "Last year, orange production was reduced to 980 hectares, compared to 995 hectares this year," Chauhan said. "The 3,410 metric tons of oranges produced are worth Rs. 341 million at Rs. 100 per kilogram."

Farmers say that production in kiwi cultivation has decreased by 30 percent this year. According to Shubhachandra Rai of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality-8, only about Rs. 10 million worth of kiwi has been exported from the district this year. Rai said that kiwi produced in Khotang goes to Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Dharan and other places. Kiwi is going to be sold for Rs. 150 to 200 per kilogram. Rai said that kiwi is also used to produce juices, wine, jam, candy, brandy, ice cream and other dishes.

The famous Halesi, Mundum Trail, various cultural activities are the mainstay of tourism development here. The number of pilgrims has increased in Halesi, a famous religious site of Hindu, Buddhist and Kirati communities, in recent times. Kamal Giri, spokesperson of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality, said that pilgrims from various countries are coming due to transportation facilities and publicity.

Giri said that 7,000 more pilgrims are expected to come this year compared to 675,000 pilgrims last year. In addition, the Mundum Trail is also considered a center of tourism. In addition, since Khotang is densely populated by Kirati communities, they come to study the cultural aspects of various Kirati Rais, so this can also be considered as a form of tourism development, Kirati cultural expert Chaturbhakta Rai said. To promote tourism, Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality has also prepared to hold a Red Panda and Thar Conference in the upcoming Baisakh. Other news related to

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