Rasuwa farmers face dual crisis of lost land and severed supply chains
While the Langtang trekking route has reopened, Rasuwa's farmers are struggling with buried fields and broken bridges that prevent them from reaching markets.
Two months after devastating floods struck Rasuwa on August 26, local communities are grappling with the long-term economic fallout. While the district is seeing a slow recovery in the tourism sector, the agricultural heartland faces a deepening crisis as fertile fields remain buried and critical infrastructure stays in ruins.
Agricultural devastation in Uttargaya
In Uttargaya Rural Municipality, the Bhotekoshi River’s August flooding has left a trail of destruction across Wards 4 and 5. According to reports from Makalu Khabar and Nagarik News, the disaster deposited layers of sand, gravel, and rock over once-productive rice fields in areas including Upper and Lower Pairebesi, Khalte, Naubise, Kaidletar, and Betrabati.
Uttargaya Rural Municipality Chair Madhav Aryal stated that the floods buried the region's primary rice-producing land just before the harvest season. Local authorities estimate that approximately 1,806 hectares of agricultural land across Rasuwa have been damaged. The municipality is currently working to document the full extent of the losses while coordinating with provincial and federal government bodies to secure relief and compensation for the affected farmers.
Supply chain collapse in Aamachhodingmo
Further complicating the district's recovery, the destruction of a motorable bridge connecting Gosaikunda Rural Municipality-5 and Syabrubesi has crippled the local vegetable trade. Annapurna Post reported that the bridge, destroyed during the same August 26 flood, has not yet been rebuilt. This has forced farmers in Aamachhodingmo Rural Municipality to rely on dangerous ropeway crossings (tuins) to transport their produce.
Local farmers, who have increasingly shifted to commercial cabbage cultivation, are now facing the prospect of their crops rotting in the fields. Community leader Phurpu Singi Tamang noted that while the village expected to generate Rs 30 million in revenue from cabbage sales this year, the lack of road access has put tens of millions of rupees worth of produce at risk. Farmers are calling for the urgent installation of a Bailey bridge to replace the lost infrastructure and restore market access.
Tourism sector shows resilience
Amid these challenges, the tourism sector has reported a breakthrough. Onlinekhabar reported on October 29 that the Langtang Valley trekking route has officially reopened. Following the destruction of segments of the Pasang Lhamu Highway, the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal and local governments collaborated to establish alternative trails. Gosaikunda Rural Municipality-4 Chair Dindu Jyangba Tamang expressed optimism that the return of trekkers will be vital for the economic recovery of the local Tamang community, noting that teahouses and local entrepreneurs are prepared to welcome visitors once again.