August 20: In a bid to address food shortages, Humla district headquarters will now receive a significant quantity of foodstuffs through the Kerung point after being sourced from Kathmandu.  Approximately 4,000 quintals of essential foodstuffs are set to be transported to Simkot via roadways in Tibet, an autonomous region of China.

Krishna Prasad Adhikari, Chief of Humla Station at Food Management and Trading Company Limited, said that the food supplies have been dispatched to Humla and will be brought in through the Kerung point of the Nepal-China border.

This move comes as a response to Humla's limited food supplies due to reduced flights to the district last month. On Sunday, a convoy of 40 vehicles departed for Humla, carrying the 4,000 quintals of food, which will reach its destination via the Kerung route to Hilsa.

The company responsible for supplying food to Humla has strategically organized the transportation of food via the Tibetan route.  A notable allocation of 1,000 quintals of food grains will be reserved for Namkha Rural Municipality, while the remaining portion will be transported to the Simkot Branch.

Officials have emphasized that transporting food grains via the roadways in Tibet offers cost advantages over air transportation. The total transportation cost per quintal of food, spanning from Kathmandu to Kerung, Tibet, Hilsa, and finally Simkot, amounts to Rs 7,500.

In contrast, the cost for the same quantity of supplies is Rs 4,800 up to Yalwang of Namkha. Notably, if transported by plane, the cost skyrockets to Rs 15,000 from Nepalgunj and Rs 15,500 from Surkhet per quintal. (RSS)